Meet ASC 30

ZACK ALMEIDA
I graduated from Xavier University with a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Professional Education. The Jesuit education I received at Xavier had a huge impact on me and I look forward to being a part of the community at De Smet Jesuit High School this year teaching mathematics. I am interested in combining my passions for teaching, Jesuit education, and service. I am excited to teach Algebra to freshman and to assist in Campus Ministry, as well as coach swimming and explore nature in the Outdoor Club. My goal is to give the students the best experience possible by developing trusting relationships and challenging them to branch out of their comfort zones to fine their place in the De Smet Jesuit community.

CAROLINE CONNELLY
My first experience with a Catholic institution was entering Georgetown University as a freshman. I had not thought deeply about Georgetown’s Catholic identity when choosing the school, but I very quickly began to appreciate the influence the Jesuit values had on my education and on the community. I graduated with a B.A. in English, a minor in Government, and a desire to become a high school teacher! I chose ASC because of that career aspiration, but also because I want to give back to the Jesuit educational system which is so valuable to me. I am thrilled to serve at Arrupe Jesuit High School this year!

Mikhail Faulconer
I have been in Catholic education all my life. Before SLU, I went to St. Elizabeth’s grade school and Rockhurst High School. I grew up mostly in a drum store in Kansas City, MO. My parents are both professional musicians, and my two older siblings and I all play the trumpet. However, in the last few years, I have spent much more time playing, learning electric guitar. Another passion of mine is ice hockey, and I was fortunate enough to attend many Blues games while studying at SLU. I really enjoy reading and watching historical fiction novels, movies, and tv series. I hope to teach high school History or Spanish. I am excited to be returning to Rockhurst High School this year!

Matthew Fink
After graduating from St. Louis University High School in 2016, I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I earned my B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology with minors in Chemistry and Spanish. At Illinois, I had the privilege of being a chemistry teaching assistant while continuing my spiritual growth at the Newman Center. I am thrilled to be returning to my alma mater this year in gratitude for my Jesuit education. I look forward to teaching sophomore chemistry and assisting in campus ministry as well as other co-curricular activities. Go Jr. Bills!

Isabella Gervasini
I graduated from Regis Jesuit High School in 2016 and could not be more excited to be returning to my hometown and my high school to serve the Jesuit community there. I graduated from Boston College this year with a degree in political science. I have learned so much from my peers and mentors throughout my Jesuit education and hope to share those experiences in this coming year. In doing so, I hope to strengthen in myself and others the passion, love, and closeness to God that sit at the core of the Jesuit mission.

Austin Glass
This year will mark my ninth year in Jesuit education. I graduated from De Smet Jesuit High School in 2016 and went on to receive a degree in Biomedical Engineering at Saint Louis University this past spring. I have always loved the Jesuit term magis because it perpetually challenges all of us to be better people. As a lifelong learner, this speaks volumes. For me, service is a two-way learning experience, and I am unfathomably excited to not only share my experience and knowledge with my students, but to also learn from theirs. My Jesuit education has been the bedrock of the man I am today, and I am happy to be able to work with and for my new community at Regis Jesuit.

Sam Glass
I spent eight transformative years in Jesuit education. After four years at De Smet Jesuit, I thought I had everything figured out. I went to Saint Louis University and realized I still had a lot to learn. Having received my degree in Communication with minors in Sports Business and Marketing, I am ecstatic to begin working with the guys at St. Louis University High School. I hope that I can be the role model to the young men that so many others were for me, and that they can open my eyes to new experiences.

Reid Holben
I have spent eight years in Jesuit education starting with Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colorado and then going to Marquette University in Milwaukee where I majored in Data Science and History. I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to give back by being an ASC at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City! Jesuit education has meant the world to me, and helped me become the person I am today. I hope to use this platform to aid the students at Rockhurst in their journeys becoming men that embody the Ignatian vision. AMDG!

William Martel
This past year, I graduated from Rockhurst University with majors in Psychology and Sport Management, and a minor in Theology. I hope to one day work within professional sports, either through administration or coaching. Aside from schooling and being an adult, I love watching soccer, being with friends and family, and furthering my professional career in Mario Kart. Though ASC is not where I saw myself post-college, I am excited for a fresh and mindful start to life after college. I am thrilled to work at a great high school like Rockhurst High.

Cole McNeil
I am a recent graduate from Saint Louis University with a B.S. in Mathematics. A Jesuit education strongly formed me into who I am today and is something for which I am extremely thankful. The opportunity to help foster and provide a similar education is extremely exciting to me. I am looking forward to teaching math and being involved in other extracurricular activities at Regis Jesuit to assist in giving a wholistic education.

Michael Mimlitz
After four years at St. Louis University High School, I continued my Jesuit education at Creighton University, completing a Bachelors in Physics and a Masters in Medical Physics. I am excited to contribute to the Jesuit institutions that have given me so much by teaching physics this year at Regis. I remember the ASCs as sort of intermediates between teachers and students, giving valuable life advice on how to go through college and adult life. I see myself in this role. On my tenth year of Jesuit education, I find myself gravitating towards issues of using faith to promote social justice.

Kennedy Phillips
I am born/raised out in Colorado and have been around Jesuit education my whole life. I played collegiate baseball at Regis University for four years while graduating with a BS in Health and Exercise Science, with a minor in Physical Education. I love to give back and help those around me! Getting the chance to give back and have a positive impact on students would mean the world to me. I look forward to teaching science, coaching baseball, and helping with Campus Ministry at De Smet Jesuit this coming year.

Daniel Simon
When I reflect on my experience with Jesuit education as a student at Rockhurst High School, I recall values that emphasized compassion and growth. Not only was my Jesuit education informed by an unwavering belief in human dignity and justice, but it also emphasized the value inherent within oneself and the importance of fostering intellectual, spiritual, and empathetic growth. When I think about my qualities and values that I am most grateful for, I recognize they are rooted in my time spent engaged in Jesuit education. Through ASC and Arrupe Jesuit High School, I will have the opportunity to re-engage with those important values alongside the men and women for and with others.

William Travis
My experience in Jesuit education began with my attending Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri, where I first gained an interest in teaching and serving as a person for others. From there, it would increase through my studying Philosophy and Spanish at Saint Louis University, subjects which would motivate me toward an appreciation of knowledge and a desire to share it personally. As a member of ASC 30, I am looking forward to returning to Rockhurst and playing an active part within the school. It will be an opportunity to give back to an educational process that has shaped the person I am today.

Giuseppe Vitellaro
I graduated from St. Louis University High School in 2015 and received a B.S. in Media Studies in 2019 from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where my academic activities centered around film and TV production. SLUH had a profound impact on my formation as a man and as a Catholic, so I am very excited to return my alma mater as an ASC volunteer. I look forward to a fruitful and productive year with the ASC and SLUH communities. AMDG!

Jacob Williams
After receiving a Lasallian education in High School, I was incredibly excited to experience a Jesuit education at Rockhurst University, where I studied English and Psychology. With a newfound passion for the Jesuit core Values and a great appreciation for Jesuit philosophy post-graduation, I cannot wait to spend the next year helping in any way I can at Loyola Academy. While I will definitely miss my new home in Kansas City, I am still excited to go back to where it all started in St. Louis.

Jack Zimmerman
I am overjoyed (and a little nervous) to be returning to St. Louis University High School after all these years. I felt like my journey with the Jesuits wasn’t quite complete yet, and now that I’ll be teaching English at SLUH, I am the envy of my friends and family. I completed my four years of college at the University of Kansas with a major in English and a minor in theater. This year, I am excited to guide young men as they develop their discerning minds and loving hearts.