I was born in the windy city of Chicago and raised by hard working parents. My Dad retired from the Chicago PD after 32 years and my mom was a homemaker and went back to college later in life to earn a two-year nursing degree. My mom had the ability to attend college after high school, but due to the gender roles of the time, my grandmother discouraged her from going to college. When I came back home from college to visit, I remember her sitting at the kitchen table in the evenings studying after all her household work was completed. My grandparents were of Lithuanian and Slovenian decent. My grandpa came over "on the boat" when he was two years old, and as an automobile mechanic, remembers working on some of the Al Capone cars in Cicero, IL during the Great Depression. My grandmother used to tell me stories about bank closures during the Great Depression and waiting in a long line outside her bank, hoping that she would be able to withdraw her money. My grandparents never had a credit card, and always paid cash for everything out of savings.
My father was the second oldest of six children in an Irish-Catholic family and joked that when he turned 18, Grandpa had all his belongings packed in a duffle bag on the front stoop. Apparently, when you turned 18 you were on your own. Providing for 6 children was not easy on a laborers salary, so my Grandparents were never able to get a loan to buy their own home. To the day they died, my grandparents were renters. After leaving the house, my Dad spent four years in the Airforce, as a military police officer and then eventually got on with the Chicago PD. His other three brothers would also follow him into the Chicago PD. My Dad began his career in the mid 60's and was involved in some of the big events in Chicago in the late 1960's.
Growing up I attended both public and parochial schools. In mid 70's one of my first school first memories was the integration of Dever Elementary Schoool. African American children were bussed to my neighborhood school from one of Chicago's housing projects. It was my first experience, meeting and interacting with students of color. I vaguley remember playing with a student named Willie on the playground in first grade. Unfortunately, during those times, our relationship was never able to continue outside of the school day, as Willie lived miles from my house.
After my parents moved to our second house, I entered 4th grade in the fall at St. Thecla elementary school. I have fond memories of receiving a value based education and serving as an alterboy before school for 6:30 AM mass. Even as a 12 year old, I realized the value of starting my day off with personal prayer and reflection.
I am proud to be a first generation college student and the first of my extended family that attended and graduated from college. While my parents recognized college was the way to a better life, they did not have the personal experience to guide and mentor me, so I had to learn how to do school on my own. I finally figured it out, as I was completing my degree. I was a much better graduate student than undergrad. At birth, I was 4 pounds, 12 ounces, and back then many premature babies did not make it. My Mom had to work hard to keep me healthy, feeding me milk every 30 minutes from an eye dropper. I joke that I was born too early and some of my connections never got connected. School never came easy and I had to work hard to get good grades. I have always had a special place in my heart for students who are hard working overachievers, like me.
As a youth, I loved sports and after an injury plagued college football career, I began coaching college football and pursuing a MA in Secondary Education. In 1992, I began my high school teaching and coaching career and I tell people that I really went into teaching to coach but became a teacher in the process. Yes, in case you are wondering, my original plan was to become a federal law enforcement agent. While I loved building relationships with students outside of the classroom, I decided to step away from coaching in about 2013, because I was burning myself out striving to be my best both in the classroom and on the field. If you are doing it right, both teaching and coaching at a high level is extremely difficult. For a number of years, I was a head coach. while also teaching AP US Government and Politics.
Teaching U.S. Histoy has been a mainstay in my teaching career. I have taught all levels, Regular, Honors and Advanced Placement. As I write this, I will be completing my 32nd year in education. As I pursued coaching opportunites, I changed districts a few times so I have experienced how things are done in different places. Most of my time has been spend in large, public high schools, but I have also spend time in smaller private schools as well. I currently teach in a Minneapolis/St. Paul suburb.
After moving to MN in 1992, I took up the outdoor life. I enjoy spending time outdoors at the family cabin and hunting and fishing. I also love traveling throughout the United States, visiting historic places. Experiencing history is much better than just reading about it.
This is who I am and I am proud of where I came from and greatful to the many people who have invested in me throughout my life.