For as long as he can remember, Catholic education has always been a part of history teacher Peter Gruber’s upbringing. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Peter attended Catholic school through his grade and high school years. For college he chose to attend Xavier University, also in Cincinnati, where he was further immersed in a strong Catholic educational environment. During his time at Xavier, he discovered that teaching may be a good career fit. “I’ve worked in many afterschool programs, did some coaching, and found that I really enjoyed working with students,” Peter said.
A self-proclaimed history buff, Peter says his love for the two made the choice to become a teacher a no-brainer. Upon graduation from Xavier, Peter joined the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education or ACE, which works to sustain and strengthen under-resourced schools through leadership, research, and professional service. As an ACE Teacher Fellow, Peter spent this past summer studying at Notre Dame, student teaching, and preparing for his time in the classroom. Peter is pursuing a Masters in Education from the University of Notre Dame through ACE. Joining Holy Trinity this fall was a great transition for him, since both schools are tied to the Holy Cross tradition.
Peter is no doubt eager to share his love of history and facts with his students, but as a Holy Cross educator, he knows that the importance of his role goes far beyond that. “One of my main goals is to support students outside of the classroom,” Peter said. To that end he has already jumped right into the community here at HT to help with volleyball and Student Government Association. Peter also serves as an Academic Advisor to several PEAK (Partnership to Educate & Advance Kids) scholars.
Getting to know students in various capacities is key to giving him a better understanding of how to best serve them inside the classroom. “I am excited to be here, and I will work hard to support my students,” Peter said. We are grateful for the enthusiasm Mr. Gruber has brought to our HT family so far and know he will continue to make an impact on our students.