Alumnus Profile: Nick Kolentse
Nick has been following his passion for teaching with his wife, Jessica. Their careers have taken them to South Korea, Myanmar, and most recently, Colombia. Together, with their young son, Theodore, the Kolentse Family has been sharing their gifts and talents with people across the globe.
Mercy Graduation Year: 8th Grade Class of 1999
High School: Summit Country Day (Class of 2003)
College / Graduate Schools: Boston College (BA History, Class of 2007) & Whitworth University (Masters in Teaching, Class of 2008)
What He’s Doing Now: After graduation I married my best friend, Jessica Joy Hertz, and we decided to follow our passions of learning, teaching, and traveling. We began our teaching careers in Ulsan, South Korea where we worked in a K-8 Elementary School with a focus on English Language Literacy. After three years we decided it was time for a change and accepted positions at the International School of Myanmar in Yangon. I taught 7th grade Social Studies and 7th grade Humanities at a time of incredible transition in the country's history. We explored the role of national governance and the importance of resource management. My experience teaching and learning in Myanmar culminated in a ‘Week Without Walls’ experience where our class was able to sit in on a legislative session of parliament and have the opportunity to dialogue with the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. This was also a time we welcomed the most recent addition to the Kolentse family, Theodore Hertz Kolentse, into the world in October. We decided in May another move was in store to be closer to our family members in the U.S. We accepted positions with Colegio Nueva Granada and now call Bogota, Colombia our home. It has been an exciting few weeks learning a new language, adapting to a new culture and working with 6th and 7th grade Social Studies students. We are starting to understand why Colombia is considered one of the happiest countries in the world.
Favorite Mercy Memory: There were so many great memories, but Playday each year would have to be up there as a highlight. I would also say the love of learning fostered in the Little Red School house with Patty Normile and the self directed explorationof understanding with Keith Kaiser shaped who I am today!
What He Did This Summer: We spent time in Bangkok, Thailand soaking up the sun and enjoying every spicy curry we could find.