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Timothy Sewnig, a teacher in the Religious Studies Department at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, is one of the most popular faculty members on campus, the school’s Director of Advancement Dr. Garry Koch said.

Koch has known Sewnig for the past 17 years, since the teacher joined CBA in 1991. Sewnig was named this year’s “Lasallian Teacher of the Year” at the school.
As a teacher and the director of campus ministry at CBA for the past four years, Sewnig deserves the top honor, according to Koch.

“He is such a man of compassion and intellect. He brings the values of Jesus Christ to his students through his life, not just his words,” Koch said.

Further, he praised Sewnig for his command of the material he taught in class and his ability to communicate that to his students in ways which are positive, enriching and reflect the deep religious faith by which Sewnig leads his life.

The “Lasallian Teacher of the Year” is a peer-nominated award, according to Geoff Billet, a former CBA student and now in charge of marketing at the school.

Billet said the award recognizes a member of the faculty who best represents the spirit of St. John Baptist De La Salle, a French priest and founder of the Christian Brothers, for that academic year.

Koch said Sewnig personifies the values and teachings of the saint and the Lasallian tradition.
“He is what [St. De La Salle] envisioned a teacher should be. His interaction with his students and his colleagues is just remarkable,” Koch said.

The journey east

Born in Chicago, Sewnig attended an Augustinian high school and then seminary at Villanova University, a Roman Catholic Augustinian university in Villanova, PA, where he studied philosophy.

“When I left the seminary, I wondered what next? I worked in an office for a year trying to figure out what I was going to do,” he said.

He ended up joining the Peace Corps and going overseas to Morocco for three years (1981-84) teaching English. “That’s where I discovered my love for teaching,” he said.

Soon his path led him to New Jersey, where Sewnig started his teaching career at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville.

It was about the same time that Sewnig said he met his match, his wife of 20 years, Catherine. Notably, his wife is also a campus minister at Notre Dame and his two sons, Daniel and Jonathan, attend school there.

“I figured if I am going to make a move, I will make the move,” Sewnig said.

After five years at Notre Dame, a position opened at CBA in the Religious Studies Department, to which Sewnig applied and was accepted.

Seventeen years later, as the “Lasallian Teacher of the Year,” Sewnig said his spiritual journey is far from over.

In the classroom and beyond

At present, Sewnig divides his time between campus ministry projects and two senior classes.
The curriculum for the two Christian service classes he teaches is based on social justice. “We talk about big social issues like hunger and poverty, the ecology, and put it in global terms,” he explained.

In addition, the students in that class are required to do two hours of service per week at a CBA designated service sites. These include Asbury Park, the Romero Center in Camden, St. Anthony of Padua and Lunch Break, both in Red Bank, and other Lasallian organizations in the state, Sewnig said.

“Twice a month we take food down to Asbury Park and pass out lunches,” he said. “We are going to the Romero Center in May. We run food and clothing drives. We collected $13,000 for our twin school, the Rongai Agricultural and Technical Secondary School in Rongai, Kenya.”

The opportunity to serve is endless, Sewnig said, as are the lessons learned from it.

“My favorite part of the job is the fact that the best thing that the kids do has nothing to do with the classroom,” he said. “They are out there two hours a week putting out some great service and learning about a world that they probably have not seen.”

The mission, reinterpreted

St. De La Salle (1651-1719) is known for pioneering the education of the poor, a privilege available only to the rich and people of means at the time in France, Sewnig said.

CBA, an academic preparatory school for boys in grades eight through 12, operates on the founding principle of Lasallian schools, which is to educate and enlighten, both academically and spiritually, according to Sewnig.

He explained that the Lasallian principle, when reinterpreted in the modern context, signified indirect service to the poor.

“Today it’s a different world,” he said, comparing public school education, backed by taxpayers, as “free” against private schools, where the tuition costs are quite high.

“A lot of [the students] understand that they are the ‘haves,’ and it is their job to serve the poor,” Sewnig said. “So it is my prayer that they leave CBA knowing that they are lucky ones and have to give back.”

Sewnig said he motivates students to succeed in their careers while recognizing their moral responsibility to society.

When CBA graduates return for a visit, he gently enquires what they are doing in terms of service because every campus provides that opportunity, he said.

A coach with a purpose

Such continuous mentoring and the friendship that Sewnig shares with CBA students is born out of the common passion generated through his class and campus ministry, according to Greg Higgins, a teacher in the same department.

“Putting what you believe into action, going out and doing the work in the community” is what students learn from his class, Higgins said.

“Students just love him. He’s got a good sense of humor in the classroom, does a lot of service work with the kids, and totally deserves [the award],” Higgins added.

He’s not a bad golf coach either, Koch noted.

Billet recalled that truthfulness and a comforting atmosphere was what struck him about Sewnig when he attended his class in 1991.

“He just brought such sense of dedication to the material that it made you want to learn; made you interested in it,” Billet said.

James Murray, 18, is from Middletown and is considering becoming a music teacher upon graduating from CBA. In his words, a teacher should be able to work with people.

“You have to be a friend as much as a mentor. You have to gain people’s respect,” Murray said. “A lot of teachers assert their authority, I don’t think that works. You have to treat people as equal. It’s just a better way of teaching and you learn more that way.”

A senior at CBA, Murray said he had Sewnig for sophomore philosophy and has been friends with him since then. He is active with the schools service projects and has observed Sewnig in action.

“He is one of the best teachers in my opinion,” Murray said. “If you ever need anything you can always come to him. He’s a great, great guy.”