Championing Agents of Mission
Prep Principal Timothy Dee knows how much others’ investment in him shaped him as a young man and as an Ignatian educator. Now a school leader, he’s focused on helping Prep provide its faculty with the very best support and opportunities to grow—so they can have the most profound impact on their own students possible.
“My drive comes from being inspired and motivated by the adults around me as a student at BC High. I think back to my teachers and my coaches – I was formed by them. Their influence made me a good person. It set me up for a life I feel so fortunate to have,” says Dee. “Anything I can do to inspire adults to do that for others, that’s what gives me joy and purpose.”
Dee graduated from Fairfield University in 2008 with a B.S. in math. After teaching for a year at BC High, he returned to Connecticut to teach math and computer science at Fairfield Prep. With eight years of Jesuit education under his belt, Dee had the Jesuit terminology down, but he didn’t know how to carry it out in the classroom. Prep’s Jesuit Educators Academy (JEA 1.0), helped him learn Ignatian teaching methods and translate his Jesuit knowledge into instructional strategies.
On a personal level, Dee points to the influence of veteran teachers surrounding him at Prep—especially former Math Department Chair Maureen Bohan. “The way that she taught, the dedication that she brought every day was just inspiring for me. She put so much effort into developing me as a teacher. Even when I started taking on these leadership roles, she was someone I would go to,” Dee recalls.
With financial support from Prep, Dee earned his M.A. in secondary education from Fairfield in 2014. He later earned his intermediate administration certification from Sacred Heart University and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in curriculum and instruction at Texas Tech University.
“When I was a young teacher, seeing these veterans trying new things and continuing to learn was a huge inspiration,” says Dee. “By supporting the adults in our classrooms—even mid-career teachers—to always pursue learning, we’re proving great educators as well as great role models for our students.”
Since assuming the position of principal in 2021, Dee has been building on Prep’s core elements of Ignatian pedagogy while embracing the ingenuity and innovation of 21st century learning models. Go Forth will support these efforts, including crucial investments that address the changing needs and realities of both the student body and the faculty.
“Our students will only be as successful as the adults in front of them can inspire, motivate, and teach them to be,” says Dee. “We have great students at Prep, coming from 50 different schools. The faculty members who are in front of them every day are the most important part of our mission.”