INTERCONNECTED
In 1999, Nicole Kraake was teaching Summer School at Peninsula High School. As a new teacher in her 20s. she says “I was trying to balance how to teach, connect with and excite 18-year olds about government. Stressed, overwhelmed, and wholly unsure of myself I found my eyes wandering to the classroom next door: Mr. Mac’s. Inside there was always a steady stream of laughter, music, chatter and guests.
Guests like Tibetan Monks, Orthodox Rabbis, Hare Krishnas, Hindu couples in dhotis and saris, Muslim women in hijabs, Catholic priests and more. Several weeks later, I walked up to introduce myself. As I interrupted Mr. Mac talking about an upcoming speaker who was a
Holocaust Survivor, I immediately recognized the gift Mr. Mac had. He did then and he still does today: radiates acceptance and sincerely engages with those he comes into contact with.
He is the teacher we all wished we had, and all wish for our kids to have. After introducing myself we sat for a bit and as he shared different stories with me, I was spellbound. I listened and soon understood what I had been observing and what he teaches: we are all interconnected.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Jim (Mr. Mac) Maechling was raised Catholic by loving parents. One of his uncles was a Monsignor and two aunts were Benedictine nuns. He had deep respect for religion and not just Catholicism but a respectful curiosity and questioning of all religions. As it often is, great teachers are inspired by other great teachers. At Loyal High School, Jim’s Western Civilization class was taught by such a teacher, Father Conneally. Father Conneally had a gift of connecting with his students through storytelling, humor, compassion and honesty. Jim talks about how he effortlessly wove a blanket of interconnectivity between all of us and all societies. This was the turning point in young Jim’s life that would solidify his future in education, though he didn’t know it yet.

IT’S A SMALL WORLD
Mr. Mac’s life story is filled with examples of chance encounters. Happy happenstances he calls “divine interventions” that have taught him the power and purpose of interconnectivity. In 1964, JIm graduated from Loyola University with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in History and minors in English and Philosophy. Not yet sure what he wanted to do with his life, Jim had a short-term dream of traveling to India. He spontaneously took a job on a Norwegian freighter headed to Japan. The first night on the boat staring at the sea below and starry sky above, Jim has his first truly powerful moment connecting himself with the infinite

universe and the realization that “God was truly with me” he says. Shortly after, Jim had his first teaching moment with two co-workers on the ship. During the three weeks at sea, Jim shared stories about things he had learned about life in Western Civilizations and Cultures class at Loyola. Jim recognized an immediate connection to enlightening and empowering others just as Father Conneally had in him.

MEETING MOTHER TERESA
Once he reached the shores of India, Mr. Mac spent a year working with children teaching history at a Jesuit high school in Jamshedpur, a city in northeast India. In 1964 in Calcutta he meets a young Mother Teresa by accident while touring an old temple which had been turned into a hospice home for the dying. This divine intervention and experience is what would eventually lead Jim to study and teach Comparative Religion.

BACK IN THE USA
The force of synchronicity directs his path back to the US and in 1967, he begins what would be the start of his almost 50-year career teaching in PVPUSD. He started off at Rolling Hills High School then Miraleste High School until all high schools consolidate into one, Peninsula High School. First teaching Comparative Religions, then Eastern Religion, he introduced ancient eastern concepts and practices, such as mindfulness and meditation, to his high school students.

At Peninsula High School he became a staple and had the opportunity to share his passions, his travels, his love for history, global theology and life experiences with thousands of young impressionable minds. He inspired his students to become leaders, to be thinkers, open minded and accepting. And they did. His students became teachers and one became his boss reaching her goal of principal. One of his students married his daughter, only to become his son-in-law. His daughter is Jennifer Stoddart. It’s all connected. Mitzi Cress was a student in his Western Civilization class in 1972 at Miraleste High School. As fate would have it, he inspired her to be an educator and then later she became his principal at PVPHS.

In 2002 Mr. Jim Macheling was honored as the Rotary Club’s Educator of the Year. His award coincided with the class of 1972’s 30th year reunion. The alumni made it their mission for Mr. Mac to be honored, an honor they felt was long overdue. A teacher beloved by students, co-workers, school officials, friends, and family, Mr. Mac is a beaming beacon of light, acceptance, humor, self-awareness and kindness. He radiates happiness, positivity and engaged with his students on an awe-inspiring level. Working with impressionable young minds was never a job it was his purpose. After all, we are all connected.

“When I had a bad day I would sit in the back of his class and be reminded of why I was in education. Just sitting in his class re-set me. I am forever grateful for Mr. Mac’s role in my life and can testify to generations of students who would say the same.”
-Mitzi Cress

“One of the things I remember most about Mr. Mac, he was always genuinely excited to see each of us! He was so incred-ibly passionate about his job and what he was going to do that day. His enthusiasm just completely rubbed off on us. He embraced all different kinds of students and makes everyone feel seen, welcome and appreciated for who they are. I really try to emulate that in my classroom, especially the feeling of community and safety in the classroom that he built.”
-Kate Reader, Teacher at Miraleste

“The most amazing thing about Mr. Mac as a teacher is he made everyone feel valued and comfortable and in a class that could be controversial at times and people to feel passionate about their own religions, sharing ideas and views….he made everyone feel comfortable and safe…so everyone felt like they could share and they would not be judged.”
-Mindy Webster, Teacher at Miraleste

Today Mr. Mac and his wife, Jeanne are still very connected to the Palos Verdes academic community through their daughter Jennifer and her husband Bryce who are both teachers at PV High and Montemalaga respectively. Jim recently published his book which can be ordered on Amazon. Thank you, Mr. Mac for sharing your story. The Making of Mr. Mac is available on Amazon.