FACULTY INTERVIEW: MR. & MRS. DUGAL

A FEW MINUTES WITH THE DUGALS

So let’s go back to the beginning. How did you end up teaching at Kellenberg? Mrs. Rosemary Dugal (RD): I was teaching at St. Agnes Cathedral High School for three years which was in this building when Maria Regina and St. Agnes merged. So, I was teaching science, primarily Earth Science and Biology. When the Marianists came in, we reapplied for our jobs, and I was fortunate enough to be hired. Mr. Kevin Dugal (KD): I was a senior at Hofstra, and I was an assistant moderator of the St. Agnes Drama Club, and the moderator was going to be retiring from St. Agnes and recommended me to Brother Mark Ormond, who was going to be taking over as principal for Kellenberg. I found myself in a very fortunate position as a graduating senior from college to have a job offered to me before I graduated. I felt from the outset that there was a special blessing on me as far as directing me towards Kellenberg.

What do you remember about the early years of KMHS? RD: What I remember about the early years is we were looking for an identity. You had some kids who applied to Maria Regina who were then in St. Agnes and then graduated from Kellenberg. For a couple of years, there was a sense of “Who are we?” and trying to get the kids to understand the philosophy of the Marianists and Father Chaminade. So it was building an identity and a family — trying to get that family spirit. KD: I remember for myself, trying to learn what it meant to be a teacher, but more specifically, what it meant to be a Catholic teacher. I knew what it meant to be a Catholic student, being a product of Catholic education myself for most of my life, but learning how to incorporate my faith life into the classroom experience was a challenge that I feel like is ongoing — that I am still working on — but those early years, that’s where it began for me to try to learn how to define myself in that way. Those were challenging years for the school’s growth, just in terms of learning who we are, as Rosemary said, “our identity,” and learning really what it meant to be proud of being a Kellenberg faculty member and proud to be a Kellenberg student. What have you taught and moderated during your time here at Kellenberg? RD: I have been here for 30 years. I taught Earth Science and Biology (and Chemistry once or twice), but science for about 15 years, and then I was offered the opportunity to pick up a couple of religion classes, which I was very happy about. When Mrs. McNiff retired, I was offered to go teach the Morality course, and I’ve been doing that ever since. KD: I have taught English, 10th grade, 11th grade, and 12th grade, Honors, Academic I or Academic II over my 29 years. The only level I’ve never taught is freshman. I moderated the Drama Club for 15 years, was an assistant moderator for the yearbook, and a SMART moderator now. I’ve been a guidance counselor for the last 26 years, and a college counselor for the last, I think, 12 years. RD: It’s funny going to reunions because we’ve worn a lot of hats, especially in the beginning. I was a cheerleading coach for a number of years, worked with the Science Club for some years, Leaders Club for several years, Drama Club with Mr. Dugal for about 15 years, and now I also do SMART, and I do a lot of the apostolic activities, like CROSS.

What has been the best part of teaching at Kellenberg? KD: I’m pausing because it’s not an easy question to answer because there are so many rewarding things here. As I said before, I think when you see the students graduate, not just for what they have learned, but what kind of young people they have become is the most rewarding thing really for us. I say to some of my friends who ask, “How do you stay in one job?” because today people migrate a lot in their jobs, and “Why do you stay so long in one place?” The answer is always the same for me because I don’t know of any other environment where I get to pray at least eight times a day with young people, sharing my faith. I think as an English teacher, you know your curriculum, your syllabus, but to me it’s a vocation to be a Catholic teacher. As such, I think that the most rewarding thing is to see when alumni come back and they’re not only successful in their careers but they’re successful as people. To know that you had at least a small effect on that, a small contribution that you made to it, that’s the thing that makes me proudest and makes it feel that all the challenges, all the hard work, all the commitment is unquestionably worth it. RD: I am amazed that such a large facility can actually have a family spirit, a community spirit, that the kids here really seek relationship with their teachers and with their coaches, and that the kids really do want to learn and that they do want to try new things and have new opportunities. So, I think we are very fortunate to have such positive, caring students in our school. For a teacher, it’s a dream come true, that the kids really do want to learn and they do have, I think, tremendous respect for the teachers and the other personnel in the other school.

What has it been like having your spouse work with you? KD: The nicest part of that is coming home from work and knowing that we can share our challenges, our difficulties, but also our great joys and our rewards, in a way that is so personal and so real. We’ve created a nice support system for each other, to talk about things, to understand things… It has strengthened our marriage, I think, working together. Some people don’t know how a married couple can work together, but I think if you love what you do, and you’re in a strong relationship, then it only strengthens that relationship more. RD: (Laughing) Confucius once said, “If you do what you love, you will never work a day in

your life,” and I really do believe we both love what we do, and it gives us an opportunity to share a vocation, which I think a lot of couples don’t have…I think we do share the challenges, and I think our faith has grown tremendously as a couple. And it’s nice for the kids because we talk about the family atmosphere, and the students see that we mean it… When we got married, we actually talked about if one of us would maybe leave and the other stay, and neither of us wanted to leave. We both really love this place. It's more than just a job; it’s our life.

Can you talk a little about your interaction with the alumni now? What’s that like, especially from people you taught so long ago? KD: It’s a very rewarding moment when we come to a reunion and see people that we haven’t touched base with in a long time. To kind of discuss with them what they have done since Kellenberg; it’s exhilarating. It’s really just a great sense of accomplishment to see what they have done and to know that they’ve come back with such an energy and enthusiasm, such a pure joy, I think, of seeing their alma mater again. Just to be around that gives us a great sense of joy and energy as well. RD: I love reunions. I love seeing what happens to people when they go through their life, and I really believe we’re all on a journey. And I think Kellenberg’s job is to help you on that journey and to give you opportunities and to help you to become who you can be, what God wants you to be. So when people come back and share their family stories, their professional stories, I’m so honored to know we have a part in that. And I believe that all the people in this building that go into teaching really go into education because you want to be able to lead people, to help people to see their potential. And when that is actualized, it’s just amazing. I just find their generosity of spirit, their kindness — it’s overwhelming sometimes.

Do you have any advice for students or alumni who are facing obstacles in life? KD: Pray, always pray. God is always nearby, and be patient through your prayer. There’s a part of Scripture that stands out to me when I think of the message that I would hope people mostly would hold onto is that we are chosen by God, Scripture tells us. And I think that if we help people understand... why they were chosen, how they were chosen, and what it means to be chosen. What you give back and how you respond to that call, that selection by God. There’s nothing greater than that, and once you find that for yourself, and each person might find it differently... if we can help them sort of realize that and live a faith-filled life in such a challenging world... If they can develop a faith life, and a realization of that idea of being a child of God, of being chosen by God... then I think that gives them the tools to navigate through a very challenging world that gives them a very different message o en than what we remind them is the truth. RD: One of the nicest things about teaching junior religion is doing Man’s Search for Meaning, and everyone takes it in the building. So everyone is exposed to some of its concepts. When he [Viktor Frankl] quotes Nietzsche and says, “That which does not kill me makes me stronger.” When I first started teaching this course, I did not like that statement, and I think, sometimes the kids don’t like it. And I think you misinterpret it. I think, sometimes, when we’re broken, that’s the opportunity to grow. And you don’t grow without the struggle, and you don’t grow without

the difficulties. You don’t grow without leaning on other people, and sometimes in life the difficulties are the events that give you a different perspective on who you are. And I find in my personal life, and even since we’ve been here, we’ve lost students who have died, we’ve had students with family issues, we’ve had students with health issues, and we’ve had opportunities to try and help them or share their burden with them. I would say to them, “Share the burden.” I’m a very private person and I don’t like to share things which are sometimes painful, but I think what I’ve learned being in this building with so much going on is that we need each other. John Donne says, “No man is an island,” and we need to be interconnected and interdependent. You can always come back here. The priests that are here, the brothers, the teachers, the coaches, your fellow classmates, there’s a support system that doesn’t leave the day you graduate.

So what does the phrase, “Kellenberg Family,” mean to you? KD: Sharing great joys, sharing great sorrows, leaning on each other, growing together, supporting one another, knowing we all have a purpose, we have a mission in our lives. It is a journey, and this is a place and a family that creates bonds in a way that makes us interconnected but in a way that helps lead us all back to Christ. If we can come to the ends of our lives as a Kellenberg family, as a human family, and say that we have done well as God’s creation, then I know that the Kellenberg family has had a great role in achieving that beautiful goal. RD: You’ve heard this before that you are born into a family. You have no choice biologically what family you’re in. But the family at Kellenberg we choose. We choose to be here as a student. Many of the students have chosen to come back and be faculty members. I come to work every morning; I get to see my husband, I see my friends, I see people that I taught many years ago. That’s a wonderful experience, and I also just have to say something about the parents. The parents here are phenomenal... going back to the parents the first year we were here who helped us make costumes, build sets, do everything themselves when we had very low financial resources.

KD: We had very small budgets; my own father built sets for almost ten years. RD: Now we have a more stable environment; we have parents who are generous with their time, they are generous with their money, they are generous with their advice... When [one parent] found out I had cancer, she sent me this beautiful blanket. She did that out of love and concern. I taught her son when he was a junior but I never really spoke o en to [her], and she just felt that she had to reach out to me, and we developed a nice relationship because of that. That’s what “family” is. KD: When Rosemary went through cancer, the outpouring of concern and prayer for both of us that came from current students, from alumni, from faculty and staff, and everyone who is part of that family, the Marianists of course, I know made a difference. There is no doubt in my heart that I know because I prayed on this a lot. Every day I say a prayer of gratitude for the Kellenberg family helping us get through one of the most difficult times in our lives.

“It is a journey, and this is a place and a family that creates bonds in a way that makes us interconnected but in a way that helps lead us all back to Christ.”