Susan Swetnam, author of My Best Teachers Were Saints, to Speak October 23 

For Susan Swetnam, Professor of English at Idaho State University, some of the best, most inspiring, and most insightful mentors she has as a teacher are saints of the Catholic Church—and a remarkable number of these men and women were teachers themselves.

In fact, many of the church's heroes achieved their saintly stature by facing challenges identical to those that teachers face today. Swetnam willl discuss some of their lessons as she brings to life stories of perseverance and makes it easy for today's educators to discover mentor-companions who can help them rekindle and fortify their passion in the classroom.

Some of the fifty-two saints described in her book  give lessons on how to overcome the teaching profession's unique problems; others show today's teachers how to identify successes that are often quite difficult to discern. All of the saints in this book share one thing in common: they persevered in the educational work that God called them to do.

Her lecture will take place at 7:00 p.m. in the Knott Auditorium.

Swetnam's lecture at the Mount is timely because her book on saints had a profound impact on a core group of Mount Education students and faculty who recently developed Here on Mary’s Mountain a new curriculum guide. Professors Suzie Henning, Barbara Onofrey and Laura Frazier collaborated with 12 Mount students to design the guide for K-12 educators. The project, part of a Callings Program grant funded by the Lilly Foundation, teaches students more about the Mount and the rich history of the surrounding community. 

“I enjoyed brainstorming lesson plans on Mount St. Mary’s University and the National Shrine Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes, and the centuries of history they both span," says Anne Boisvet, member of the Class of 2009.  “I learned I have a passion to teach and have the ability to work with others toward a common goal.”

For more information about the lecture or curriculum guide, please contact the Office of Communications at 301-447-5366.