If you have walked in the B hallway, you may have seen a tall, dark-haired man infusing his classes with energy or playing Bruce Springsteen through the smart board. This man is a proud Irish-American and New Jerseyan. Mr. Colin Hanley teaches various advanced English courses that range from freshman to senior level, and acts as the moderator for student council, organizing events with them. He is beginning his third year at Jesuit and continues to embody the profile of a Jesuit teacher.
Mr. Hanley grew up in North Arlington, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City, which according to Mrs. Elise Steward can be observed because “he speaks with a clear New Jersey accent.” He spent his summers with his friends and family on the Jersey shore (no, not like in the TV show).
Mr. Hanley graduated from St. Peter’s Prep and St. Peter’s University, both of which are Jesuit schools in Jersey City. He remembers that even though the Jesuit priests who taught his courses “had the collar and would say Sunday Mass, they were so down to earth, and they were so relatable.” Mr. Hanley, inspired by his teachers and professors in high school and in college, tries to duplicate his experience in the classroom by letting students know how they can “get to know each other not just as a teacher [and a] student” but as individuals with lives outside the classroom.
Mr. Hanley named three influential people in his life. The first was his father, a police officer for over thirty years. Returning from long days at work in Jersey City, “he did a remarkable job of never bringing police work home with him,” an action which Mr. Hanley emulates in his own life. His father also taught him to follow his own dreams and interests through his support and advice, “Go to college and study whatever you want.” These words resonated with Mr. Hanley and helped him form his own belief that “if something interests you, you should do it.”
Another person with an enormous impact on him was John Irvine, the current director of admissions at St. Peter’s Prep and Mr. Hanley’s freshman 
English teacher. Mr. Irvine “bumped into [Mr. Hanley’s father] on a Saturday morning in April,” when Mr. Hanley was still in college and asked if Mr. Hanley, the student, would be interested in teaching high schoolers over the summer in the HAP program, the Higher Achievement Program at St. Peter’s Prep. He said he was reluctant at first to teach in between his years in college,but eventually agreed. This led to Mr. Irvine going from being merely his freshman English teacher to one of his closest friends. When I contacted Mr. Irvine, he stated that Mr. Hanley’s “connection to HAP has remained ever since, tutoring for 4 years and now teaching HAP for 8 years. Folks at Prep are amazed that he has returned from Texas the past two summers to work in HAP.”
Mr. Hanley said the third major influence came from Father Tony “Taz” Azzarto S.J., who showed him what it means to be a true man for others. Father Azzarto taught a senior theology class called Lives of the Saints in which the students “learned all about the Jesuit saints” and “the most selfless acts that men and women have done throughout time.” Father Azzarto would organize retreats both at St. Peter’s Prep and at other schools, but he would never accept any payment for his selfless acts. “I have never met as selfless a person as him,” and Mr. Hanley uses Father Azzarto’s example when he organizes school events, which require great amounts of planning and execution.
Mr. Hanley describes his decision to teach at Jesuit as “the biggest and best change in [his] life.” This change came about in the summer before the 
2011-2012 school year when the school he had taught at, a small urban school, closed down due to financial problems. Faced with this, Mr. Hanley sent his résumé to “all sorts of schools,” one of which was a school for girls who had to drop out of school because they were pregnant. Another school was a Jesuit school in New York, and Mr. Hanley decided to put his résumé on the Jesuit education website on a Sunday and wait for news.
On the following Monday, he received a phone call from Mr. Fred Donahue, saying that Jesuit College Prep would like to set up an interview with him. Mr. Hanley flew to Dallas on Memorial Day,and he interviewed on the next day. Two days later, Mr. Hanley received a phone call from Mr. Tom Garrison and Mr. Donahue, and “the rest is history.”
Although Texas was a drastic change from his familiar New Jersey, Mr. Hanley loves his new home in Texas. He appreciates the opportunity he’s “been given to be able and explore a part of the country [he] wouldn’t normally be able to” since he had only previously traveled within New England. He enjoys trying to find which restaurants have the best Texan barbecue and, being an English teacher, loves reading plays and short stories.He loves to “stay informed” about how professional sports teams from Texas are playing, although he “will always root for the Mets and Jets, no matter where [he] lives.” Although his living in Texas has yielded positive experiences, none of these compare to the impact teaching at Jesuit College Prep has had on Mr. Hanley.
Mr. David McGowan, co-chair of the English Department, and Mrs. Stewart share their experiences with Mr. Hanley. “Being a chair, I have the opportunity to observe people in the department both formally and informally in their classrooms,” said Mr. McGowan, and “It’s always fun to watch Mr. Hanley’s class…. I love the way he interacts with his students” and his unique “personality in the classroom.” Mr. Hanley infuses effective teaching strategies with energy and fun. Mrs. Stewart, “being a mother of boys” says that this “mix of traditional learning” and fun gives her hope because she can see that young men can value the traditional things that [she values].”
Patrick Joseph ’15 and Caleb Blais ’15 described their experiences with Mr. Hanley. Patrick states that Mr. Hanley expressed his desire “to talk about
our lives, not just his” through asking students where [they] plan to go over the weekend” and “involve everyone in class discussion and jokes.” Caleb adds that he makes the classroom environment fun by giving “people creative nicknames” while at the same time not making people with nicknames feel bad. This leads to more participation from the entire class.
Mr. Hanley has been committed to accomplishing whatever the English department needs. Mr. McGowan explains that this year his commitment led him to work closely with Dr. Michael Degen to “create a new course on the senior level,” AP Language and Composition, which he says, “needed to be revamped for some time.” Mr. Hanley’s been open to improving Jesuit’s English classes ever since he first began teaching, and this commitment continues into this service for the Jesuit Community. This service reflects Mr. Irvine’s statement that “he will do anything for his students (and of course his friends).”
Mr. Hanley leads and works closely with student council to organize major Jesuit events, such as dances. Mr. McGowan adds that he doesn’t think students “realize how much work actually goes into putting on” these major events. “The logistics alone are amazing,” and he organizes both “homecoming and prom rather successfully.” Mr. Hanley has truly shown his commitment to the Jesuit community through his active role in Student Council.
Mr. Hanley has exceeded the expectations for English teachers at Jesuit through his commitment to improving the English program and to serving the Jesuit community outside of school. He truly understands Jesuit’s mission statement and carries it out with joy every time he teaches.
