Mariella Cusano

Sarah Schimpp poses proudly in front of her “Bats of Arizona” poster. Schimpp did her master’s project on the differences between bat species in urban and rural areas.

Despite how it may feel, school is only one small portion of a person’s life. It may not seem this way to most, but school only takes up eight hours of a 24-hour day. 

For many Xavier Gators the rest of that time may be taken up by sports, clubs and other obligations. But what about Xavier’s faculty and staff? 

Well, as it turns out, the science department has many talents and hobbies that take place outside of the classroom. 

Nicole Mabante has a penchant for breeding and showing golden retrievers. Her two-year-old star-pup, Crush, made his way around the country to win the prestigious American Kennel Club National Championship. 

“…all these people travel all the time to all these dog shows in all these different states,” said Mabante. “It’s kind of a big deal.”

Part of the reason for Mabante’s success is that in breeding champion-line dogs, she aims to improve what she already has, keeping the best pick of the litter and selling the rest off to new homes. 

As to why she chose golden retrievers, Mabante claims the breed is her “heart dog,” having grown up breeding them with her mother. 

Mabante is not the only one competing in championships, however. Agatha Andersen is an avid rock climber, both recreationally and competitively. 

“A friend of mine, when we were both in high school, invited me to the rock gym. I was sixteen or seventeen when I first started rock climbing,” Andersen said. 

At a recent competition in Prescott, Arizona, Andersen’s team took first place, scoring the most points by performing the most difficult climbs. 

“There are many rock gyms in the valley,” she said, “Go to a rock gym!”

Sarah Schimpp, biology and AP Environmental Science teacher, also found herself with a unique extracurricular. 

While in pursuit of her master’s degree at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Schimpp conducted research into the difference between bats in rural and urban areas. This inspired her love for the mammal and she created a new method to study bats in urban areas.

“You drive around all night with a bat detector on the roof of your car, and then you can record species flying over the car,” Schimpp explained. “You can identify them based on the sizes and shapes and frequencies of their calls.” 

Schimpp believes that the process of collecting these findings helped her as a teacher to better understand the scientific process and develop her understanding of environmental science in the context of urban areas.

The one common denominator among the three testimonials remains: The best way to spend one’s time outside of the classroom is with something you love.