Forming Young Men for Others
By Rachel Amiri
What does it take to form young men for others in a competitive and rapidly changing world?
Dr. Mark Knize, director of student formation at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, has an answer rooted in the Ignatian vision of care for the whole person. He develops programming that challenges high-achieving students to discern how they are called to use their talents for the greater glory of God. And he’s inspired every day by how they respond to the call.
“It’s infectious, being a part of something greater than yourself, trying to build brotherhood and community, all under the umbrella of this greater call to serve God. It’s infectious watching the younger guys learn from the older guys and seeing our values modeled,” he said.
Knize has honed his approach over 21 years of working with young men at Jesuit Dallas both inside and outside the classroom. Three years after arriving at the school to teach English and coach basketball, he completed a master’s degree and moved into the guidance and counseling department. He began his time in school administration in the student affairs department in 2009. In 2018, he earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Saint Louis University and was named director of student formation.
Today, Knize oversees student life, guidance and counseling, student activities and student leadership. He supports the Catholic, Ignatian identity of Jesuit Dallas in all his student formation work.
“I’m grateful I work somewhere that is extremely mission-centered and demonstrates that in every facet of what we do,” he said. “I’m so grateful we have a school that focuses on that first and knows all the other skills are going to be sharpened.”
A Vision for Formation
Knize prioritizes leading by example, bringing together faculty to teach the character skills essential to the formation of young men for others.
“Our approach is one of teamwork. We’re all in it together. We’re all in formation; even the adults in front of you are in formation,” said Knize. “So we try to learn from students as well. We don’t say, ‘We have all the answers.’”
Each fall, Knize teaches a freshman health seminar over the first ten weeks of the academic year. He developed the required program to introduce freshmen to healthy and balanced student life at Jesuit Dallas in the context of Ignatian principles. It covers topics such as healthy decision-making, nutrition, drug and alcohol addiction, sleep, social media, screen time and mental health.
Knize appreciates that the small group sessions included in the course allow him to meet every freshman, forging a collaborative approach to student formation and discipline. “Instead of just talking ‘at’ them about these topics, I am talking ‘with’ them,” he said.
To keep young men engaged, he brings in contemporary examples as discussion points. “There are a lot of examples out there of people whose life is not in balance, and we can find examples of missteps or people who have not managed their time well,” he said. “But we also find people who are very successful, and we bring that to the students.”
The same Ignatian approach to student formation guides programming in other grades.
In conjunction with campus ministry, retreat programs, intensive service projects, the Examen, reflective journaling and group sharing are all modeled by faculty and peers. In grade-level advisories, teachers and counselors strive to do just as much listening as the students. They utilize student panels, inviting upperclassmen to freshman advisories to share about their own struggles and give tips. “A lot of it is that peer-to-peer where it’s not always the counselor or teacher,” he said.
“We have a tone of understanding and a tone of teamwork,” he said.
Knize points to students’ transformation over four years, from nervous freshmen to senior leaders who feel a brotherhood with all their classmates, as evidence of success.
The community’s example inspires him even on difficult days when he’s dealing with disciplinary issues or a student crisis. “When I see our kids in service efforts, that gives me a lot of hope,” Knize said.
“I’ve seen a lot of success. Do we make mistakes? Of course. Adolescence is messy,” he said. “What sets us apart is the idea that I’m forming my whole self not just for myself, but for a greater purpose.”
Formation Today
When asked about the youth mental health crisis that is often in the headlines, Knize is realistic but optimistic that parents’ and teachers’ awareness of what young people are facing today can go far in supporting them.
“I tend to think kids have always been anxious,” he said. “I think it’s more amplified now because we and they can see it in real-time.”
Pointing to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, Knize said it’s important for adults to keep up. “Working in the adolescent world, you have to sometimes travel the adolescent road, and see their on-ramps and exits,” he said.
He added that teaching young men that what they see on social media is others’ “highlight reel” is an important part of addressing the challenge of keeping students engaged in their own growth.
“We are working with kids who feel a lot of pressure on them out there from college admissions or sports, and they see that constantly from others. With social media, everybody wants to be the best at everything,” he said.
“Life doesn’t always give us the option to be the best at everything,” he said. “It may not be fun at the time, but there’s a lot of good growth in learning.”
Knize remains committed to producing graduates who not only excel academically or athletically but also put their faith into action as he enters his 22nd year of service at Jesuit Dallas.
“It’s the whole person. It’s not just one area that we’re called to grow in. The most important thing is how are you using your gifts to serve others? How are you using your talents to serve others?”
