John Paul Escala

John Paul Escala

John Paul Escala has worn many hats, but after years of soul searching, the parishioner at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Surrey decided to pursue a career as a Catholic school teacher.

Escala has been an early childhood educator, worked with kids with special needs, and, most recently, a kinesiologist. Through it all, he knew he wanted to teach. He also knew he loved his faith. “My faith is what drives me to see, not just the calling of God, but the best version of myself and where I can be,” he said. “Being a Catholic school teacher, there is just that sense of belonging and community.”

Escala, who will teach physical and health education and science at Archbishop Carney Secondary in September, said he wanted to be a Catholic school teacher to bring that sense of family to students. “That is what we strive for in our classroom, for them to belong” to a school, a diocese, and a Church.

He admits it is also easier for him to live his faith in a Catholic school “because I am in this kind of environment … able to express that to my students without feeling judged, or even risking your teaching licence.”