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ACE Blog

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ACE Teachers posing before So-Cal Marathon 2026

Running Through Discomfort

I feel great. Granted, I’m only 3 miles into my 13.1 mile journey, but I feel better than ever. It’s hot, but I’ve run in this weather countless times. After...

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High school students from Cleveland Central Catholic sit next to their elementary school prayer partners from St. Stanislaus during our Ash Wednesday Mass.

We Are Dust: Reflections on Teaching and the Lenten Journey

“Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” This Ash Wednesday anthem, spoken as our foreheads are marked with a smudgy black cross, is a reminder of our...

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What Will My Students Remember?

It seems to me that it is an English teacher's job (and in fact, his or her privilege) to facilitate connections-not just within and among books, but between books and...

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When Passing Notes Is a Good Thing

In innocently reminding me of my imperfections, from in-quiz typos to the belt I forgot to wear, my students help me focus on what matters most. Education is a wildfire...

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15-Hour Work Days I'd Never Pass Up

Hours of dedicated preparation and masterfully enacted lesson plans seem perfect formulas to yield tangible student success, but it is in the simple, unplanned moments that I know God works...

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Slowly and All at Once

"Living in community transforms you slowly and all at once. It is a transformation that no picture will ever be able to capture, but my ACE Brownsville community photo comes...

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A Moment I'll Remember

What does it mean to write the story of one's origin? What is at stake in such an ambitious project? "Remember where you come from and celebrate it. To remember...

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Letter to My New Students

Every once in a while, stop and think about what truly inspires you, and make sure you find Christ there. To my new students: At Tampa Catholic High School, they...

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The Impact of ACE Summer: Solidarity

Reflecting on the many experiences of my ACE summers, one aspect stands out more than any other: solidarity. There are few other times in my life in which I have...