6 IMPACT MAGAZINE • MARCH 2015 GC Spotlight Q: Tell us about the journey that led you to Guerin Catholic. A: Someone told me once it was necessary to find out your avocation and then make it your vocation. God is a great GPS system, but sometimes we choose to go off-roading. Looking back, it is clear to me what I am doing now I have been doing all my life. Being curious and struggling to figure out a difficult problem is a wonderful pursuit. Inspiring curiosity, working with the curious and helping them figure out what I know is my avocation. Arguing with them along the way is just a hobby. When I became partner in a law firm for the first time, my first thought was, “Oh no, what am I going to do now?” Along with that was an overwhelming feeling I was probably supposed to be doing something else. Now I have an overwhelming feeling this is exactly what I should be doing and where I should be doing it. Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching here? A: At the teacher retreat before school began — when I knew only Mr. McNeany, Dr. Dispenzieri, and had only briefly met Mr. Panasuk, Mrs. Murphy and Mr. Kirkwood — the new teachers were asked to get up and say what they were most looking forward to. I said I was most looking forward to a crucifix in the classroom and praying with students. I have never been surrounded by so many brilliant, caring and faith-filled people rowing in the same direction. Guerin Catholic is an amazing community. Q: What would people be surprised to know about you? A: People might be surprised to know I am very shy. That’s probably the big one no one will believe. Aside from that, recollecting moments when people just refused to believe me or things that just stand out: I once dunked a basketball; I dated the same girl Ferris Bueller’s best friend, Cameron, dated; I have been drug-free my whole life; I got through my last semester in law school without books; I was once mugged; I am the son and brother of drummers but can’t clap a beat or even guess at how people dance; my high school aptitude test suggested I should be a social worker or teacher; I fell asleep at a bus stop in law school — until the next morning; and birthmothers are my heroes. Q: How do you incorporate faith into your teaching? A: From the first day of IB Business, I have stressed corporate social responsibility and servant leadership. These are the threads we are using to sew the various pieces of content fabric together. Fortunately, these are dominant topics not only in our room but in the business world today. It may be reflective of the Millennials who are now pushing into the workforce. They tend to be more experience-oriented, more willing to share power and empower others and less preoccupied with tangibles. It’s great to be able to talk about the Rules of St. Benedict as a business model and show examples of success outside of Trappists making cheese and beer. We have read these 600-year-old ideas rephrased in secular terms and published in “The Economist” and “Harvard Business Review.” The current literature gives me relatable, timely and timeless material to point to as examples of great success (in a St. Benedict and St. Bernard sense). We also explore the conflicts between our faith and the world in which we live. They will, without doubt, be tested outside the safety of a classroom in gray areas where rationalizations wait and great battles are won and lost. On this point, outside of my faith, generally, I have faith in the students I see and hear every day. I am charged to lead with humility, but more often I follow in awe. If pride was not a sin, I think Sts. Benedict and Bernard would be proud of them. NeilRafferty Follow Mr. Rafferty on Twitter at @RaffertyNeil
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