By Jimmy Navarrete ‘23

Mr. Augustyn has been at Brother Rice for the majority of his teaching career. Every morning, Mr Augustyn sits at a desk right outside of the cafeteria greeting students as they walk into school. That is just one example of how Mr. Augustyn represents our school motto “Be Exceptional.” Mr. Augustyn started his teaching career teaching different types of math classes; nowadays, he teaches theology and peer ministry classes.

Mr. Augustyn has been working here for 38 years, before Brother Rice he spent time at Montini Catholic for two years. Mr. Augustyn said he chose to be a teacher because, “For as long as I can remember, I have thought about being a teacher. I had some great examples in my early years.”

Then why did he choose to teach his subject? Mr. Augustyn said, “Initially, I chose math because I was good at it, and for the very practical reason that when I switched from electrical engineering I already had 16 hours toward a math major.”

Senior peer minister Mick Arundel ‘23 said, “Mr. Augustyn is a great teacher. He really engages the class and creates a fun learning atmosphere.”

Mr. Augustyn had many great influences on his decision to become a teacher such as Sr. Yvonne and Br. Tom Hetland. Mr. Augustyn was inducted into the Brother Rice Hall of Fame in 2012. He said, “It validated what I was doing and made me feel valued.”

Conor Kenzinger ‘24 said, “I enjoy coming to class every day, I would say it’s one of my favorite classes. Mr. Augustyn’s class is very interesting.”

Although Mr. Augustyn teaches theology classes now, his favorite subject to teach would have to be Algebra Trig. Mr. Antos is someone he admires at Rice for his dedication and empathy.

What has made Mr. Augustyn stay at Rice for this long? He said, “I have stayed because of the people I have gotten to work with-both students and staff. They make me want to come to work every day.”

Mr. Augustyn has impacted many lives at Brother Rice. It is safe to say that he has made Brother Rice a better place.