Live, Mentor, Love

By Thien N

With nobody else willing to take the job to teach subjects such as computer information technology, math, and economics, Jeffrey Love loves teaching and loves to give students opportunities.

Without thinking about anything, Love instantly takes the job offer and even goes out his way to teach math during his summer time to kids that want to get ahead in their academics.

Jeffrey Love uses his leadership in both teaching and coaching. He wants best for his students and pupils, and also wants them to succeed and thrive.

Love: “Because if I didn't teach it, they didn't have anybody else to go ahead and teach it and that would have put a lot of kids that wanted to get ahead and have opportunities for top-rated colleges, they wouldn’t have the opportunity.”

As a water polo coach, Love isn't just a coach, but he is also the type of person you look for as a mentor. Love brings you out of your shell; he pulls you out from the bottom and takes you out of your comfort zone. He sees potential in you and turns you into someone you didn't know you could be.

Love: “It's huge between their freshman and senior year. I had people that can barely swim halfway across the pool end up being on varsity and being super competitive and actually using their experiences on the swim team for their college essays, talking about how they improved so much and did something. And they end up going to places such as Cal Poly, MIT, Cal Berkeley—just everywhere.”

As a former marine, he experienced many fun stuff that many people can’t do—things such as shooting weapons, going to different countries and places—just being in the military in general is unique and many people do not get to experience the stuff they get to do.

Gaining knowledge from his adventures, Love goes on and expresses his leadership to his students.

Love: ”It was some of the funnest times I’ve ever had. I got to travel, I got to do things a lot of people don't get to do. It was a good time in my younger days to find out who I was... All over the country basically—Northfolk, San Diego, Myanmar, Fort Ligonier... I got to shoot a lot of weapons, shoot mortars, shoot rockets, 50 caliber machine guns, ride helicopters, and transport airplanes.”

Going more into a glimpse of Love’s mentorship, he is the type of person to call you his child and at the same time, he could call you an idiot (not in an offensive way, obviously) because of his humorous nature. Love really cares for his students and especially the students that come from absolutely nothing. He would literally build your confidence, your character, and you’ll be a completely new person.

Love: “It is amazing to see kids that don't come from a rich background or have parents that have lots of money end up going to top-rated schools, the military, trade schools, and then watching them come back after years and telling me how great their life is.”

Love: “Coaching swimming, especially with beginners when they first start to get it, and I get to send them to the other varsity coaches and to the coaches that get them more refined. I'm the one that gets them to do the basics.”

As a teacher for 22 years, a swim coach for more than 15 years, and a former marine serving for more than 5 years, Love has plenty of experiences in life as a mentor. With the bonus of his comedic personality, Love makes it way easier for students to learn. And also having his strict side, he knows how to discipline in a correct manner; he knows how to control the “mean side” that teachers are known to have. Overall, Mr. Love is who you would want to meet.