I had the opportunity to interview the new chemistry teacher, Mr. Kheriaty. No, he’s not Mr. Malecek’s twin brother. Here’s what we talked about:

Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

I’m a father of four. I’ve been teaching science at Catholic high schools my whole career. I’m thrilled to be at a Catholic school. In terms of my personal life, I play basketball, frisbee, ping pong, and water sports: water skiing, wakeboarding, and jet skiing. I’ve coached all my kids in basketball.

What did you do before Priory?

I taught chemistry at Vianney for the past 13 years. 

Were you involved in any clubs or extracurriculars at Vianney?

Yes, I started the Pro-Life Club, where we participated in 40 Days for Life, prayed outside of Planned Parenthood, went on the March for Life, went to THRIVE fundraisers, and had abortion dialogue training. I also ran Griffin Life, which was Vianney’s youth group. We met once a month and had about 40 guys who’d show up. We had students give witness talks and had small group discussions. It was always fun. I also started the ping pong club and the bocce club. We played bocce on The Hill. For two years, I coached the swim team. I was the Dean of the Academy of Applied Sciences, which is similar to the Department Head here.

Why did you come to Priory?

I came for a couple of reasons. The main reason is that this is where my son Jacob wanted to go. He is a Form I student here. We also chose it because of the Catholic formation. We always knew Priory was strong in that aspect. My wife’s family is a Priory family so I’ve known about Priory for a long time. At the end of the summer, the science position opened up and I took that opportunity. It’s great to have car rides with my son and run into him at lunch and in the hallways. 

What are some of your first impressions?

First of all, the community is great; it seems really special. People like Mr. Malecek, Mr. Nickolai, and all the science teachers have been very collaborative and supportive. Fr. Cassian has been a mentor. I love it. I love that the first talk at Chaplaincy was about rules and The Rule of Saint Benedict. I’ve been listening to the Rule on my runs the past couple weeks. 

Anything else you want to share?

The culture of the students has been really great. There’s a good balance of fun, all-male energy, and hard work.