Every student at BSM knows the infamous hall monitor, Mike Hickey. Many of us have been yelled at, chastised, or otherwise disciplined by this enigma of a man. But who really is he?

Those on the lacrosse team, the pride and joy of Hickey, acknowledge him as the steadfast, keep-pushing-forward, do-not-under-any-circumstances-give-up, strength and conditioning coach. Those around school know him as the intimidating hall monitor who they don’t really want to mess with.

According to his faculty peers,  the same people who taught him while he was a student at BSM, Hickey may be completely different than any of us students suspect. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Hickey moved eight times on account of his father’s work before settling in Minnesota. During his sophomore year of high school, Hickey began attending Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

In the fall of 2001, Hickey witnessed the 9/11 attacks and the tragic events that resulted as the aftermath. Today, he attributes the terrorist attacks as a “driving force” for his career in the army.

During his time at BSM, Hickey took all of the classes that we take today. Instead of wellness, students participated in gym, which Hickey affectionately called “AP Gym,” as a result of its tendency to get incredibly intense. While that class was his obvious favorite, Hickey enjoyed the newly-introduced business classes––his class being the initial investor in Investing Class.

Who was Hickey when he was a student? His teachers from that time all agree that he was great student with great personality. “[Mike was] the right blend of mischievous and serious,” Senior High Assistant Principal Ms. Mary Andersen said.

In addition to his classes, Hickey participated in extracurriculars during his time at BSM. Throughout high school, Hickey played both football and lacrosse, where he thrived in a team that became the first at BSM to have more wins than losses in a season and went to playoffs for lacrosse.

After graduating in 2004, Hickey took the feeling triggered all those years ago by 9/11 to serve his country. Hickey began his training at Fort Benning, Georgia and then was given Advanced Individual Training at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Deployed to Afghanistan to fulfill his service obligations, Hickey was a part of the 319th Tactical PsyOp Company, in the rank of a Specialist. His time in the military tested Hickey both mentally and physically. “[The military] helped me become who I am,” Hickey said.

The military, however, was not the career path Hickey wanted to take. In 2011, he came home from overseas, and after only four days, he was contacted by a friend who told him about a coaching opportunity at BSM. Starting as a coach for the junior varsity boys’ lacrosse team, Hickey eventually became part of the varsity coaching staff, where he continues to coach today. “The best things in life are worth fighting for,” Hickey said.