Sprinting at Full Speed with Students
I was asked to write an article about how Mr. David Harvey ’97 showcases the educational virtue of “walking with students.” There is just one problem: Mr. Harvey only knows one speed, and it most certainly is not walking.
Having taught breakdancing to at-risk youths as a side-hustle while at CU Boulder, Mr. Harvey knew the passion and joy that impacting young lives can elicit, so he decided to pivot from his burgeoning life as a successful sales executive to a path that many would deem less glorious (or, at least less glamorous) – education. After ten years working at lower income schools, Mr. Harvey eventually found his way back to his alma mater at 8900 Bellaire, teaching Math and coaching Track and Cross Country, and he brings a distinctive intensity to everything he does.
As a director for Junior Kairos, I always like to have Mr. Harvey give a talk on the first night of the four-day retreat. In the context of a larger culture that often pushes our young people toward the vices of passivity and lack of accountability, Mr. Harvey’s brash, in-your-face style can be a breath of fresh air that our boys desperately need. His powerful vulnerability, delivered in a manner that is commanding, confident, and at times maybe even a little irreverent, is uniquely disarming for the many reluctant teenagers who arrive skeptical of the retreat process. He recognizes that his way of loving these students is so raw and unfiltered that it might offend his retreat director, a theology teacher who typically opts for a more mild and measured tone.
But it is this brazen authenticity that makes Mr. Harvey such an attractive leader to our young men. He gets down and dirty with his students and athletes, meeting them where they are and working with them on their levels, ultimately helping them rise above their current limitations. “Dave holds a high standard for himself and seeks to help students see the value in holding a similar standard for themselves,” says fellow coach Reid Linden. Cross Country runner Zach Wrobel ’23 says that he “has a lot of respect for how close Coach Harvey is to his athletes — not only did he push us to be better runners, but he often actually ran with us to help us be faster.” In the classroom, Mr. Harvey’s department chair, Ms. Krista Rueby, recognizes that whereas some teachers embody the “sage on the stage,” Mr. Harvey is always among his students, sitting with and working alongside them, leading from the middle rather than the front.
Shortly after his election, Pope Francis called on priests to be “shepherds living with the smell of sheep.” While I cannot speak to Mr. Harvey’s odor after a long run, I think that his infectious talent for helping students to grow physically faster, mentally stronger, and spiritually deeper is exactly what Francis had in mind. God loves to have diverse workers in His vineyard, and I’m blessed to be working next to Mr. Harvey.
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