Today marks a bittersweet moment for the St. X community as we say our goodbyes to beloved religion teacher Mr. Adam Zoeller. He has been a teacher at St. X for the past 15 1/2 years, but he will be departing in order to teach at Sacred Heart Academy.
Mr. Zoeller is eager to embrace a new challenge in his professional career. He has three daughters that are planning to attend Sacred Heart, and his oldest will be a freshman in the fall.
“I am excited about working in the school where my girls attend,” Zoeller stated. “As my oldest daughter was being recruited by SHA in middle school, I became more and more impressed with their academics and their administration.”
He has truly left an impact on the community of St. X, are there is no doubt that he will do the same at Sacred Heart.
Mr. Zoeller’s favorite part of St. X were the amazing teachers and people that he has worked with. These people allowed him to make memories that he will cherish for a lifetime. Specifically, he remembers those who welcomed him into the St. X community when he first joined back in 2009.
“These men are true examples of the values of Xaverian education: Ben Kresse, Bob Scheler, Jim Stairs, and Jimmy Kraeszig,” Zoeller commented.
A very memorable aspect of Mr. Zoeller’s teaching, both for his students and for himself, was the introduction of media literacy. He wanted to show students that they can learn about their Catholic faith through studying films. Two of the most memorable of these films were J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Fellowship of the Ring” , and Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises”.
“I am also proud that a collection of students from the class of 2024 contributed to the Preface for my book called ‘Hollywood of History: An Inquiry Based Strategy for Using Film to Teach World Religions’ ,” Zoeller said.
Finally, he is proud of the additions that he contributed to the Flaget Hall decor as well as donations that he helped raise for Kosair Children’s Hospital. As the leader of the Comic Book Club, Mr. Zoeller was a big part in the donation of money and Xbox games to the hospital.
Clearly, Mr. Zoeller has had a profound influence on the school community, and he is a true example of what St. X stands for. He will surely be remembered as one of the best teachers our school has had to offer. We extend our best wishes to Mr. Zoeller for his future endeavors, and the St. X community will miss him dearly.
