Mr. Dirienzo, who teaches AP European History and AP U.S. History, has been a member of the Benet community since 2001, his freshman year at the Academy. Throughout his nine years as a Benet teacher, he has taught CP United States History, CP World History, and the two aforementioned AP classes.
Mr. Dirienzo grew up in Lisle. He attended St. Joan of Arc and then Benet, where he played on the football team. After graduating from Benet in 2005, he attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received a bachelor’s degree in History. He enjoys teaching both APs (advance placement courses), but tends to gravitate more towards AP United States History because students tend to know more about and are more interested in U.S. history. He also enjoys sociology, and hopes to one day start a sociology class at Benet. He loves to learn about history and appreciates that teaching APUSH and AP European History has given him that opportunity.
Before working at Benet, Mr. Dirienzo worked in a variety of fields, including bartending and even professional poker. He also has served as a referee for a dodgeball league and a Little League baseball coach. He thought of going into law, but ultimately decided he wanted to have normal hours and be able to spend quality time with his family. Through his coaching experience, he realized that he might have a future in education, which led him to apply for a teaching position at Joliet West High School, where he taught and coached basketball for two years. After a few years of teaching, he received a master’s degree in secondary education from National Louis University. In 2017, a job opened up at Benet and he began working there as a history teacher.
Outside of teaching, Mr. Dirienzo enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids. His family loves playing games together, specifically Clue and poker. One of Mr. Dirienzo’s hobbies is disc-golfing. He used to be into golfing, but started playing disc golf a few years ago because it takes less time than regular golf, so it is easier to fit into his busy schedule.
Benet now in 2026 is much different than Benet back in the early 2000s when Mr. Dirienzo was here as a student. One of the major differences, of course, is screens. As much as Mr. Dirienzo recognizes the importance and benefits of technology, he also recognizes that it can be a distraction. He also notes the changes that have been made to Benet’s legendary Christmas Drive. When he was a student, finals were after Christmas break, but they now take place before break because both teachers and students thought that would be more beneficial. Christmas drive has transformed into a far more spectacular event than when Mr. Direnzo was a student, and he enjoys it so much that he sometimes wishes the drive started around Thanksgiving.
Mr. Dirienzo, through his many years of experience in coaching and teaching, has developed important teaching habits. A ritual of his is learning everyone’s names by the 3rd week of school, which allows him to form a relationship with each of his students and makes students feel more appreciated and noticed. He likes to show that he and his students are equals, and he isn’t there to dictate, but instead to assist students. Even simply crouching down when he answers a question helps his students feel equal and comfortable in his classroom. He likes to meet students where they are at so that he can positively guide them through the subject. Mr. Dirienzo cares for his students, and deeply enjoys what he does: helping and aiding students in their learning journeys.
