It’s never easy to transition to a new place. Imagine doing so in the midst of a global pandemic. Trinity English teacher Mr. Alex Dotsey took on that challenge, joining the Rocks faculty last year.

“The transition from Saint Patrick to Trinity was a little bit more special than I think it normally would be, considering I got hired and moved over to Trinity during the height of the pandemic,” Dotsey said. “It was hard to, in the beginning, feel super ingrained in the community.” 

A former teacher at Saint Patrick Catholic School, Dotsey hopes to bring a positive energy to the Trinity community on a daily basis.

Coincidentally, to begin his second year at Trinity, Dotsey was named the director of Patrick House and looks forward to leading Patrick through the House competitions. He also became the moderator of the Axiom, the school’s literary magazine.

As unorthodox as the past two school years have been, Dotsey found continual support from the school community.

He said, “It was nice that everyone here was still, even in the crazy times, so welcoming and so friendly towards me. I had so many people checking in to make sure I had everything I needed and that I felt prepared for the year and was ready to be involved in the community. So, the support was excellent during this time.”

In the classroom, Dotsey looks for ways to keep his students engaged and feel welcome. He works to connect with his students and support them academically and in their extracurricular activities.

Sophomore Marcellino Paige reflected on having Dotsey’s English class last year: “We did a lot of interactive work in the classroom, even though it was hard because a lot of the students were online at one point. He still made the most of it and worked very hard to get us all interacting, having fun, and doing what we should be doing instead of being isolated from each other. It’s very nice to know that if I have an issue, I can talk to Mr. Dotsey.”

Dotsey encourages students to contribute to and work with the Axiom, the school’s online magazine. The Axiom is a space where students can share their artwork, stories, music, and more. Dotsey holds Axiom meetings, during which he and students gather to evaluate submissions.

Of working on the Axiom, Paige said, “It is very exciting. I think it’s going to grow, and more people are going to find out about it through things like TTV. I know a lot of people can get shy about their art and (other work), but it’s really cool stuff.”

Braden Antle, a freshman who currently has Dotsey’s class, said, “Well, my old school had 30 people in my grade, so it was super small, which means I had a lot of personal relationships with all the teachers and people. Having (Mr. Dotsey) as a teacher really helped.”

That’s Dotsey’s goal — to connect with each of his students.

Dotsey said, “My classroom community is a sense of belonging and comradery and rapport with all of my students. I try to keep things positive and light, but I also try to instill a sense of responsibility and autonomy within my students as well.”

Gallery • 13 Photos

photo by Coilin Donaghy