Introducing Our Headmaster - Mr. Nathaniel Beckman
The Founding Board of the Chesterton Academy of St. Joseph is pleased to announce the hiring of our headmaster, Mr. Nathaniel Beckman.
Headmaster Nathaniel Beckman and family
Nathaniel Beckman holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College, an M.S. in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Old Dominion University and is finishing an M.A. in the History of Philosophy from Holy Apostles College and Seminary. The education at Thomas Aquinas College involves delving into the great books through the Socratic method, being involved in the life of the school as well as encouraging a life of prayer and daily mass going – which are all things that the Chesterton Academy agrees with! Growing up in a large, Catholic family, he always believed that Faith and Reason are compatible. The study of the great books and the history of science convinced him on a new level. This is one reason why he is excited to be a part of this new school which aims to educate students in this great tradition. As John Paul II summarizes in Fides et Ratio, “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.”
He and his wife were engaged while volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata and were married in 2012 at Old St. Mary’s in Cincinnati. They are active foster parents with Montgomery County. So far, they have welcomed half a dozen children into their home. Last summer, they adopted and baptized their oldest on the very same day. The training he has received through foster parenting, including “trauma-informed care,” translates into his work in education.
Over the last 10 years, Mr. Beckman has worked in education at the secondary and post-secondary levels. In 2014, he and his wife were missionaries in Belize with the SOLT order. While there Mr. Beckman taught philosophy, music, and math at John Paul II Junior College, took students camping, spoke at retreats and engaged with the community. In 2015, they moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he has worked as a teacher and department chair at a local independent school. He has also worked these seven years as a mathematics lecturer at Sinclair Community College.
He and his family enjoy hiking, exploring nature, playing music, doing home-improvement projects, reading, discovering new things, and spending time together. As a California transplant, he takes advantage of any chance to learn about Dayton’s history and the Midwest culture. On chilly Saturday mornings like the one when this is being written, the toddlers enjoy emptying the contents of the refrigerator and re-enacting the Mass while the Alleluia is sung through the house.