Catholic school teacher uses athletic ability to bridge cultures

Published: 2006-01-03

MORRIS PLAINS, N.J. (CNS) -- In many ways, Diesa Seidel, physical education teacher at St. Virgil School in Morris Plains and a former basketball star, is a real "globe-trotter." And she has years of frequent-flier miles to prove it. The 25-year-old Seidel, a St. Virgil's teacher since September 2004, has coached in an interreligious basketball league in South Korea, played professional women's basketball in France and Italy, built Habitat for Humanity homes in Guyana and helped spruce up a poor neighborhood in Trinidad and Tobago. In high school and college, the 6-foot-3 Seidel lit up the scoreboards with her considerable basketball talents. Today, she loves lighting up the faces of the St. Virgil's students she teaches, encouraging them to eat right and exercise regularly. On her international service trips, she loved trading smiles -- and making friends -- with the many warm and colorful people of various cultures and religions she met. Siedel's interest in international outreach comes naturally. Born in Toronto with French and Canadian citizenship, she was raised in Red Hook, N.Y.

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