Page 88 - Gonzaga at 60
P. 88
Leaving Gonzaga in 2000 I embarked upon a four-year the ‘spiritual senimentalism’ I had come to disdain. It
degree in Internaional Commerce and Italian in UCD. was authenic and pracical. I remember a poster in the
Although I loved history and languages and had seriously old college library, which read ‘If you want peace, work
thought about studying theology, I had decided to for jusice’. These teachers inspired that kind of holisic
pursue the commerce degree as ‘it made sense, was living in me.
pracical and would give me a job that would allow me Ater college I ended up working as a management
the freedom to pursue other interests’; how naïve I was! consultant for a short ime. But the constant travelling
My ime as a student in Gonzaga was not always and sterile report-wriing did not appeal to me, and soon
the easiest as, like many, I oten struggled to navigate became unbearable. I spent the next few years working
the meandering paths of adolescence. But in the midst for a faith-based NGO in Ireland. This was a much more
of this some of what was taught, or even how it was rewarding experience and one which inally led me to
taught, inluenced me in ways I could barely perceive at deciding to become a teacher.
the ime. Danny McNelis’ senior cycle RE classes and Fr In September 2008 I returned to Gonzaga to teach
Frank Doyle’s Sixth Year Retreat to Mount Mellery stand Italian, RE and SPHE.
out in my memory. As an ambiious teenager I had scofed at the idea
These two men personiied the Jesuit ideals of teaching; now I cannot imagine deriving so much
of educaion and airmed the value system and enjoyment and saisfacion from any other career.
worldview that were slowly emerging within me. Their
understanding and pracise of faith was both coherent Patrick Boland
and intellectually rigorous, and completely devoid of Class of 2000
degree in Internaional Commerce and Italian in UCD. was authenic and pracical. I remember a poster in the
Although I loved history and languages and had seriously old college library, which read ‘If you want peace, work
thought about studying theology, I had decided to for jusice’. These teachers inspired that kind of holisic
pursue the commerce degree as ‘it made sense, was living in me.
pracical and would give me a job that would allow me Ater college I ended up working as a management
the freedom to pursue other interests’; how naïve I was! consultant for a short ime. But the constant travelling
My ime as a student in Gonzaga was not always and sterile report-wriing did not appeal to me, and soon
the easiest as, like many, I oten struggled to navigate became unbearable. I spent the next few years working
the meandering paths of adolescence. But in the midst for a faith-based NGO in Ireland. This was a much more
of this some of what was taught, or even how it was rewarding experience and one which inally led me to
taught, inluenced me in ways I could barely perceive at deciding to become a teacher.
the ime. Danny McNelis’ senior cycle RE classes and Fr In September 2008 I returned to Gonzaga to teach
Frank Doyle’s Sixth Year Retreat to Mount Mellery stand Italian, RE and SPHE.
out in my memory. As an ambiious teenager I had scofed at the idea
These two men personiied the Jesuit ideals of teaching; now I cannot imagine deriving so much
of educaion and airmed the value system and enjoyment and saisfacion from any other career.
worldview that were slowly emerging within me. Their
understanding and pracise of faith was both coherent Patrick Boland
and intellectually rigorous, and completely devoid of Class of 2000
