Brian Hobbins
1. What was your ACE Site/ school/ grade level/ subject taught?
I taught at St. Vincent de Paul school in the Tillman's Corner neighborhood of Mobile, Alabama. It was a very small school, with only three middle school classes, so I was able to teach each middle school class - 6th-8th - in their religious and social studies. This encompassed U.S. History, Civics, Geography and World History as well as Old Testament, New Testament and Morality courses.
2. In general, how would you describe your ACE experience?
I think my ACE experience was one of the most challenging, intense and rewarding experiences of my life. It was very different from the path most of my friends chose after school and involved some pretty immediate responsibility that I probably didn't fully understand until after I had accepted it! Being responsible for and involved in the formation of 50 some adolescents' academic and character development and faith formation was pretty awesome. However, with the two years of long nights, engaging days, debates and laughter with my students and time with my ACE roomies behind me, I can't think of anything I have been more proud of participating in.
3. What have you been doing since you graduated from ACE?
Since ACE I have bounced around quite a bit. I spent two years learning about the capital markets as a day trader with Marquette Partners in Chicago, IL. While the education and experience were invaluable, I felt there was still something missing. I resigned after two years trading, without a job, and spent the next 6 months working at the YMCA, for a property manager and as a doorman at a bar - something I don't know I'd want my middle school students knowing about! Later, I headed back home to Minneapolis where I partnered up with another trader from Marquette to start our own trading group - Musky Trading. After the design and start-up of Musky, I was offered a job with Cargill's Corporate Affairs department as an Issues Manager where I am today. There I work as a consultant to our 80+ businesses and help form Cargill's policies, activities and responses to calls for Corporate Social Responsibility. This involves everything from deploying best labor practices, promoting environmental sustainability, financial and governance transparency and community relations, including some education programs.
4. How have you stayed connected to ACE?
I have stayed in touch with most of my ACE roommates since I left Mobile. We were pretty close, so I check in with them once a month or so. It is great to hear all the awesome things they are doing. Also, I occasionally e-mail with some of my former students and will sometimes speak directly with St. Vincent de Paul staff. Plus, events like ACE Fellowship in Chicago and the Twin Cities and frequent ACE mailers keep me in touch with ACE. Finally, Notre Dame game weekends almost always have an ACE reunion by chance.
5. What are the ways in which you continue to serve Catholic education?
Unfortunately, my direct service to Catholic education has been limited since I have left ACE. I took some of the best practices from my time as a teacher to a coaching role at a boxing gym in Chicago's Southwest side while living there. Now, back home in Minnesota, I have yet to find a way to serve, but am optimistic to do something with a Cristo Rey school opening here this fall. In the interim, I continue to support ACE, my alma mater, St. Thomas Academy and St. Vincent de Paul School with small donations.
Bekah Madrid
1. What was your ACE Site/ school/ grade level/ subject taught?
I was in Brownsville Texas. I taught high school social studies at St. Joseph Academy.
2. In general, how would you describe your ACE experience?
I had an amazing two years in ACE. In those two years I learned how to drive in Mexico, how to teach the concept of winter to South Texans, how to say possum in Spanish (they kept getting caught in the Convent pipes), and how to teach. I had an amazing community...we prayed together, graded together, and laughed together. I now consider Brownsville my second home and I still get homesick for South Texas. Most importantly, because of ACE, I now have a job I love and am passionate about. I learned how to teach in a supportive environment and to this day I still have moments when I think „What would Rachel Moreno do?" Everyday I use the skills that I learned in ACE in my classroom and I am continually striving to be a better teacher because that was what was expected of me during ACE. The two years of ACE helped define who I am as person and I consider the experience a blessing.
3. What have you been doing since you graduated from ACE?
I moved to DC after ACE graduation and started teaching in a large public school in Virginia. I currently teach International Baccalaureate History and Theory of Knowledge. I have acted as a class sponsor and I am currently the Creativity Action Service Coordinator. I also was named Teacher of the Year this year, based on voting for teachers and parents. I also am enjoying all the benefits of living in a city and traveling whenever I get the chance.
4. How have you stayed connected to ACE?
I have been involved with the ACE Fellowship since the first retreat at Notre Dame in 2004. The Fellowship has really been a great way to stay in contact with ACE. It has given me numerous opportunities to meet up with friends from ACE from all over the nation. Moreover, I have been able to meet people who I did not know when I was doing ACE through the Fellowship. D.C. has a large number of ACE graduates and I work with the Fellowship to connect alumni with service, spiritual, and social events which has been a great opportunity. It has been important to me to see what direction ACE is moving and try to discern how I can use my talents and skills to best serve the field of education.
5. What are the ways in which you continue to serve Catholic education?
ACE Fellowship has really given me this opportunity as I no longer work in Catholic Schools. I have started to discover the needs of Catholic Schools in the Washington Diocese and have several opportunities for service to these schools.