What is your favorite part about Breck?
In all honesty, it’s the students. I have worked with high school students for over twenty years and it’s what I would describe as a calling, which is more than simply a job. So that part of it is natural to me. However, I’ve never worked in a school like Breck before. I’ve taught creative writing and theology to college and graduate students, but teaching religion in high school is really enjoyable. That plus being able to go to all the performances, games, and other extra-curricular events is icing on the cake for me.
What are your favorite hobbies outside of school?
Anything outside. I love riding my mountain bike, fly fishing, snowboarding, and generally just being in the woods. If I can’t do that, I love playing video games, spending time with my family and my dogs, and reading. I also write—a lot. But that’s more of a job than a hobby at this point!
How do you come up with the ideas for your homilies?
Every year, we have a chapel theme. From there, we focus on one aspect of the theme for the month, usually introduced in All School Chapel. Once I know the theme, I try to think about what is interesting to students, what is happening in the world, and things that I can say with a certain amount of authority (or at least integrity!) from the pulpit. It’s harder than a church sermon, because I want to make sure I’m not letting my own theological point of view dominate too much. So usually, a week before the chapel, I start to think about what I’m going to say and how I’m going to say it. I then write over the weekend and edit it on Monday before chapel. And then I speak!
Who do you look up to at Breck?
Dr. Baker, Mrs. Wanless, Dr. Clapp, Mr. Ohm, Mr. Johnson, Dr. Hernandez, Rev. Ernst…honestly, I could just list everyone in the faculty and the administration. The Breck “team” is easily the best group of people I’ve ever worked with in terms of their desire to bring the best to students and each other. Specifically, though, the ones I named have given me exceptional advice, allowed me to fail and learn, and are generally just good people to help guide you through the process of being a part of a school like Breck.
What made you want to be a reverend?
I told my mother I wanted to be a priest when I was 11 years old. This went over like a lead balloon. My family is not religious—at all. And let’s face it, that’s a pretty weird thing to say as a kid. But there was something about the idea that the dead things in our lives do not have to stay dead, that who you are does not dictate who you will be—that you can be loved in a way without condition or reason. So when it came time to have a career, it was something I felt like I couldn’t get away from at all. (See the idea of a calling…) Nearly forty years later, that feeling still feels the same. And it’s what ultimately led me to Breck.