As we begin the new school year, we want to shine a spotlight on the new faculty you may see in the hallway. For this feature, I spoke with ’05 grad Mr. Ben Faust.
What impact do you hope to have on the young men you teach/coach?
Over the last few years I’ve told my students as they walk into my classroom, “You may not like English, but I hope you enjoy walking into this class.” If students know you care about them, they’ll learn the material, but they have to know you care. If students from St. X and students from my other schools can say they enjoyed coming into my class then I did my job because that statement tells me they learned because of the respect I had for them and they had for me.
What hope do you have for the future of St. X?
I hope St. X continues to push the limits in terms of student and faculty achievement. As an educational institution, learning is never final and I hope St. X continues to instill that growth mindset into each young man that walks these halls.
Where were you before St. X?
Before St. X I was living in Tampa, FL with my wife (Elizabeth) and daughter (Caroline). I lived there for 11 years working for Hillsborough County Public Schools where I taught English and coached football at Armwood High School for seven years and Freedom High School for four years. I worked with some outstanding educators and I hope to take what I’ve learned from them and pass it on to my current students.
What have you enjoyed the most about St. X so far?
I’ve enjoyed seeing how much the campus has changed since I was last a student in 2005. I’ve seen it from the outside, but to be able to walk the halls and finally be part of it again is truly impressive. I’ve also enjoyed interacting with the students and faculty. What makes St. X such a great place is having great people around you. The students work hard each day and the faculty does a great job of setting high standards for the students but helping them each day to achieve those high standards. That is what separates St. X from other places: the willingness to assist and help students reach their goals.
