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for alumni, parents and friends of Loyola Academy EASgift planning 0newsletter T 19 9
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Fall/Winter 2015
A Modern Man for All Seasons Joe Dahm Gives Back to His Loyola By Thomas J. Cramer
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n the days of yore, Joe Dahm might have been known as a man of letters. He certainly has a few of them after his name, B.A., M.A., R.Y.T. (registered yoga teacher). He is a passionate science teacher, sailing instructor and summer service chaperone at Loyola. Joe is a man for others who has embarked on different pursuits with the noble purpose of giving more than he has received. Joe was introduced to the Jesuits as an undergraduate at Xavier University in Cincinnati. It wasn’t long before Joe had a conversion experience where he first felt God’s love in his life. Since then, he has tried to follow up that experience by sharing his gifts with others. In 1980, Joe graduated with his bachelor’s in theology and took a job as one of the first house parents at Boys Hope in Evanston. One of his tasks was to drive the young men from Evanston to Loyola Academy. While doing this, Joe met Loyola faculty and staff and was immediately snatched up to teach theology. After taking time off to focus on family, Joe realized that what he enjoyed most in life was teaching. So he went back to school and got
his master’s degree. Along the way, he was introduced to another love in his life: science. Joe eventually returned to Loyola as a science teacher. He just completed his 20th year at the Academy. He particularly loves getting students excited about science. A Family Legacy Lives at Loyola Joe’s connection to Loyola continued to grow as three of his children graduated from Loyola. His son, Peter, graduated in 2010 and his daughters, Mary and Jane, graduated in 2011 and 2014, respectively. Continued on Page 2
Loyola Academy Science teacher Joe Dahm challenges students to find alternative fuel sources by setting an example. He uses leftover vegetable oil from our cafeteria to run his modified car. “We discuss in class our Catholic responsibility to be stewards of our natural resources, and one way to do that is to use an alternative fuel.” Joe is also a steward of Loyola Academy and has set aside a gift to Loyola in his will.