There is a fresh new face in the Social Studies department. Mr. Henry Van Faussien is the Swiss army knife of Social Studies teachers, teaching World History, U.S. History, and Government.
Raised in Beverly Hills, Michigan, Mr. Van Faussien attended Groves High School where he played football. His favorite memory from high school is beating Groves’ football rival, Seaholm, all four years he played. He focused on studying French, philosophy, and government, where he met his favorite teachers in high school. Mr. McMullan was Van Faussien’s French teacher because Mr. McMullan would be a “stand-up comedy show” each day. Mr. Rusek was his government teacher in High School. “He was very hands-off” according to Mr. Van Faussien. Mr. Rusek knew every student understood they had a job to do. Mr. Van Faussien states “I try and make my classroom in the same way.” Mr. Van Faussien enjoys studying French; he is fluent in the language.
Throughout his childhood, he participated in the Woodside Swim Club. In high school, he took a hiatus to focus on football before returning to competitive swimming his senior year. The next time Mr. Van Faussien returned to Woodside; it was as a coach. This past summer, Coach Van Faussien led Woodside to fourth place overall in the Northwest Suburban Swim League (N.S.S.L.) as head coach. Two head coaches in the N.S.S.L. encouraged Mr. Van Faussien to become a teacher at U of D Jesuit.
When first interviewed by Dr. Smith last May, Mr. Van Faussien remembered, “I liked everything I saw.” He “really connected” with the Jesuit motto of Men for Others and the Grad at Grad traits.
Outside of the classroom, Van Faussien enjoys golfing and estimates his handicap is 15. While attending Michigan State University, Mr. Van Faussien was a captain of the waterski team and remains an avid water skier; he states,” go green”! He enjoys listening to the modern country works of Tyler Childers and Colter Wall. Mr Van Faussien is the Head Coach of the Woodside Sundevils and Coaches Atlantis Swim Club. Coach Van Faussien plans on joining the coaching team of the U of D Jesuit Swim and Dive Team
