Andrew Bauer, 2022 Archdiocese of Omaha Maginn Family Foundation Educator of the Year
Andrew Bauer, Principal – Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School, Omaha
To his students, he is fun but has high expectations.
To staff, he’s supportive and resourceful.
But he will humbly say he’s a work in progress.
“Andrew Bauer is like no other,” says Tina Riggs, Sts. Peter and Paul middle school English and language arts teacher with 18 years of experience under her belt. “I can’t imagine working for anyone else.”
“The guy is amazing at what he does,” adds Ali Dibelka, Media Center teacher and 19-year Sts. Peter and Paul veteran. “Amazing things are happening here at SPP, and that is due to the fact that Andrew Bauer popped into our lives.” In the short five years that Andrew has been at Sts. Peter and Paul, he “has moved mountains in South Omaha and has improved this community immensely.”
Availability and calm listening followed by definitive action are the hallmarks of Andrew’s leadership style. No matter how busy he is, his staff, parents, and students know he will make himself available to listen to their concerns and address them – often in their native tongue, Spanish.
Andrew isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and do the hard work. During remote learning, he delivered to his students’ homes iPads, Hot Spots, work assignments, and anything needed to continue learning and growth.
And his compassion is boundless. When families are struggling, he asks the community to pray for them and even galvanizes the Sts. Peter and Paul family to meet their physical needs through fund raisers and donation requests.
“Our family went through a traumatic event, and Mr. Bauer was available for us no matter how busy he was. He would greet my child at the door and take him to his classroom. He would check on my children during the day to see if they were okay and notify me that everything was fine. When my little one was having a hard time, he would take him to the office to play a game or call me so my son could hear my voice. On the days my son was having a really hard time, Mr. Bauer would give him a saint pendant. That made him feel very special. For my family and me, Mr. Bauer has been a true angel, a real blessing to have at our school,” says school parent Anna Vega.
Chris Nelson, director of education at the Consortium, calls Andrew “an agent of change” who “has a heart for students who need a little extra attention” and is “committed to excellence and strategic thinking, guiding the educators in his building to share in this growth mindset.” His faculty have noted that he has brought a renewed enthusiasm and rejuvenation to the community.
Andrew is a St. Louis native and DeSmet Jesuit High School graduate. He attended Creighton University, graduating with a BA in Spanish and history before enrolling in Creighton’s MAGIS Catholic Teacher Corps. He taught all levels of Spanish at Marian High School and served as World Language Department Chair before accepting the principal position at Sts. Peter and Paul in 2017. While teaching, Andrew returned to Creighton to complete two graduate programs: a Master of Education in secondary teaching and a Master of Science in educational leaderships. He also helped the Omaha Catholic School Consortium launch the Dual Language Academy, serving as co-principal for the 2018-2019 school year.
Andrew is married to fellow educator, Ashley, who teaches art at Marian High School. The couple have a son, Thompson. When he is not working hard at Sts. Peter and Paul, Andrew enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with his family.
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Andrew is part of a larger group of eight educators the Archdiocese of Omaha honors each year. The annual event helps us recognize and reward the impact of our local educators, celebrate Catholic education and raise important scholarship dollars for tuition assistance that helps make tuition accessible and affordable for many more families across our community.
Please join us in person for this year’s Archbishop’s Dinner for Education on September 22.