Sun Journal: I know you come out of California, what made you decide to live in Montana?

Mr. Kearney: I was born and raised in Montana, I was raised in Butte. Even when teaching in California I always came to Missoula in the summer time. My wife and I have had a place in Missoula for the last thirteen years.

Sun Journal: Was there any particular event in your life that made you choose a teaching career?

Mr. Kearney: No there wasn’t any one specific event that drew me to teaching. I was always interested in learning, excited by being at school. When I was in junior high school, I had envisioned myself becoming a teacher, I was considering other interest but teaching was at or near the top. In addition to that I also was attracted to coaching.

Sun Journal: You said you were attracted to coaching, what kind of sports did you enjoy coaching?

Mr. Kearney: Just about anything, but I was not a football player so I was not attracted to coaching football. I was involved in high school in the cross-country program, I played basketball and I ran track and field. But I also coached little league baseball when I was a junior in high school, it led me to coaching track and field at an elementary level, some girls’ softball, eventually at a high school level I coached cross-country, basketball and track and field.

Sun Journal: Many students find math to be one of the hardest subjects, what made you want to teach it?

Mr. Kearney: Math has always been easy for me, I understand it, and so there was a natural draw to the subject. But to become a teacher I had to recognize that of students aren’t very good at math, they do not like it. It was an obstacle in which I had to explore and come to understand so I could be a better teacher for all students.

Sun Journal: What college did you go to?

Mr. Kearney: Right out of high school I went to Montana Tech for a year, at the end of that year I decided to join a religious order that taught, the Irish Christen that taught at my high school, their formation group was at a University outside of Chicago called Lewis University, it was a private catholic school of about 3000 students, there I was studying mathematics and religious studies. Since then I’ve returned to Montana State University to get my teaching degree, I also have attended the University of Montana, the University of San Diego, Western Washington University, and Cal. State East Bay. When I returned to get my teaching certificate I also became certified not only in Math, but also Social Studies and Physical Education.

Sun Journal: Have you always taught at the high school level?

Mr. Kearney: I have taught at the junior high level for a few years. In fact, my very first teaching assignment was in a k-8 school, but I was teaching sixth, seventh and eighth graders. I have had a couple places in which I was teaching in 7^th-12^th grades, because the school districts were so small I had to teach a lot.

Sun Journal: Growing up who was your main role model?

Mr. Kearney: My family has always been my anchor. I feel very blessed to have a family that has been very loving and caring and I feel for those who aren’t as lucky as I was growing up. Growing up in Butte was very interesting, it was very enriching to be exposed to so many different nationalities, besides the Irish family I was raised in.