Michael’s journey has been a circuitous one, punctuated along the way with signs from the universe that he was meant to teach. Born in Texas to conser- vative parents, Michael moved to Lodi, California at the age of 8 after the family lived in Japan and Portland, Oregon. His father nurtured a passion for music, frequently taking him to jazz concerts and the symphony; even the family’s record collection was kept in Michael’s bedroom. But by the time he got to high school, Michael had no clear direction for his future. “I literally had no idea what I wanted to do,” he reflects. “I went to the local junior college and barely went to classes. I was so disinterested in school, I ended up dropping out after a year. It was not for me, but I didn’t know what was for me.” What followed could be anthem lyrics: He quit his job, sold his car, stuffed his belongings into a backpack and hitch- hiked up and down the West Coast following the Grateful Dead, much to the chagrin of his parents. Somewhere along the jagged coastline of Fort Bragg, Michael had an “a-ha” moment: “I realized I was responsible for this freedom I now had, but with that respon- sibility are consequences for what you do,” he says. “At that moment, I came to peace with myself.” Living on his own by 19, Michael supported himself with all manner of jobs, from construction and retail to working in the Del Monte cannery and sorting recycling as a sanitation company “Yard Rat”, teaching himself guitar in his downtime. But it was an unsustainable existence, and with renewed desire Michael decided to return to school, trusting the universe to guide him once again. “I did a strange thing,” he recalls. “I went down to the local public library, closed my eyes and ran a finger over the junior college catalogue.” His finger landed on College of the Siskiyous in Weed, California where he spent a year before deciding to return to
THIS WAS NO ACADEMIC LESSON OR GALA COUNT-ME-IN, but rather a personal check-in that quickly evolved from technical banter about bass guitars to a short history of rock bands and a little homework: a “must-listen” playlist that would later serve as the soundtrack to our morning carpool sprint up California Avenue when on-campus learning resumed. Thanks to “Mr. V” (as he is widely and affectionately known), my son cultivated an appreciation for classic bands, from the Pixies to the Ramones, and my son’s smile said it all: he had a connection with his teacher that extended far beyond the classroom. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has been taught or coached by Mr. V. Relationship-building and deep connectivity have always fueled Michael, both during his tenure at Cathedral, and long before there was a spark of inspi- ration to teach. “I love teaching these boys, it is such a blessing,” he says. “The amount of joy they have given me is overwhelming.” Michael’s profound love and care for the boys and his colleagues is just one part of why he was awarded Cathedral’s first-ever Forbes Master Teacher Chair in June 2020. Established by a group of alumni, the Chair is designed to recognize Cathedral’s outstanding teachers. Staff, alumni, and current parents nominate teachers who demon- strate excellence in teaching, an abiding commitment to the students, are widely respected within the School, express an ongoing commitment to profes- sional growth, and “model the highest standards in every respect,” as noted in the School’s Statement of Philosophy. For Michael, this honor was nothing short of humbling. “I was not a born educator, so to have all the struggles happen in my life and receive this honor was incredible,” he says. “It was never something I looked for; it’s not why you teach.”
Lodi to attend Delta Junior College. He resumed work at the cannery, earning enough money to transfer to Chico State. There he turned to German, a language he had studied since middle school, still unsure of what he wanted to do with his life. Only during his final weeks before graduating did the “a-ha” moment strike again, when Michael had to prepare and present a final project; a short lecture (about the history of soccer, of course) in German for local high schoolers. “I LOVED it like I hadn’t loved something before,” he says. “Teaching kids, answering questions, engaging in discus- sions, something clicked. I thought, ’This is it, I know what I want to do!’” Despite a dearth of German teaching positions in California, Michael perse- vered, sitting for a demanding test to be credentialed, which he failed by a single point. “I was devastated,” he says. “I thought I had finally figured out what I want to do and by one point, I failed it.” Failing that test turned out to be one of the greatest things to happen to him. “You fall down seven times, and stand up eight, and I had hit rock bottom,” he says. At the suggestion of a friend, Michael started substitute teaching in the public school system outside of Chico. With no training and little guidance, Michael jumped into the deep end, first in special ed, then 2nd grade, and later 6th grade. “The learning curve was straight up, and the universe gave me the nudge of encouragement to keep going.”
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