Michael Mennis ’02

After graduating from Loyola University Maryland, I spent two years in volunteer service, the first with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) and the second with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps: Northwest (JVC: NW). Through those two years of full-time service, I came to know that no matter what career path I took, it needed to be one in which I felt I was serving others. After serving, though, I didn’t fully know what I wanted to do next, whether law, social work, or teaching. My family suggested teaching, and my mother even mentioned that a few teachers at MJS thought I might one day be a good teacher. I applied for the 2014 cohort of Partners in Los Angeles Catholic Education (PLACE) Corps at Loyola Marymount University. The master’s in education
program supported me with more than a degree in teaching but also with an intentional community, spiritual development, and placement in an under-resourced Catholic School. I was placed at Precious Blood School (PBS) in Koreatown, Los Angeles, now Precious Blood Microschool. Through the support of PLACE Corps, the PBS community, and staff, I fell in love with teaching. I enjoyed teaching middle school social studies and religion for eight years.

In 2021, I went back to Loyola Marymount University to earn a Master of Theology. One year into the program, I applied and was accepted as a theology teacher at Verbum Dei Jesuit High School, where I’m now in my second year of teaching. I continue to explore how I can achieve my goal of service as an educator and find enjoyment in working with and for others inside and outside the classroom.

My approach to teaching begins with building a rapport and relationship with the students I teach. I meet students where they are to get to know what interests them and how to help them see that theology is the most practical subject they will be taking. It is the most practical as no matter what theology or faith you hold; it asks the most fundamental questions concerning one’s experience and reality while also developing the lens through which you come to understand that experience and reality. The best way to do that is to recognize how each student sees and understands their world, then work with them to ask those questions and help them make informed conclusions.

I think the most fulfilling part of my job is working directly with students, either in the classroom setting, on a service immersion trip, or other event. Students make the job interesting and different every day. It’s a privilege to be able to walk with them through this time of their lives and help open up new ideas and possibilities for all of us to learn and grow. The most challenging part of my job is finding a work/life balance. There is always another amazing lesson to create, another resource to find, another paper to grade, another meeting to discuss how best to support student success, and another professional development opportunity that expands my knowledge base or skills. There is always something more encouraging me to keep working to be the best I can be for my students. The only way I can be a good teacher is to support myself, which means making sure I am present for my family, developing my joys, talents, and hobbies, and finding that balance between being the teacher and being my own person.

I really hope that over the next ten years, I can take my training and, with my peers, continue to evolve our theology curriculum and formation at Verbum Dei Jesuit. The goal is to help my students develop a relationship with God and grow confident in their ability to be voices for change or prophets within their
community.