Written by Maria Vanillo / Staff Writer
Every morning Mr. Mark Verti wakes up at 5 a.m. and starts his day. When he rolls into his classroom around seven he immediately begins to grade papers and plan the lessons for the day. During his off-periods of being a history teacher, he fills in his other role of being a football coach and joins the team for workouts.
During the breaks Mr.Verti sits in his classroom helping students review for any upcoming exams. Although lunch is meant to cure any cravings one might have it is also used as valuable time to partake in meetings and watch film with the football team. The month of February caused Mr.Verti’s schedule to become even more hectic with the addition of football meetings and practices.
Majority of the teachers at Bishop Amat know the wings inside and out. Some of them know from their teaching careers at Amat while others know the history and tradition from experiencing it first-hand as students.
Amat throughout the years has expanded and revamped its image as a modern facility, but has withheld the lancer tradition.
“I wanted to give back to the school that I attended,” said Mr. Christopher Beck, 1994 graduate.
Students come and go, but some are touched by the Amat experience and come back as educators.
“I applied because I liked my experience as a student,” said Mr. Mark Verti, 1996 graduate.
The atmosphere has a huge impact on students.
“I liked it being a teenager,” said Mrs. Wendy Nugent, 1986 graduate. “I love hearing other people’s stories and being a teacher allows me to have personal insight on the lives of today’s youth.”
Teachers have their own pride and joy. They come to work every day because they love interacting with their students.
“My favorite part about working here is seeing students go on and be successful,” Beck said.
Other teachers work at Amat because they applaud the religious values the school has to offer.
“I’m a product of Catholic schools, I believe in them,” Mr. Michael Scott said.
But there is also a downfall in coming back to your alma mater.
“The difficult part is calling former teachers by their first names,” Mr. Sean Koelle said.
Amat graduates also have to face already having a reputation due to their prior attendance.
“Another hard part is gaining a teacher’s respect as a fellow educator,” Koelle said. “You want them to see you as a peer and not that student who caused them headaches.”
Posted on the school website is the Bishop Amat Memorial High School Mission Statement.
“The mission of the school is to form a faith-filled community and to provide a quality education that addresses the needs of a culturally and academically diverse student body.”
Teachers at Amat apply to work here for the same reason parents decide to send their children here. Bishop Amat is a Catholic school that excels in academics and sports. The school takes pride in tradition and embodies values that are both honorable and commendable.
Not all graduates come back to Amat, however no lancer is forgotten.
Alumni who have died due to serving their country will always have a place at Bishop Amat. To ensure this the Bishop Amat Military Memorial was built.
The school website features photos and a description of the memorial.
“The Bishop Amat Military Memorial is an alumni-inspired initiative to involve the entire Amat Family; students, faculty, parents, alumni and friends to honor those Lancers who lost their lives while on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States. The goal is to offer prayers for and acknowledge the supreme sacrifice of Bishop Amat graduates. We also want to offer prayers for and recognize those members of the Amat Family who presently serve or who served.”
Bishop Amat Memorial High School is unlike any other institution. Students and faculty are proud to say they attend Bishop Amat every day. Students are seen as the bright future of today’s society. Faculty members are wise mentors that allow students to express their imagination. Teachers enable students to be wise and respectable men and women.
The school is so loved that graduates come back to visit teachers, watch football games, and even send their own children to Amat.
Bishop Amat has touched the lives of so many who attend, that graduates come back as teachers.
There is a secret to this madness. Some things will never change.
“Amat is home,” Nugent said.