Education As A Christian Calling: Sharing Our Vocation Stories

Chris Loo, Learning Support Practitioner
St Joseph’s College

In the course of our lives, it is easy to become engrossed in our current responsibilities, appointments, meetings, and extensive to-do lists. However, it can be beneficial to take a step back and reflect on our past experiences and how they have shaped our current roles. Today, I have been asked to engage in such reflection.

My first job at the age of 16 was with a mathematics and English tutoring company called Kumon. I loved witnessing those moments when a student truly understood something. Those moments meant everything to me. To see that light switch turn on in real time was such a rewarding experience, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was onto something significant – that I had discovered what I wanted from the world and what the world wanted from me.

If asked why I chose to work in education, my initial response would be that it has always been my aspiration. However, on a deeper level, school was always a safe place for me to exist and grow. I grew up as a young carer for my brother, and while I knew that I was loved and cared for at home, I also realised that my needs often took a backseat as my parents focused on my brother’s needs first. My role as a young carer sometimes made me feel that my value was determined by my ability to support him. Therefore, attending a school where I felt loved, supported, and valued just for being myself was of utmost importance.

St. Joseph’s College exemplified such a nurturing environment for me.

I have many significant memories from my time at the school, but I will only highlight one to remain concise. Participating in the immersion program during Sixth Form was a transformative experience that provided me with valuable perspectives on life and inspired me to try and become a better version of myself. I believe that the power and beauty of immersion lies in its ability to inspire students: to move their spirit. To move their spirit is to move their entire world, and once their world has been moved, it’s final. They will feel that same nagging urge to move someone else’s. That’s the legacy of immersion, changing the lives of students, so they feel compelled to change someone else’s.

After a few years, I returned to the school as an employee, with the hope of making a similar positive impact on students as the school once had on me. My experiences at St. Joseph’s have deepened my understanding of the vital role that education plays in society. Schools are a microcosm of the best and worst aspects of our communities, and as such, they often take on the roles of doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists, and many others. Schools play an essential role in the lives of young people, and we bear the responsibility of shaping their futures for the better. The challenges faced by our students are significant, and my time at St. Joseph’s has emphasised the importance of being “curious, not judgmental” – to inquire and understand, rather than make assumptions and criticise.