Home grown: Numerous Notre Dame grads come back as teachers, coaches

There's one line that makes some former Notre Dame Regional High School graduates uncomfortable, and Brother David Migliorino knows it well.

"When I say, 'You can call me David,' and they're, 'I could never call you David. Never,'" Migliorino said with knowing laughter. "It's always so cute."

That scene has had occasion to play out three times this year -- and in abundance since he arrived at the school in 1999. That's because three Notre Dame graduates are first-year teachers at the school, bringing the total of nine teachers who have known Migliorino as their principal. There are 28 alums among the school's staff of 46, including 20 teachers, ranging from 33-year veteran Mary Ha, a 1972 graduate, to the newest crop, which features teachers Richard Bohn (2008), Josh Eftink (2000) and Ben Hinton (2013), as well as development director Alex Jackson (2005).

All told, the current alums on staff have provided a collective 325 years of service.

"It's been a few years, but seeing everything from the teacher's point of view is definitely different, having co-workers now that used to be my teachers -- that's a little weird," said Bohn, who is teaching world history and assisting his former cross country and track coach, Bill Davis. "It's been good so far."

Bohn is among a large group of the teachers who had bonding experiences as students, highly involved in activities, including sports. They've returned not only to teach, but to coach.

Eftink previously taught a total of 10 years at three public schools.

In his first year at a private school, he's teaching freshman physical education, health and accounting and also will be assisting baseball coach Jeff Graviett, for whom he starred as a player.

"I was eventually hoping to come back where it all started for me," Eftink said. "I was excited when I got the opportunity to come back."

He received the familiar call that often goes out from Migliorino to former students. And he was happy to oblige his former principal, whom he credits with the culture.

"It starts with a good leader in Brother David, and he kind of makes it all come together," Eftink said. "There's just a lot of school spirit and a lot of energy in the building, and it's neat to be a part of it."

Mallory Siebert (2010) is in her second year at her alma mater, where she said the inspiration to become a teacher was first planted by "great teachers."

"I originally saw myself always ending up back here, I just never imagined it would be so soon," Siebert said.

She was teaching at Poplar Bluff High School in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, when contacted by Migliorino, and she answered the call.

"It's kind of like coming home," Siebert said. "It's what Brother says, 'We want you to come home.' So I relate really well to the kids because I've been where they were and sat where they were."

There were other ways to relate, too.

Four of the students in her home room last year were siblings of her former classmates.

"That was kind of neat, but it also made me feel old," she said.

She teaches sophomore English and a composition class required for all juniors, noting it was a little awkward having some of her inspiring teachers as co-workers.

"It's a respect thing. It's hard to see myself as being equal, and I'm not nearly as experienced as them," Siebert said.

Meridith Brinkmeyer (2007) is in her sixth year as a math teacher at the school after receiving "the call" while finishing up her student teaching. She's in her first year as head volleyball coach and is the assistant girls soccer coach, and she embodies the "family" aura repeatedly used by the teaching alums to describe the atmosphere.

Her husband, Jeremy Brinkmeyer, is a 2005 graduate and is in his fourth year on the staff.

Teaching health and weight training and filling the role of coach, he's following in the footsteps of his parents, who were both teachers.

"It's definitely weird because the people that were in charge of you, you're now working with," Jeremy Brinkmeyer said with a smile. "So the hardest part was to stop calling the teachers 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.' I'd get yelled at all the time: 'Don't call me "Mr."; that's my father. We're colleagues now; you can call me by my first name.'"

But it was the moments between his high-school days and his return that left the largest imprint. He was in college when his father, who was working maintenance at Notre Dame at the time, died. The Notre Dame community, led by Migliorino, held him tight.

"To me, it's definitely a family," Brinkmeyer said. "I'm sure you've heard that a hundred times, but when my father died, the whole school came together to help me get through it, and Brother was one of the first people there at the hospital to meet me and pray with me and help me get through it, and ever since then ... Notre Dame has always been important to me, but it took a bigger presence in my life because I realized so many people were there for me just because I was part of the Notre Dame family. It's truly powerful, the family atmosphere that we have here."

Both parents of Paul Unterreiner (2002) attended the school, and he was a sophomore when Migliorino arrived. He played basketball, golf and soccer but minimizes his athletic contributions.

As Notre Dame's head boys basketball coach, however, he's led his alma mater to the state semifinals.

While he is from a long line of Unterreiners and Reinagels (his mom's side) who have attended the school, he said he believes he's the first person in his extended family to teach there.

"When all was said and done with my high-school career, I knew I wanted to become a teacher, and I just wanted to come back here," Unterreiner said. "I had a really good high-school experience, and I think that was part due to [Migliorino] and his leadership here. He jokes that he told me when I graduated, that when I'm ready to teach to call him. He ended up calling me."

jbreer@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632