The Exceptional Years of Service wall outside of Haggerty Library features Ursuline faculty and staff members who have been employed by The Academy for over 20 years. Over the next few months, we will be featuring those on the wall in a series. This week, we are pleased to introduce Mr. Fred Schneider.

Ursuline’s Social Studies Department welcomed Fred Schneider in August of 1997.

Leaving college with a psychology degree, Fred bounced around various positions in sales and business. He actually began his teaching career after his mother-in-law, a professor, recommended it to him.

While he didn’t know he wanted to be a teacher growing up, he was not surprised it was the path he ended up taking. And once he started, he was hooked.

Prior to his start at The Academy, he was teaching part time at four separate Community College Districts- DCCD, Collin County, Tarrant County, and North Central Texas College. He had been teaching at the Community College/University level for ten years.

“I was recommended for this job by the Ursuline Social Studies Chair at the time, Mary Jane Roper, whom I had met while teaching at Brookhaven,” he said.

He enjoys making an impact and building relationships with his students. 

“Their energy, interest in the subject matter, and personalities make teaching a worthwhile enterprise,” he said. “On a macro level, I echo the words of St. Angela who tells us as teachers to ‘never cease to cultivate the vine that has been entrusted to us.’ Our influence is a small part of the journey each of our students take through life.”

When Fred first started his Ursuline journey, the school was in its second year of the laptop program. He discusses technology as the biggest change he’s noticed over the years.

“The students did not have access to the Internet when I first arrived at Ursuline,” he said.  “With technology, the speed of the girls’ lives has increased, as have their stress levels. But, their desire to excel and the support they receive from their teachers, parents, administrators, and friends at Ursuline has never wavered. That support is one of things that sets this school apart from others.”

He hopes his students learn to feel secure in their sense of self and to know they have the ability to succeed in any endeavor they strive to achieve.

“I also hope they see the fun and humor in life… and maybe remember a couple of the ‘Dad jokes’ I told along the way,” he said.

Fred will celebrate 24 years at Ursuline at the end of this school year and says, “it has been a distinct privilege to teach some of the best students in the world.”