progressive era picture
john in econ
girls in history class
jane lennon with students

Academics

A Saint Ignatius Education

Social Studies Department

A message from Social Studies Department Chair Matt Flynn...

Our teaching is guided by the belief that the study of history and the social sciences provides students with the foundation to evaluate their world and their places in it. We teach our students that the tools and disciplines of multiple social sciences must not be confined to their own specialized field, but used to support one another. As a department, we believe the best teaching and learning begin with careful planning and guided support, allowing students to learn through investigation. We aim to ensure that all students appreciate the significance of politics, economics, history, and sociological analysis in their daily lives, and understand that certain factors and perspectives can influence the manner in which both historical and current events are interpreted. The materials our students study are explored in the context of the modern world, explicitly addressing political, social, cultural, religious, economic and environmental factors.

Edmund Burke, Economist and Philosopher

"In history, a great volume is unrolled for our instruction, drawing materials of future wisdom from the past errors and infirmities of mankind."

Resources

Meet the Social Studies Department

List of 14 members.

Mr. Matthew Flynn

Social Studies Teacher/Department Chair

Bio
When you walk into the social studies office, you can’t miss a pile of hockey pucks on Department Chair Matthew Flynn’s desk. A superfan of Saint Ignatius College Prep Hockey, Flynn goes to all the games. He says he respects the players’ leadership skills on and off the ice and their grit.

“It’s an easy group to root for,” explained Flynn, “It’s about trying to encourage the kids as best I can, even beyond the classroom.”

In the classroom, Mr. Flynn works to cultivate a shared excitement for the material he’s teaching - from the Enlightenment and World War II (his favorite historic periods) to modern-day Iran and Russia.

Mr. Flynn found his way to teaching after exploring a range of professional options including government and law. He majored in political science and interned in Washington DC for a member of Congress. He thought that “was interesting and super cool,” but he didn’t love it the way he loved school and teaching.

Both leave students with information and skills to last a lifetime. At Saint Ignatius, writing tops that list. “If you come into our department at any moment someone’s going to be talking about writing,” said Mr. Flynn “essays they’re creating, how they’re teaching writing, historical writing, thesis statements, evidence use…We really drive that home.”

He calls the emphasis on the written word a hallmark of the Saint Ignatius Social Studies Department, one he’s happy to share over the course of each year with students in each of his classes. “Every class has its own community,” he said. It’s something he champions!
Fr. Aaron Bohr , S.J.

Chinese & Social Studies Teacher
Mr. John Chandler

President & Social Studies Teacher
Mrs. Hallie Fahey

Social Studies Teacher
Ms. Diane Haleas

Social Studies Teacher

Bio
When you walk into Diane Haleas’ classroom, you can’t miss one particularly celebrational photo. It shows the social studies teacher with some of her students from the Saint Ignatius Model United Nations. The smiles are ear-to-ear, and it captures what she calls one of her best moments in teaching: When SIMUN clinched the national title.
“That feeling when they announced we won - I’ll never forget it. We did it the right way,” says Haleas, “The kids worked so hard. Everyone helped each other.”

Haleas has lead SIMUN since 1999. She joined the teaching community here at Ignatius eleven years before that. Haleas first came to the Wolfpack after a friend of the family suggested she look into a “wonderful Catholic school…one of the best in the nation.” She did, and met Sr. Therese DeCanio, who Haleas describes as a wonderful department chair. DeCanio was searching for an AP Comparative Politics teacher which happened to be Haleas' specialty. It was one of those matches made in heaven. Ever since, Haleas has shared her love of the world with her students. She’s been known to dress up as the Queen of England with the expectation her class members represent the British political parties. It’s interactive learning at its finest and most fun. One of her big goals is to always build relationships to show students the value in that.

On teaching, she says she brings patience and understanding, and has learned every student brings something to the mix. Haleas sums up what she gets in return: “It gives me life."
Mr. Will Jones

Social Studies Teacher
Ms. Jane Lennon

Social Studies Teacher
Mr. Nathan McPherson

Social Studies Teacher

Bio
More than a decade ago, social studies teacher Nathan McPherson was driving down Roosevelt Road with his wife when they spotted Saint Ignatius College Prep. In awe of the architecture, they stopped to explore the campus. Inspired, Mr. McPherson, who was a teacher at another school, did a little homework.

“Turned out my wife’s grandfather had actually graduated in 1939 from Ignatius, and he had taken the train from Elmhurst every day in the ‘30s, so there was this family connection,” he says, “and it all kind of fit in.”

Flash forward, and Mr. McPherson is already twelve years into his work with the Wolfpack. It is the place he wants to teach because he loves “the culture, the community and the ability to bring faith into the classroom.”

Always endeavoring to engage his students in high level, complex discussions that they approach together, Mr. McPherson channels his own educational experience. He says, “My sophomore year of high school, my AP U.S. History teacher motivated me to work in a way I never had. It was the first time I took ownership over my education, seeing it as a choice rather than something that was expected.”

It’s why Mr. McPherson highlights attitude and perspective in his classes. He also works to create a culture in which students understand “if you walk out with more questions than answers, this has been successful. Any good idea should be able to handle rigorous analysis from other perspectives.”

Whether it’s in Ethics Bowl or one of his social studies classes, Mr. McPherson says the result is a thoughtful level of discourse with his students that he finds inspiring. He also has kudos for his colleagues.

“I’m continually surprised and encouraged by their level of care for their students, by the quality of thought and the preparation they put into their activities, their lessons, their willingness to share,” says McPherson, “There’s such a great collaborative atmosphere among the colleagues, that I really enjoy about working here!”
Dr. Matthew Miller Ph.D.

Social Studies Teacher

Bio
Elsie Palicki.

Her name is important because she is the person who inspired Saint Ignatius College Prep teacher, Dr. Matthew Steven Miller, to take an interest in history.

“Having a grandma who lived an amazing life, and who shared her stories about being an immigrant and about World War II, sparked my curiosity,” says Miller.

That curiosity also runs deep for all things Chicago. A life-long resident, Miller is quick to point out that his parents met at the old Marshall Fields store on State Street. He teaches a course about the city and really enjoys highlighting the 1933 Century of Progress/Chicago World’s Fair for his students.

Miller says, “I find it fascinating how Chicago had so much hope during what was the Great Depression.”

One of the novels he’s working on is set in the Century of Progress. His doctorate dissertation had Chicago roots, too. Miller focused on how leaders responded to the high number of auto accidents in Cook County from 1920 to 1938. In class he uses the 341 page dissertation to show his students that writing about history “is more than grammar and spelling. It’s logic, it’s making supported claims and it’s the connection between ideas.”

When he’s not in the classroom, Miller loves to run. He’s done one marathon and a number of half marathons.

“My goal right now is an Iron Man,” he says, “I want to set an example for kids that you should find something you want to achieve and push yourself to accomplish it!”
Mr. Matt Monroe

Social Studies Teacher, Head Boys Basketball Coach, Admissions Associate

Bio
Before he wanted to be a teacher, Matt Monroe dreamed of being a coach.

“I’ve wanted to coach since I was eight years old,” says Monroe. “My dad was the basketball coach at my junior high school, and as a first grader, I’d work the clock at his games.”

Following in his father’s footsteps, Monroe started coaching his senior year of high school.

“I fell in love with the coaching aspect, but also the teaching part,” says Monroe. “So when I got to college, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine all three: My love for coaching, my love for teaching and my love for history.”

After graduating, Monroe launched his career at a nearby high school, where he shared his passion for history and served as an assistant basketball coach.

Playing against Saint Ignatius College Prep is ultimately what led him to the position he holds now.

“I would see how beautiful the building was and how welcoming the people were,” says Monroe. “I wanted to be a head coach, and I had a list of schools I wanted to be at. Saint Ignatius was always my number one.”

He continues, “Every single moment I’ve been here, every person I’ve interacted with and all my experiences have only reaffirmed my original desire to be here. It’s such a special place.”

Monroe hopes his students leave the classroom with a feeling that they’re cared for. He wants them to know that he’s not only invested in their academic success but in them as people.

His advice to students: Make sure you always live with love and pursue something you’re passionate about.
Mr. Josh Morrow

Social Studies Teacher
Mr. Adrian Oryshkevych

Social Studies Teacher

Bio
During the summer months, Adrian Oryshkevych worked as a camp counselor.

It was through this summer job that he discovered his passion for teaching.

In school, Oryshkevych always gravitated towards his history classes. He loved the subject matter, as well as his professors. It was their teaching that ultimately inspired him to pursue a career in education.

Oryshkevych’s wife Tanya led him to Saint Ignatius College Prep.

“She wanted to move back to where she’s from, and I was happy to, as long as I found myself at a good Jesuit school,” says Oryshkevych.

He continues, “The Jesuit school system is something I know very well. It’s something I believe in, and something I want to continue being a part of. Being in a mission-oriented school, like Saint Ignatius, is very important to me.”

Oryshkevych hopes his students choose a career path that brings them genuine happiness, one that fulfills them and makes them feel as though they’re not working a day in their lives.

He says, “I’m passionate about teaching, so I don’t look at it as a job. I look forward to getting up in the mornings and going to school...going to teach, interact and hang out with students and talk about whatever the topic is that day.”

His advice for students: Find something you’re passionate about and run with it.
Mr. James Owens 81

Mathematics & Social Studies Teacher
Mr. Christopher Zuber

Social Studies Teacher

Saint Ignatius College Prep

Saint Ignatius College Prep, a Jesuit Catholic school in the heart of Chicago, is a diverse community dedicated to educating young men and women for lives of faith, love, service and leadership.

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