The newest addition to the history team, Benilde-St. Margaret’s Luke Ponnet is making a splash. From influencing students to be better historians to brightening the halls with his warm smile, Luke Ponnet represents the Red Knights well.
Students and faculty alike agree that Ponnet was the fresh perspective that the history teachers needed. His high energy is contagious, and he can make anyone smile from a mile away. “He’s an inspiration, a breath of fresh air,” Cohnen said, a fellow historian and teacher at Benilde-St. Margaret’s.
After spending seven years teaching in Nevada, Ponnet moved to Minnesota to support his spouse. Moving across the country from Nevada to Minnesota is not an easy task, and neither is being a high school teacher, but Ponnet seems to have found his place at BSM. Teaching teenagers is difficult, but Ponnet takes pride in his ability to captivate his students through interesting slide shows and attention-grabbing lectures. “…I think I’ve learned so many skills teaching teenagers,” Ponnet said.
His love for history laid the foundations for his teaching career. His parents were teachers, and he still strives to be a professor of history at a collegiate level. He grew up with a strong appreciation for teaching and said that he appreciates his parents’ work even more now that he himself has become a teacher.
Adjusting to the geography of the BSM campus is a struggle for everyone; the twists and turns of the basement result in a difficult navigation from point A to point B. Ponnet, however, has quickly acclimatized and found his place comfortably at the end of the language hallway. His room is warm and welcoming, covered in history posters and textbooks galore, making a great learning environment for everyone. “Mr. Ponnet is really nice and always helps us when we need it. He is kind and understanding, and he relates to students through their hobbies and sports. It’s fun to have conversations with him about things like that,” sophomore Avery Kosel said.
Outside of the classroom, Ponnet said he enjoys “running, being outside, biking…[N]ow, canoeing and doing lake stuff.” But during school, he teaches a full schedule of classes, including one study hall. Despite his workload, his full schedule does not tamper with his passion for history. “I spend time either grading or printing out stuff for class, or preparing for next week’s class,” Ponnet said when discussing his day-to-day.