What is your educational background?
CJ: 我在双子城(明尼阿波利斯-圣保罗)的北郊长大，上的是德拉萨尔基督教兄弟的托蒂诺-格雷斯高中. 学校名字的第一部分是指托蒂诺披萨家族，该家族在20世纪70年代末至80年代中期维持了学校的经济运转. The second part (Grace) refers to Bishop Thomas L Grace, who was a Dominican friar and 2nd Bishop of St Paul (late 1800s).
高中毕业后, I attended Loras College in Dubuque, IA and earned undergraduate degrees in 历史 and Secondary Education. 我拥有明尼苏达州立大学穆尔黑德分校教育领导学硕士学位. 我在圣路易斯市的阿奎那学院(Aquinas Institute)接受训练，成为一名多米尼加人.Div and a Masters in Theology.
What did you do prior to becoming a teacher at Fenwick?
CJ: 大学毕业后，我在明尼苏达州西南部当了一年8年级到10年级的历史老师. 然后我搬到了法戈, ND四年, and taught at Shanley HS, which is a Diocesan Catholic school. I taught pretty much every subject in the Social Science field, I also was in charge of the Deacon Ambassadors program, 学生会, was an assistant coach for track and cross country, and worked on my Masters degree in educational leadership. For fun, I also worked at a running specialty store.
I then joined the Dominicans in the summer of 2013, spent a year in our novitiate in Denver, after which I spent five of the next six years in St Louis for studies, with a break during the 2016-2017 school year, which was spent working at the Newman Center at Indiana University. I became a solemnly professed friar in August of 2018, and was ordained a priest in August of 2020, then almost immediately began my time at Fenwick.
What are you currently reading for enjoyment?
CJ: I am currently working my way through CS Lewis' 空间三部曲 以及澳大利亚红衣主教乔治·佩尔的三部分监狱日志. 我还在阅读本笃会修士塞普里安·戴维斯的非裔美国天主教历史.
What interests do you pursue outside of the classroom?
CJ: 我喜欢跑步和户外活动，这些都是我的爱好，还有阅读和旅行. 当我第一次搬到河森林时，我开始攀岩，并和我住在芝加哥的弟弟一起做了很长一段时间, but since he injured his rotator cuff in April, 我没有这样做. 否则, 周末我在这个地区的各个教区帮忙庆祝弥撒.
To what teams and/or clubs did you belong as a student?
CJ: As a high school freshman, I wrestled (103 lbs.)和踢足球. After the wrestling season, 我决定不再那样做了，因为时间问题(每天三个小时的训练，周末一整天的比赛)。. T在这里 were also 40 kids on the freshman soccer team, and t在这里 were only going to take 18 at the sophomore level, and I did not like my odds. 相反，我决定尝试一下越野，并迷上了长跑和赛车. 在接下来的高中三年和大学里，我都参加了越野赛和径赛. 在冬天, 我是俱乐部田径队的一员，通过我家附近的一个运动圆顶，每周放学后在健身房锻炼几天.
我也是积极同伴领导项目(一个无化学物质/聪明决策小组)的成员。, which gave talks at grade schools about "good decision-making," and was a member of NHS. 我还参与了喇沙修士青年的校园事工(服务外展), with which I helped out at a soup kitchen in Minneapolis, and traveled to Guatemala. 大四那年，我被选为特别圣餐牧师, and helped plan liturgies and prayer services.
Which clubs/sports/activities do you run at Fenwick?
CJ: My main role at Fenwick is that of Chaplain, 作为其中的一部分, I help moderate the 宣传团队 with Mrs. May as well as supervising students with planning and carrying out Mass. 去年春天(2022年)，我是女子田径队的跳台/短跑教练之一. 在中断了近十年之后，再次成为一名教练，重新参与田径运动，这是一件很有趣的事情.
What quality/characteristic marks a Fenwick student?
CJ: 我想说，esball世博的学生最基本的天赋和热情，正在寻找一种方法，用这些品质来改变世界. esball世博的学生对世界上正在发生的事情非常认真，并渴望有所作为.
你什么时候决定成为一名教师的?为什么选择这个领域?
CJ: I had wanted to be a teacher all throughout high school, partially because of my great love of learning, 也因为我的一些高中老师对我的影响. I felt blessed to be able to do that for five years after college, 能够成为esball世博的牧师/校园牧师和神学老师，我倍感幸运.
What personal strengths do you find especially helpful in your teaching?
CJ: 我发现我有很大的热情来分享我所学到的和经历过的所有事情, 用这个, 我也有很好的能力回忆我有过的经历和我学到的东西，并将它们与我们正在讨论的材料联系起来. In teaching Dominican Spirituality, I would like to think that I am quite passionate about the topic, given the love I have for my life as a Dominican friar and priest, as well as the Catholic faith, and enthusiastically share that with everyone in my classroom. I also taught AP European 历史 during the 2020-21 school year, which was a lot of fun, 因为我以前当老师时(在加入多米尼加人之前)就这样做过。, 也因为欧洲的历史和文化是我在大学里的研究重点, and have been told that my knowledge and love of the material was apparent.
What are your favorite classes to teach?
CJ: 我在esball世博只教过两门课程——欧洲历史和多米尼加精神. 我喜欢教这些课程的每一分钟，但我无法选择最喜欢的!
What is the greatest success you have had in teaching?
CJ: If a person asked me 10 years ago, 我想说，这将说服学生在大学里学习经济学或历史, or having numerous students go on to be teachers themselves. 我现在要说的是，我不会用我所做的任何事情来衡量成功, but rather the work of the Holy Spirit in students' lives. 这种成功的有形标志是，当学生理解了一种思想，从而对他们如何看待世界有了新的认识时，他们脸上的表情, their faith or themselves.
What challenges face students today?
CJ: 我相信我们的学生和其他西方社会的学生面临着同样的挑战:如何让忙碌的生活变得有意义, noisy world that is dominated by technology and an objectification/commodification of everything and everyone. 每当我听说学生们选择减少科技产品的使用——无论是社交媒体，我总是印象深刻, time spent on apps or simply scrolling through the news, 而是专注于与现实世界的互动——无论是家人还是朋友, through works of service to others, or simply by taking the time to enjoy the wonders of God's creation.
