Benet Academy has inducted a new cohort of teachers into its ranks, and one of the most notable additions to the school’s religion department is the new Church History teacher, Mr. Rawls.

Mr. Rawls grew up in the Chicagoland area and graduated from Notre Dame with a business degree. After working in the business field for several years, he decided to follow his passion of teaching religion and was sent to one of the three Catholic schools that exist in the state of Utah. After spending some time there, he returned closer to home, teaching at Nazareth Academy and Marian Catholic in LaGrange and Chicago Heights respectively. His wife, who graduated from Benet as part of the class of 2014, inspired him to take up this position at Benet.

Mr. Rawls is inspired to teach because of his genuine passion for sharing his faith with his students, and he believes that he provides an environment where both he and his students can deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith.

So far, he’s loving Benet and the sense of community it provides. He loves his classroom as it is close to the chapel, but does wish that it had windows overlooking the sprawling Benet lawn.

Overall, Mr. Rawls’ mission is simple: extend the Catholic hand of friendship and fraternity to as many students, staff, and visitors as he can. He’s a great addition to Benet Academy.