While this column may be titled “New Faces,” Mr. Ed Lisovicz of the English department is an exception to that rule. During my junior year AP Language and Composition class, Mr. L. was a welcomed guest and visitor: with an entrance only comparable to Kramer from Seinfeld, he would always pop into my class, full of enthusiasm and advice for students who were in need of assistance or guidance. 

This year, when given the opportunity to interview Mr. L., I was excited to learn more about the teacher that observed so many of my classes. I sat down with Mr. L. during a CAP period, and was immediately familiar with the spirit and liveliness that he carried. I started our conversation by asking him the question we all wonder about new teachers: why the Mount? Mr L. went on to rave about the students and faculty, and said that the people of the school were the immediate draw in. He talked more about his time last year as a student teacher, and how he shadowed most of the English teachers during the 2023-2024 school year. He said that his time observing classes only made him more eager to teach a class of his own. He mentioned that this is his first time teaching his own classes in a private school setting, but he is incredibly well versed in the subject and came into the year more than prepared for the environment shift. 

Mr. Lisovicz studied English at Gettysburg College, and received his Masters in Creative Writing from University of Edinburgh. The former Bullet shared how when he was an undergraduate at Gettysburg, he studied abroad in the United Kingdom and “fell in love” with the country. His time studying abroad aided his decision to apply to graduate school overseas, as he said that he applied to a variety of schools in England, Scotland and Ireland. In the end, the University of Edinburgh was his top choice, and upon his acceptance, he was thrilled to get his graduate degree in Creative Writing there. Mr. L. said that his time in Scotland was “…amazing, it was an incredible time that I spent there. There were so many new experiences, so many new people I met. And it was really exciting and really important for me that I could focus totally on writing.” 

While the English teacher is undoubtedly very skilled in the realm of language arts, in our discussion, I realized that he truly is a man of many talents! He shared with me his many interests beyond teaching, and turns out he has a knack for cooking! He said that his love for cooking is derived from his love of adventure and trying new things; he enjoys testing out recipes and stepping out of his culinary-comfort zone. (In case anyone was wondering, his favorite food to make is pasta!) I asked Mr. L. if there were any other extracurricular activities he liked, and I think all of you readers will be as shocked as I was to hear this, but Mr. L is also an experienced fencer! Since high school, he has been practicing his fencing skills, and is now coaching his own team at Newark Academy! Mr. L said that he was someone who grew up taking private lessons, and he shared with me that coaching a team is “such a different experience [than private lessons]. Even though it’s an individual sport, it’s really amazing to see the kids uplift each other and give each other advice…it’s just a totally different vibe, and it’s much more welcoming.” Mr. L’s appreciation for teamwork and collaboration is clear, which is nothing short of an amazing quality for a teacher to have! Ms. Benevenia, a fellow English teacher here at the Mount, shared her experience in working closely with Mr. L, and spoke about how she thinks he is “an amazing writer, and he knows a lot about classic literature…and he kind of brings that knowledge into everything he does.”

As Mr. L. and I began to wrap up our time together, I asked him if there is anything that he has found himself loving at the Mount, and he closed with the same thought that he started with: community at the Mount is strong. He praised the Mount for how students and faculty are consistently trying to build a sense of belonging for everyone, and that we place heavy focus on making sure everyone feels included, represented, and respected. In fact, of the four Dominican pillars (study, community, service, and prayer), Mr. L said that his favorite is community, simply because “the other three don’t work, in my opinion, without community.” He expanded on how while one can pray, serve, and study in solitude, the concept of doing each of those things in a community strengthens the purpose significantly, and I can certainly say I agree! 

Mr. Lisovicz’s appreciation for togetherness and unity is heavily reflected in his teaching, as sophomore Michelle Bijak describes how “every class, he lets us go in a circle and discuss together…and he always connects what we are learning with things from our other classes.”  Sanaya Mistry, who is also a sophomore, agreed, and added how she appreciates that he makes a constant effort to get to know more about his students and connect the class to work as one. 

We are so happy to be welcoming such a community-driven individual to our Mount family, and with his enthusiasm and spirit (and amazing cooking skills!), Mr. L will undoubtedly be a great fit here. Welcome home, Mr. L!