To commemorate National Teacher Appreciation Day on May 7, the Catholic School Council Alumni Committee talked to 5 Catholic school alumni who are now teaching at Nouvel Catholic Central High School and Elementary.

When asked what attracted them to teach at a Catholic school, here’s what we learned:

Bridget Jacqmain, Campus Minister & Theology Instructor at NCCHS; Senior Class Advisor; Staff Advisor for Protect Life Club

Bridget Jacqmain: “It was the Holy Spirit that drew me to teaching at a Catholic school. I am exactly where I am meant to be. God knew best.” 

Dave Boswell, 4th Grade General Education, Science & Math Teacher at NCCE & DNR “Salmon in the Classroom Project” Participant

Dave Boswell: “For me, teaching at a Catholic school is a calling,” Dave Boswell said, “I had the opportunity to substitute teach while getting my college degree, and I especially loved what I saw in the Catholic schools, where students are taught responsibility, held accountable, and the family atmosphere is tremendous.”

Mike Kessler, English/Language Arts Instructor & Coach at NCCHS
 
Mike Kessler: “I attended a Catholic school, grades K-12, where I realized there is something very special in the shared faith and support of a Catholic school community. I originally got a Business Management Degree from Northwood University and worked at Dow Chemical and DuPont in Midland, MI. However, I decided to make a change to teaching, and fortunately for me my wife Briana, also a Catholic school alum, was very supportive. She knew that helping young people is where my true passion lies.”

Pete Bartels, NCCHS Social Studies Instructor; Spirit Cross Honor Guard,
Law Day, & Quiz Bowl Moderator; Varsity Cross Country Coach

Pete Bartels: “I had great Catholic school teachers who loved their job and loved the Lord, so naturally joining their ranks as a Catholic school teacher made sense to me.”


Rebecca Miller, NCCE Kindergarten Teacher

Rebecca Miller: “I was drawn to teach at a Catholic school because I felt called to embrace Jesus' message of discipleship through my teaching. I loved being a student at St. Thomas Aquinas, and I wanted to be in an environment where I could talk openly about my faith and share that with my students.”

When asked what they enjoy doing the most in their classrooms, our teachers are quick to share:

Dave Boswell: “One of the things I’m most proud of is the “Salmon in the Classroom” project, whereby my students raise salmon from eggs to smolt and then we release them in the spring in the Little Manistee River.
 
“I’ve been incorporating this student favorite project in my classroom for 15 years now, and even received a certificate from the DNR for 15 years participation. Along with this project, I try to include some games into learning, such as using magnetic darts to spell words.”

Bridget Jacqmain: “My favorite thing I do in my classes is probably my daily check-ins with students.  After the Pandemic I noticed that it was harder to get a read on students when we came back to school masked, so I began greeting and having a short conversation with each of my students daily during class.  It has changed everything for me and I see the fruits of it in the classroom all the time.  My students are at ease in my classroom and they know I care for them and that, in turn, Jesus cares for them.  When it is time to buckle down and work they buy in more readily because they have had a chance to be seen and acknowledged.”
“Teens today get a bad rep for being distracted or melancholy, but they are really quite exceptional people and quite delightful when you take the time to get to know them.” 

“My favorite things we do as a school community are when we get a chance to serve at the Area 22 Special Olympics or when I take kids out in the community to support pro-life advocacy like at the Saginaw County Right to Life Banquet or the Diocesan March for Life.”

Mike Kessler: “In our newspaper and journalism classes, students are able to collaborate and explore things they haven’t done before. We have added segments to our social media such as “Mic’d ups” with our sports teams and coaches. During these segments, we put a microphone on a player or coach for a practice or game. Afterward, we go through and edit the film. These videos are some of our most popular.

Another creative journalism project is our staff interviews. We have done these interviews in many different ways, including a segment where Drew Carlson interviewed Mr. Jason Payne while eating hot wings. This added an entertainment flare to the segment."

Pete Bartels: “First of all, the opportunity to pray and praise God daily. We have great teachers at all levels who care about their work and share their faith.  Strong academics, Mass, chapel, religion classes all contribute to a Nouvel students’ experience.

“As far as classes, I enjoy the Advanced Placement program and curriculum.  I've taught religion classes, other history classes, but AP Government and Economics are my favorite subjects right now. 

“I enjoy students who come prepared and get motivated, who challenge their teachers and each other to be their best.  I am grateful for my own parents and Nouvel’s families who want to pass on the faith, to maintain and grow Catholic schools for generations to come, so the faith that has been entrusted to us will be passed on and continue to flourish in every age to come!”

Rebecca Miller: “I love music. I love sharing that with my students and I love praising Jesus with music both in the classroom and in my church. We love to put on a praise and worship song in the classroom to listen to while working or to sing and dance to while praising Jesus.”

Our teaching Alumni also shared with us what they valued most from their own Catholic school education:

Rebecca Miller: “I attended St. Thomas Aquinas (STA), and the teachers I had helped shape me into the person I am today. Now, being able to teach in the same school that I grew up in and ‘walk the same walk’ is a real joy. An STA teacher who really influenced me was my music teacher, Roberta Conley. She was so dedicated and instilled in me a love of music. As a kindergarten teacher, I frequently incorporate music and singing into my classroom, and for this Roberta is my role model.
 
Bridget Jacqmain: “I attended St. Helen elementary school from Kindergarten through 8th grade. It is hard to pick just one thing I value most, but I guess it would just be the feeling of belonging that I had.  For as long as I can remember I was included in liturgy and the faith-life of my school and Parish, even when I was very young.  It very quickly becomes part of your identity.  I also have countless examples of teachers going out of their way to nurture my gifts and help me grow as a student during my time at St. Helen.”

Dave Boswell: “I attended St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary from 1973-1981, and I really valued that I was able to go to church and receive the sacraments during school. I also really appreciated that I was taught how to be responsible, to be a good citizen and to respect others’ values and opinions. I enjoyed having nuns as teachers, and Sisters Dorothy, Angelica, and Christine were my favorites.”

Mike Kessler: “I loved my 12 years of Catholic education at NCC and enjoyed all the extracurricular activities. It was so positive and gave me a strong moral compass. When I graduated I felt I was prepared for anything. While I had many favorite teachers and classes, one that stood out for me at NCC was Mrs. Speaker’s “Peace and Justice” class, where I learned about the social justice impact Catholicism has.”

Pete Bartels: “I attended St. Thomas Aquinas and then Sts. Peter & Paul and Nouvel Catholic Central, and the things I see as valuable and believe are worth keeping alive are the Catholic school traditions of excellence in academics, service to others and athletics, the love of books, especially sacred Scripture, having Mass as often as we do, other opportunities for prayer and reflection, the sacramental life, the centrality of Christ in the Eucharist, the treasures of the Catholic faith being illustrated and lived out every day.”

There are some things a teacher is able to do in a Catholic school classroom that are only possible in a faith-based learning environment. Our NCC teachers explain:

Pete Bartels: “Every day we begin each class with prayer. We hear about the Catholic Saint or Feast Day for that day and talk about the lives of holy men and women who have gone before us.  I believe students want to connect their everyday struggles to people who faced great challenges in their own lives at a completely different time and place, some of whom were persecuted by the authorities. And the martyrs, those who gave their lives for the faith whom we hold up in reverence.

“Nouvel is such a special place! We had Fr. Mike Steltenkamp celebrate Mass with us back in December.  He taught at Nouvel when I was a student. Fr. Mike knows Bishop Gruss from South Dakota. He has written books about Nicholas Black Elk, a Native American mystic.  Fr. Mike has even opened a cause for Black Elk’s sainthood, which has been taken up by Bishop Gruss and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). I just shared this with my history class today. They enjoyed learning about this part of our Catholic history.”
 Photo by Mary Beth Looby, Black Elk Sculpture by Marshall M Fredericks, SVSU Sculpture Museum

Bridget Jacqmain: “The number one thing is the privilege to openly pray with my students daily.  Each of my classes spends time in front of the Blessed Sacrament in our school Oratory (Chapel) at the beginning of each class. If a student is injured or sick or loses a loved one, we are able to simply stop everything else and pray with that person.  That is a huge gift and is truly unique to attending a faith-based school.”

Dave Boswell emphasizes: “I like to be able to include God-based values, even when teaching science. I tell my students we need to take care of God’s green earth!” Dave also has fun with his fourth graders when he tells them God was a “mad scientist,” for He took hydrogen, a flammable element, and oxygen, and made water! Dave also shares that if there are behavioral issues in his classroom, he can bring up the 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes for discussion—something he may not be able to do in a public school.”

Mike Kessler: “We have small class sizes, which allows for great discussion. I use debate as a bell-ringer in each class. I find this is impactful and meaningful to students, and it is also good preparation for writing an argumentative essay. In addition, we have debate days where students can speak openly about their faith and learn to listen to each other. I find they are non-judgmental toward each other. I don’t see the negative peer pressure. We are a community.”

Rebecca Miller: “Being able to pray with my students and teach them that they can talk to Jesus like a friend is always so special. My students also help me grow in my own faith. Oh how true this is! When I see that child-like faith, it invigorates my own.

When we were learning about Palm Sunday together a couple of weeks ago, some of my students started singing the "Holy, Holy" from Mass as they were working on their mini Palm Sunday books. They made the connection all on their own to something from liturgy to what we were learning about and that was really special!

“On a personal note, my daughter Charlotte has autoimmune conditions and was in and out of the hospital when she was 2. That year, the NCC school community lit a candle during Mass and prayed for her. During Catholic Schools Week, Bishop Gruss even said a special prayer with my class for her. The support and prayers from my Catholic school family are a big part of what helped me through, and I know they helped Charlotte.”

Our Alumni share what they see as the primary benefits of Catholic education:

Pete Bartels: “Catholic schools across the country have experienced so many changes just since I was at Nouvel in the '80s.  Yet, two million students currently attend a Catholic school every day in the U.S. That is something to celebrate.  All schools, public, private, religious or otherwise, teach values.  What is their bottom line?  Ours is forming disciples for service to God's kingdom now, and preparing souls for eternal life.”



Bridget Jacqmain: “The ability to come together for class retreats, penance services, and weekly Mass is really invaluable.  Although many schools have service requirements nowadays, we get to tie everything back to the Faith and the Social Doctrine of the Church, which makes all of those experiences richer and more meaningful. I appreciate all of the other benefits too like smaller class sizes, community atmosphere, quality academics, athletics, and extracurriculars.

Dave Boswell: “The primary benefits I see are 1) smaller class-size, with more one-on-one time with students 2) higher academic expectations 3) preparing students to be academically and socially responsible 4) good study habits and 5) going to church and religion classes, as many students don’t get church in their lives.

Mike Kessler: “Students learn about morality from the teachings of Christ, which is the basis of everything we do, and our school staff cares deeply for students.”

Rebecca Miller: “As the world around us marches forward with messages that lack the truths of the Gospel, teaching children of those truths becomes SO important.

One of my favorite lullabies has the lyrics "but remember what I've told you, because the world will make you choose: hold to Jesus, he's holding on to you." ("Hold on to Jesus" by Erin O'Donnell & Janna Long). If we don't teach our children to love and follow Jesus, the world will certainly present numerous opportunities NOT to. Being able to teach biblical truths is so important - especially as children grow older (I am thinking beyond my own classroom now) and start to come into contact with the secular world.

Sending your child to a Catholic school is giving them a firm foundation in Jesus. With that faith, they can go on to be world changers helping to spread Jesus' message to everyone they meet.”

NOTE: Future issues of “The ALUM” will include additional stories featuring “Teaching Alumni” from other Diocesan Catholic Schools. 

Story by Mary Beth Looby
Photos Courtesy of NCC for B. Jacqmain, M. Kessler, & P. Bartels; photos for D. Boswell & R. Miller by Mary Beth Looby