Joe’s path to the Society of Jesus began at his family’s dinner table in St. Louis, Missouri. His parents are both educators, and Jesuits were often there as their friends, trading “teacher stories” over the meal while young Joe listened. Seeing Jesuits as friends of the family made an impression on him. “Seeing Jesuits in the context of friendships helped me to know them as normal people,” he says, “and therefore see priesthood as one possible path among many in life.”
That path became clearer at Saint Louis University, where Joe earned a B.A. in Physics and Philosophy. There he got to know Jesuits as professors, as fellow students, as friends, and even as a boss. “These men were inspiring enough to want to follow,” he reflects, “but flawed enough to know I would be able to find my place among them.” His closest friends and mentors helped him recognize his own gifts and passions, and see how well they fit religious life. Those relationships grounded him as he worked through doubts about his faith, grew closer to God, and ultimately heard the call to the Society of Jesus.
Two experiences shaped that discernment. The first was a semester abroad in Spain, where he visited places from the life of St. Ignatius. The second was a summer working at a migrant shelter in El Paso, Texas. If you want to hear more about either one, he invites you to ask him sometime!
Before coming to Arrupe Jesuit, Joe earned an M.A. in Hispanic Studies at Loyola University Chicago. Along with his coursework in linguistics and literature, he taught Spanish 101 and 102 to undergraduates. “I will never forget the students, colleagues, and mentors who helped me learn the ropes of teaching and gain confidence,” he says. Teaching at a university showed him the many challenges, academic and otherwise, that students face when they reach college. “That perspective is something I treasure as I now work to help prepare students for that next step here at Arrupe.”
At Arrupe Jesuit, Joe teaches Freshman Spanish and coaches Cross Country. This year, he is most excited to be in the classroom with students every day and to build relationships across the Arrupe Jesuit community.
Joe credits much of his formation as a teacher to one mentor in particular: Dr. Clara Burgo at Loyola Chicago, who “formed my heart and mind to teach Spanish, especially in a classroom for native speakers.” He adds, “I cannot thank her enough!” Now Joe is passing that formation on to Arrupe’s newest students, giving them the kind of start he received.
