Yes, the character of Piper’s teacher Mr. Van Deusen in Shine! was heavily influenced by the real Schaack Van Deusen, a teacher in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Everybody has one (or more) teachers that make an enormous impact in their lives—whether the teachers know it or not. Mr. Schaack Van Deusen was THAT teacher for Chris Grabenstein. In high school freshman English, Mr. Van Deusen introduced Chris to Shakespeare, Hemingway, and Twain. He also helped Chris realize that acting in plays or writing for the school newspaper were just as cool as playing sports. When Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga named Chris as a distinguished alumnus, he was able to publicly say thanks to the teacher who changed his life…