The Making of Mr. Mac

They call him “Mr. Mac”...

Jim Maechling could have done just about anything with his life. While still a child, he built his own successful newsstand business. He was a skilled football player, adroit at both offense and defense—and willing to sacrifice his front teeth if that’s what it took to win. He nailed the highly competitive entrance exam at Loyola High School, and was senior class president there and at Loyola University. He sailed through a typhoon while working as a deck hand on a Norwegian freighter. He directed plays. So when it came time to settle on a career, he could have chosen business...or law...he could have entered the priesthood...but a chance encounter with Mother Teresa led him to see things in a new light.

Jim Maechling chose to become a teacher.

...and this is the story of how he changed the lives of thousands.

Jim spent a year working with children in India, teaching history at a Jesuit school in Jamshedpur, a city in northeast India. Upon returning to the US, Jim taught history and comparative religion in the public schools of Palos Verdes, California. There, he pioneered an introduction to Eastern religious concepts and practices, such as mindfulness and meditation, to American high school students.

But Jim’s students learned much more than just subject matter. The best teachers teach by showing, not telling. Jim taught by modeling respect for others, honest self-reflection, and the value of hard work. He created a safe space to talk about the big questions—Why are we here? Does life have meaning?—with openness and empathy. He met his students with generosity, humility, and humor. Teaching was his job, but it became his passion and his calling.