Teacher, 2008-now
Mike Kersten has been teaching a variety of history, religion, and interdisciplinary courses in the HKIS High School Humanities Department since 2008.
In 2010, Mike created an elective service-learning course titled “Cambodia: History in Action,” which continues to be very successful. He and his colleague Dr. Marty Schmidt have presented on service learning at numerous talks and conferences, and in 2014 they co-presented a TEDx talk about HKIS’s Humanities I in Action program.
Marty, who has known Mike since 2005, described him with deep respect and affection: “He is an incredibly sharp, articulate, funny, personal, and dynamic teacher and leader. It’s not surprising he is loved by his students. He is an excellent representative of the Christian faith who cares as deeply about that as any of the other pursuits he has, which are many.”
One of Mike’s current students, Aoife O’Connor ’19, said, “In classes, he always inspires us to know how we view the world and what needs to be changed. He does this through humor but in a way that grasps our attention. Also, he is always passionate about helping the world and creating a better place for us.”
Alumnus Amar Bhardwaj ’11 shared how Mike inspired him: “As my freshman-year teacher of Humanities 1 in Action, Mr. Kersten’s enthusiasm, passion, conviction, novel ideas, and ability to invoke critical thought changed my worldview completely and left a lasting influence on the way I see my place and purpose in this world. It was under his guidance that I realized environmental issues are the most grave and imminent facing our world today, and it was under his guidance that I resolved to dedicate myself completely to this cause.”