Dr. Alec Sixta, one of Mater Dei’s most iconic teachers, has made Mater Dei a home full of fun and laughter for countless students, creating lifelong memories. A Monarch alumni himself, Dr. Sixta returned to his alma mater as a religion teacher bringing fond memories of his own high school experiences. He also found pride in being a part of the work teachers and administrators put into the school and understanding the behind-the-scenes operations from a first-hand perspective. 

“I think that at Mater Dei we’re really trying to do our best making sure that all the students that attend Mater Dei feel right and safe, so that they feel they can be vulnerable about themselves and their experiences in their life,” Sixta said.

Teaching Religion at MD since 2018, Dr. Sixta has made his classroom a home to countless students, leaving his door always open. Making his room a safe space where students are able to freely share opinions, he has created unique bonds with every student he has met on campus. Dr. Sixta invites any and all students into his classroom, treating students with respect and lending an ear whenever needed. 

“It’s because you just never know when that student may need something and maybe they just need to be in this space because they don’t have that space in other classrooms, or they don’t have that space at home,” Sixta said. “It’s like a really big deal for that student to have that experience, to be able to know that [it’s available]. So if I’m trying to create open space I don’t care who you are. If you need this space, then you can come into this space, because that’s what you need.”

Strengthening his relationships with students inside and outside of the classroom, Sixta hopes to instill Christ’s light in students all over campus. His open heart has allowed students to express themselves in all forms and share personal stories. His own vulnerability has shown students that they are free to be themselves in a safe and loving place. Creating his own home away from home, Sixta shows students that Christ’s light can be seen all over campus and in all parts of the world. 

“I think one of the greatest things about teaching at Mater Dei is that I can be so open about my faith, the way that I live my faith in so far that I can get students [to think as] they leave the class, ‘Wow, I feel like I saw the face of Christ’,” Sixta said. “I feel like we have the great opportunity at Mater Dei to do that. I love teaching because I can have students leave the room saying ‘That was great’. At Mater Dei we’re lucky enough that students can leave not only [feeling] like that, but they can also leave and say ‘Wow, that Jesus guy, I feel like I saw his face, or I saw God’s face’.…I enjoy teaching because if people can leave the space and feel that way”