Mr. Kevin Utz is a part of the Alumni Service Corps (ASC) for the 25-26 school year. I am happy to be able to write about his story, from his years at Jesuit, his years in college, and of course, his experience as a member of the Jesuit faculty.
Life as a Student
Mr. Utz was a student of Jesuit during the years 2018-2021. During his time here, he thoroughly explored the extracurriculars Jesuit provided, including band, Jesuit Ranger Sports Network (JRSN), and even starting his own club called Dallas Pro Sports Club in his sophomore year. He also excelled as a student. For example, he was commended in his sophomore year for seeking the Magis in math class and obtained a 4.2 GPA. However, he acknowledges the fact that his performance may have been inflated due to policies put in place during the pandemic. COVID actually had a significant impact on Mr. Utz’s Jesuit experience. The pandemic closed down the school for Mr. Utz’s junior year and suspended his senior year in an awkward state of half-days. Recollecting on his time during COVID, Mr. Utz had this to say:
“It got better as the year went on, but it was very quiet. there wasn’t a lot of high-fiving in the hallways, but we still had fun.”
College Life
Mr. Utz went to the University of Missouri as a journalism major, a decision in alignment with his interest in sports and sports journalism. When asked what brought his interest to journalism, he had this to say:
“I just loved watching and I loved the stories in it. It really started with jrsn when i thought i wanted to be a broadcaster.”
Life After College and Return to Jesuit
After graduating, Mr. Utz pursued his goal of becoming a sports journalist. While he was searching for a job, his old Jesuit English teacher contacted him about a possible job as a member of the ASC. Mr. Utz declined this option, choosing to focus on his career. On one unfortunate day, however, one of the job opportunities he had almost secured fell through. A day later, his Jesuit cross broke. After these struggles, he decided to pray to God. Then, in an effort to get a new Jesuit cross, he emailed the same English teacher that had offered him a spot on the ASC earlier. The teacher said that he could provide a new cross but also informed Mr. Utz that there was just one last spot open on the ASC, which he didn’t decline this time. When asked about his decision to return, Mr. Utz responded with this:
“It was just an OPPORTUNITY I couldn’t say no to again.”
Experience as a Member of the ASC
Back on campus as a member of the ASC, Mr. Utz wears a lot of hats. Mr. Utz coaches freshman football, serves as a faculty supervisor for the Hope Squad and the Roundup, assists with JRSN, and works lunch duty. Always a workhorse, he has recently added carpool duty to his impeccable résumé, something he is very excited about.
Since his time here, a lot has changed, something Mr. Utz pointed out. Things like Hope Squad and the cycle schedule are relatively new additions to Jesuit, having both been added in his senior year. He also noted how much bigger and more varied the extracurriculars feel compared to his time. He also feels that coaches are more present now.
So, despite needing to overcome a lot of struggles, Mr. Utz, through determination, faith, and support, was able to make it out of his lowest moments and return to Jesuit.
Stay tuned into The Roundup for more community profiles!
The information is courtesy of an interview by Sebastian Suwanda ’28.
