A Career to Cherish Forever: Mr. Asche Retires after 25 Years
As the end of the 2022-2023 school year comes to a close, many beloved members of our community will also be marking their final days. Among these members is Mr. Asche, a history teacher, and father who has taught at Jesuit for 25 years.
Mr. Asche began his teaching career in the summer of 1998, right after receiving his Master’s Degree from SMU. On the same day that he received his degree, Mr. Asche received a call from Jesuit accepting his job application, and he accepted. Since that day, he has been teaching history to juniors and becoming a greatly appreciated member of the Jesuit community. Additionally, Mr. Asche sent his two sons, Zach Asche ‘23 and Luke Asche ‘23, to Jesuit to share in the place he loves. Now that his two sons have graduated, Mr. Asche sees it fit to exit with them.
To learn more about Mr. Asche, Wallace Archie ‘25 had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Profitt, a fellow history teacher and dear friend of Mr. Asche:
Q: When did you first meet Mr. Asche?
A: “I met Mr. Asche when I first got hired in 2005. One of his best friends at the time was my mentor when we started, so sharing his friendship, among others in the history department, allowed us to become close very quickly. Ever since then, we hit it off. He’s just a great guy.”
Do you have any funny stories or recollections of time with Mr. Asche?
A: “We have shared so many fun times and memories outside of school, but some of my most memorable moments with Mr. Asche were at the faculty banquets. At these banquets, we have been able to spend time not only with each other, but with our families. Our wives have become great friends at these banquets, we both have families now so we can share stories that we each relate to, we have been out to dinner together as a result of the friendship that we have fostered, and more. He’s just a great buddy, and our families have become very close.”
What is your retirement wish for Mr. Asche?
A: “I want him to go down to his house in Austin to enjoy everything that retirement has to offer. I want him to finish settling in his new house and to enjoy everything that Austin has to offer. Most of all, I want to make sure that we can come to visit often. I am going to miss him but I am so happy for him.”
Mr. Profitt spoke highly of Mr. Asche’s character, especially noting his kindness and friendly nature to all of the faculty. In addition to interviewing Mr. Profitt, Wallace Archie ‘25 also interviewed Mr. Asche himself:
Q: What inspired you to seek a position at Jesuit? What stood out from other schools/job positions?
A: “I grew up in Dallas, so Jesuit was always one of the institutions that was top-notch, from academics to athletics. I grew up going to Trinity Christian Academy for high school and we had the chance to play on Jesuit’s football field. Ever since then, the school has amazed me. Prior to my graduation, I had been a part-time substitute teacher at Highland Park. I enjoyed teaching there very much. On the day that I graduated, I received a call from Jesuit at about 11:00 A.M, offering me a teaching job. Later on, I received a call from Highland Park, but I accepted the Jesuit call simply because they called me first. After my graduation when I started looking for work, I wanted to work at the best school, and I felt that Jesuit filled that role. Additionally, during the interview process at Jesuit, I met so many people that were professional and friendly which made the choice an easy and comfortable one.”
How has Jesuit changed since you first started?
A: “In many ways, Jesuit has changed, but in many ways, I feel it has stayed the same. First, an enormous amount of staff members have come and gone that I was friends with, there have been many new parts built onto the school that are new and different. The institutions and traditions are for the most part the same. One of my favorite changes about this school I attribute to the current administration: for the first 10-15 years I worked at Jesuit, you could ask nearly the entire student body if they could recite the school’s anthem, and hardly anyone could. When the new administration began at Jesuit, I remember the first prayer service after Mr. Garrison became principal. He put the school anthem on the board and told the student body that it was one of his goals for the entire student body to learn the anthem. From that day on, we have played it after every prayer service, Now, when we have school assemblies similar to the recent end-of-year Convocations, almost the entire school knows it! That change may seem small to some people, but I think it is such a huge change that brings together our community. Knowing the words of the alma mater allows the student body to come together around a song that we can all band together and sing.”
What do you think is Jesuit’s best tradition? Why?
A: “I think our best tradition is Community Days. To me, Community Days is the best retreat here. I love the fact that students get to move away from campus for a few days, and the activities that they take part in are so meaningful to me. Another one is the Junior Cross Ceremony, which is a sign of moving into the junior year, showing a maturity that is very significant to me.”
What is the significance of watching your sons move through their Jesuit experience?
A: “My sons did not come to Jesuit until I had been here for over 20 years, and after working somewhere for that long, the thought of not sharing the same gift with my sons is extremely saddening to me. I had no connections to Jesuit except my own job previously, so having my sons attend Jesuit allowed my family to become a part of the past two decades of my life. I am so glad that my sons have had the chance to meet my colleagues who have been so kind to me, and that they can share in the same traditions that I had been telling them about.”
Since your sons have moved through Jesuit, has your overall experience changed? Why or why not?
A: “Prior to my sons, I had no connections to Jesuit except myself. My wife taught at TCA, my sons attended TCA, and the rest of my family was involved there. I was an outlier by working at Jesuit. When Zach and Luke began at Jesuit, the experience was life-changing. The community and traditions that I could only tell them about at the dinner table now became a part of their life. They began living the part of my life that I could not show them before. My favorite example of this is when my sons received their junior crosses two years ago. I had always enjoyed watching students receive their crosses, as it marked the beginning of junior year and a celebration. When I was able to watch my sons receive their crosses, it was so much more special because I was able to watch them take part in the same traditions that I had been experiencing throughout my Jesuit career.”
What are some of your most memorable moments at Jesuit?
“Just a few days ago, the baseball team asked me to throw out the first pitch at their varsity game on May 5, 2023. The team also gave me a ball and had the whole team sign it, which meant so much to me. It will hold a very special place in my heart. There are also so many people here that have made life so enjoyable, and being able to work with them on a daily basis is something that I am going to miss. Another memorable moment was when I saw my sons receive their junior crosses. Another is the letters that I receive from students, which are incredibly meaningful for a teacher. And the past few weeks, I have enjoyed so much hearing from students and faculty alike, thanking me and congratulating me on my retirement. I will be forever grateful for everyone here that has cared for me.”
Who or what are you going to miss from Jesuit?
A: “The biggest part of Jesuit that I am going to miss is the students and faculty who have befriended me and made the Jesuit experience what it is. The most important part of Jesuit to me has been the community. Every day I would enjoy talking to the faculty, and conversations with my students in class. Having my sons here made that experience even better. Being able to walk the halls with my family, sharing the place that I could only tell them about before was so special. Once they graduated and moved on, I felt like it was right for me to move on too. I am going to miss so much the faculty and students who have changed my life, and I will cherish the memories that I made.”
Looking back, what advice would you give to a teacher just starting, after having taught for 25 years?
A: “I will always remember a lesson from my first mentor at Jesuit. He told me to never get nervous while speaking in front of students. It may seem like a large crowd, but they are all listening to you to learn. They want to hear from you, and the teacher will always know more than the students. You always need to tell yourself that no matter what you are talking about in a history class, [the teacher] is always going to be able to teach the students. Another lesson that I have held very close is to have fun at work, with my colleagues, or in class with the students. I have tried to create a rapport where I joke around with the students and hope that they joke back. It is incredibly important for the students and the teacher alike to enjoy their classes because they will ultimately learn more if they enjoy it. Another lesson is to get involved. Whether it is leading a club, joining a committee to progress a goal, coaching, volunteering to go on retreats, or anything else, it is so important to stay involved. You will ultimately get the most out of life if you try to get involved in as much as possible, and I try to live that out every day.”
What are you most looking forward to in your retirement? Do you have any big celebration plans?
A: “My family has an RV, so I am greatly looking forward to traveling. First, we are going to drive my son Luke to Oklahoma to get him situated in college, then we are going to drive north to settle my son Zach at Villanova. Later, we are going to drive to Utah to enjoy the national parks and nature. I also am looking forward to settling in our new house outside of Austin. Last, there is a museum in Fredericksburg called the Museum of the Pacific War. I plan to become a docent there, to take people on tours and use my background of history to educate them.”
Conclusion:
Mr. Asche, thank you so much for the time you have spent at Jesuit over these past 25 years. You have changed the lives of so many students and teachers, and you will be greatly missed. The community of Jesuit Dallas hopes that your retirement will treat you as well as you have treated your students and colleagues. The relationships that you have made are lasting, and we wish you the best throughout whatever your retirement may bring, from RV rides to settling down in Austin. Thank you for everything, Mr. Asche.
