St. Louis U. High is happy to welcome Justin Kelley, SJ for this school year, who will be teaching junior English and will help in the Admissions Department. 

“In the case of Mr. Kelley, it wasn’t so much that we were looking for a new teacher as much as the fact that there was a Jesuit regent available,” said English Department chair Frank Kovarik. “It just happened to turn out that he had an understanding of the subject, a degree in English, and was interested in teaching the subject.” 

   Kelley’s year at St. Louis U. High will be the first time he will have applied his experience to the classroom. Despite a seemingly daunting task, Kelley shows great enthusiasm for the future.

“Right off the bat I had this feeling of excitement,” said Kelley. “As you know, SLUH is the oldest Jesuit school west of the Mississippi and I know many, many Jesuits that have gone to SLUH or taught at SLUH. It's a legendary place in our province. I was absolutely thrilled with the prospect of teaching.”

Kelley’s excitement is reflected by the amount of time he will be spending with the junior class during the school day.

“Mr. Kelley teaches three sections of English. They are all juniors,” said Kovarik. “He also works in the Admissions Department, mostly doing the duties Mr. Cruz once did. Since Mr. Cruz is the head coach in football, naturally he doesn’t have enough time to fulfill everything he did before. So Mr. Kelley was a very good addition to the staff because now he can do the admissions work as well. But his primary responsibility is to teach the juniors, and he is under the guidance of Mrs. Carroll.”

Kelley’s fit in the SLUH community goes beyond qualification in his profession. His relative youth makes him an ideal figure and role model to display and connect the Jesuit mission with the Jr. Bills. 

“As a younger guy, he really embodies the traditional Jesuit ideals, but in a way that is approachable to students. He is inspiring students at SLUH to one day become Jesuits themselves. In that he is keeping the tradition alive,” said Kovarik. “ He is great to listen to, his enthusiasm is a gift to the SLUH community. It's been really great to see these things on display from my own experience. We are partners in the same freshman advisory class, and it's just really fun to be with him. Above all, I think he is really open to growth.”

Kelley’s interaction with the SLUH juniors is a reflection of his own experience learning under Jesuits.

“You know, I went to Jesuit High School in Tampa. Go Tigers!” laughed Kelley. “That is where I found my vocation through the Jesuits. Being taught by a Jesuit inspired me to be a Jesuit. And this is where I see myself for the rest of my life, in high school work. What better place than the U. High?”

Kelley’s interest in teaching the curriculum is full of passion, but what drives his new profession is his true passion: the Jesuit mission of showing love and compassion.

“Well, I would say that this teaching is at the very core of our character. In The Formula of the Institute, it states that we teach the unlettered, which is to say we teach those who are not educated,” said Kelley. “The Jesuit order did not start out in the profession of teaching in schools, but it perfectly caters toward a suitable environment for preaching the Gospel, that is to love and show compassion.”

The goal for Kelley is to teach the Gospel, using the great education at SLUH as his primary tool. 

“My mission is not to generate English scholars. That's not what I'm here to do. I am not capable of doing that. My mission is to love my students to the best of my ability. And of course, at times, it's difficult and they can see that I fail every now and then,” said Kelley. “But first and foremost, my mission is to care for those young men, to pray for them, to be there for them. And I think I have started to do that. I hope they can see it.”