Labor of Love

The people. I have been so fortunate to work with many inspiring colleagues over the years and, of course, the gift of teaching our amazing students. My first week at Loyola Academy back in August, 1987, I met Jim Serpe, legendary Math teacher who taught over 60 years between Loyola Academy and St. Ignatius. I asked him for advice on how he had taught for many years and was still passionate about teaching. He shared, “Kevin, love the students. If you love the students you are going to be a successful teacher.” His advice was spot on. And, of course, Loyola Academy’s mission is to send students out into the world who will love others, women and men for others.

"Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care." My hope is that the students remember that they were and are cared for. They may forget what they learned, but students always remember how they felt.

The same passion for educating young people who will make a positive difference in the world that I experienced in my coworkers back in 1987 remains in my coworkers today. This passion is why I come here everyday and why everyday is a gift.

Well, in 1987, Tim Devine was one of my students, and now in 2024, he is the Principal!

The best advice I have is the advice and guidance from our school motto. Success is not about your achievements or how much money you make, it is about making a difference in the lives of others.

I always look back with gratitude and fondness at the Loyola House project that I was part of. The Loyola House project was a collaboration between Loyola Academy and one of our summer service partners at the time, C.O.A.P. (Christian Outreach to the Appalachian People), based in Harlan, Kentucky.

I have already had so many roles at Loyola, there are only a few left!

But if I was not at Loyola, I would want to be a tour guide for a United States National Park Service historical site. 

Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Chang. It is the first hand account of Nien Chang's survival during Mao's cultural revolution in the 1960s. Nien, imprisoned for a lengthy period of time, never broke before her guards, fighting evil with steadfastness and courage. I have read it four times in my life—about every 10 years. And each time I learn something new about perseverance, core values, and staying true to yourself no matter how difficult the circumstances.

I am an avid bridge player, partnering with former Loyola Math teacher, Jan DeStefano as well as my Uncle Bob who taught me the game. We enjoy playing at various clubs and tournaments around the area. I am also a long time bowler and I enjoy bike rides to refresh and recharge.

I remain very close to my high school group of friends. There are 10 of us that have known each other since 1979. Starting about 20 years ago we decided to take a short trip each summer to a different MLB ballpark. Before COVID hit, we had been to about half of the ballparks. We are finally planning on resuming our quest next summer with a trip up to Toronto.

The people! Students, teachers, and staff are what makes this place so special. We have dedicated teachers and staff who believe in students and care about the whole person, not just academics. Relationships I have formed with colleagues, students, and parents will always stay with me.

Winning back-to-back State Championships in girls’ basketball as an assistant coach in 1997 and 1998. The players on those teams were not only incredible players, but outstanding young women. The parents were amazing as well. I still keep in touch with several players today—25 years later!

I am a member of five athletic hall of fames: Maine West High School (as a volleyball and basketball player); Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (as a basketball player); Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (as a coach); Loyola University (as a volleyball and basketball player); and Loyola Academy (as a coach of several teams).

Physical Therapist.

Bike ride, both outdoor and indoor, travel anywhere (I prefer driving to flying), and read (James Patterson is my favorite). 

The schedule has changed multiple times. New facilities have been built. Technology has changed the learning (and social) environment.

At the end of the day, kids are still kids and they haven’t really changed much.  

I would hope they would learn to respect one another and treat others as they would like to be treated.

Live each day with joy in your heart and be nice to people. You never know what they are going through. Sometimes just a smile and a hello is all someone needs to brighten up their day.

For many years once I started to work at Loyola I had a part-time job at Crafty Beaver Lumber Yard. I had worked there through college and continued for my first 20 years or so while working at Loyola. One of the fun things I learned there was to drive a forklift. It was fun to do in the summer because it was a job that was a complete change from what I was doing during the school year.

I want students to learn that the world around them is diverse and complicated. We have a certain way we do things in the United States and, like in many countries, we believe our way of doing things is the best. In the political science classes I try to teach about other countries and how they do things different from the US. The UK has a Parliament. Mexico has a one term presidency. Iran has a theocracy. That doesn’t make them better or worse than us, just different. Understanding those differences can lead to better relationships.

I earned my degrees in Political Science. My intention was to run political campaigns and work in politics. I think I would have enjoyed that, but I took education classes as a “fall back” in case politics didn’t work out. I still get my political fix since I teach political science to a couple of sections every year.

I earned my degrees in Political Science. My intention was to run political campaigns and work in politics. I think I would have enjoyed that, but I took education classes as a “fall back” in case politics didn’t work out. I still get my political fix since I teach political science to a couple of sections every year.

I think the best advice I can give students is to take responsibility for your actions. If you do something well, take credit for a job well done. If you struggle at something, own it and understand that you need to grow in that area. If you do that you will be able to see yourself getting better and have a sense of accomplishment. Others will respect you both for your successes and for your growth.

I was teaching on the morning of September 11, 2001. One of the teachers came into my class and said turn on the television, there is something going on in New York. As a class we watched the day develop. The first group had left class before the second plane hit the second tower. There were lots of questions since we did not know at the time what was going on. As the day progressed and unfolded in a very scary way, there were lots of questions, but not many answers at that point. It was clear the world was changing for the United States and some things would never be the same.

I enjoy working around the house. My family and I have redone our basement and we are in the process of replacing most of the first floor windows. I have painted exterior doors, put in a new tile backsplash in the kitchen, and a handful of other projects. I enjoy doing it because you can see the results, but I would never want to do that for a living.

Since I started in the fall of 1981, I have served under six different school presidents and seven different school headmasters/principals. We have added the west gym, the math and english corridors were added when we went co-ed in 1994. That was maybe the biggest change. We have also redone the swimming pool and added a new theater. The addition of the west campus gave Loyola athletes a wonderful venue to compete in. My oldest son was on the first baseball team that played at the west campus.

I think, as long as I have been here, Loyola has always provided students the opportunity to be their best selves. Academically, students at all levels are challenged to push themselves to be the best they can be. There are clubs that provide students with outlets that allow them to follow their interests with others that enjoy the same thing. Athletes are provided with teams that are competitive and help them develop their skills, enough to possibly play at the next level. Loyola also provides students the opportunity, through retreats, to figure out what they believe and to understand how important the other people in their lives really are. The focus has always been on the students since I have been here and that has never changed.

Without a doubt, the people make Loyola the place that it is. We have incredible, dedicated teachers and staff who believe in students and care about them beyond academics. Loyola is a community in every sense of the word. People care about each other here, and the relationships formed with colleagues, students, and parents continue to mean a great deal to me.

Learning How to Learn by Barbara Oakley changed my teaching and emphasis on learning skills as it is important and impactful for students to know how their brains work to make learning more efficient and lasting.

Teaching is the only career I ever considered, and I can’t imagine having spent the majority of my career anywhere but Loyola.

Be curious about the world. Meet as many people as you can while at Loyola. Understand that your interests and passions will change, so be open to the many opportunities which Loyola provides. Be aware that change may be uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean it won’t lead to wonderful experiences. Talk to your teachers about your struggles as they care about you as people and not just students. Make time for reading, for reflection, for time spent outdoors. Give yourself a daily break from technology, and don’t have phones in your room when you sleep. Be kind to yourself and to all you meet. Remember to put God first and everything else will fall into place.

That is not possible for me to answer as I have 35 years of memories. From working with and learning from my mentor, Carol Hopkins (the founder of the OSH program), to continuing to learn and grow under Sara Cagle’s vision, leadership, and goals for the program today. I have memories of SCUBA trips with students to Mexico and throughout the Caribbean. Those trips are full of fun, laughter, and awesome underwater experiences and continue through the Alumni Dive Club. 

My family moved to Roanoke, VA, after my first semester junior year at Regina. I graduated from Villanova and taught behaviorally disturbed (a terrible name, but that is what they were called then) students for two years at William Fleming High School in Roanoke, where I also served as the head girls’ varsity volleyball and basketball coach. I moved back to Chicago and taught Boys Hope students at St. Athanasius for four years before starting in the O’Shaughnessy Program in 1988.

I want my students to understand that there is nothing they can’t accomplish if they are willing to put in the time and work necessary. Achievements only follow work and dedication. Confidence follows success, which comes from time and work, and the more confident students are, the more they will risk and take on challenges. Students are in control of their learning and they should never let someone else tell them they can’t achieve something they are willing to pursue. I have seen many former students do incredibly well in college and graduate school, and have successful careers in which they have passion, find joy, and make a difference in this world.

Exercise, bike ride, play tennis, walk on the beach, meet with friends, spend time with family, read, SCUBA, and travel as often as possible.

There have been many changes, from going coed in 1994 and with that the addition of the new building and the West athletic campus and, more recently, the pool and Performing Arts Center. 

The mission has stayed the same, and the many ways in which teachers and staff put the students well-being first.

There is an atmosphere that pervades the school—a positive, Catholic spirit—that I felt as a student and still feel today as a teacher and coach. There is a wonderful synergy, a combination of students, faculty and staff that believe in the mission of Loyola, that pervades the building. Teaching at Loyola is not a job but a joy. Loyola is the "Wrigley Field" of high schools. Now, the new academic and athletic additions make Loyola even greater.

Receiving the Rev. Daniel A. Lord, SJ, Award with my brother, James M. "Jim" O'Loughlin '62, for distinguished service in the cause of youth in 2003.

I played Little League at Thillens Stadium starting at the age of 9 in 1950. I was a member of the Chicago team that played in the first ever Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. I never got to play in that first game, which our team lost 6-0 to a team from California, but I always remember being there. I continued to play Little League the next three years at Thillens often on WGN Television with Jack Brickhouse announcing the games.

Try to implement Father Ostdiek’s three principles of Jesuit education: find God in all things, be a woman or man for others, and do everything well and be good. In addition, enjoy your years at Loyola; they will be part of the best years of your life. Be grateful and thankful for all your gifts.

Vice president of senior class 1959; four years member of Torch Club; varsity basketball 1957-1959; varsity baseball 1957-1959; four years of Sodality (service)

I read Ken Follett's Eye of the Needle and was fascinated by historical fiction. I have read every Follett novel since and many others that are history and historical fiction. I especially like Eric Larsen, John Grisham, and Dan Brown. I think The Da Vinci Code might have been the most entertaining.

I hoped and dreamed of playing baseball in the major leagues. (My brother Jim '62 made it to Double A with the Braves in the early 60s.) My dream sort of ended when I was cut from the freshman baseball team at Notre Dame. I thought I deserved to be on the team based on my tryout. As a result, when I began coaching baseball and basketball at Loyola I always extended tryouts to give every player a more complete opportunity.

Many things have changed.

1. When I started in 1964, enrollment was 800 boys.
2. Faculty was all male – about 100 total (half were lay faculty/coaches and half were Jesuit priests/scholastics).
3. Audio/visual aids were non-existent. Learning was all teacher-based lectures from textbooks.
4. Curriculum was very limited – there were few electives and no special programs like the O'Shaughnessy Program and others.
5. The school building was barren—no chapel, no student center, the library was a classroom in the basement, and we had one barely functional gym. Since 1995 when Loyola went co-ed, the school has exploded in every conceivable way.

While Loyola has evolved and changed, the core has remained. The Jesuit presence pervades the school (more spiritually than physically) but is omnipresent. The diversity of the student body has been stable—students from all of the city and suburbs attend. Academic excellence is still demanded for all courses—magis. Faculty and staff are educated professionals. Service programs continue for students. Athletics and cocurricular activities are still vibrant.

Ignatian values: respect for fellow students, be generous to everyone, strive for magis in all things, be thankful and grateful. Enjoy the high school experience.

Three major choices: watch sports on TV and/or attend Loyola sporting events; read historical fiction; work outside gardening around our house.