Born and raised in Hamilton, Mr. Hicks started teaching English and Canadian government at Cathedral Secondary in 2004. He then became extremely politically motivated.

“I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to change the world,” he said.

In pursuit of these aspirations, Mr. Hicks acted as the political action officer for Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association to get practical exposure to the world and helped Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin get elected, later serving as his political assistant at Queen’s Park.

“The school board was extremely accommodating,” Mr. Hicks said about his temporary departure from the classroom. “From their point of view, it gives a teacher who teaches government real world knowledge and experience, which translates into classroom knowledge. It benefits the students. I’m a much better teacher having experienced that.”

Mr. Hicks also had the opportunity to get involved in the acting business while working at a Toronto club called The Government. After being noticed by a director on set, he was invited to take part in a Budweiser commercial being filmed in the club. Mr. Hicks auditioned and successfully landed the part. From there, he went on to do a Volkswagon commercial and played a groom in a giant Greek wedding for the film “Wild Iris.”

Speaking about how his acting experience has come into play in the classroom, Mr. Hicks remarked, “English and drama are so close. The Ontario English curriculum has an amazing component of dramatic arts. As an English teacher, the acting really helped. I would bring different methods that I’ve learned as an actor into my classes.”

By promoting the integration of real world knowledge in the classroom environment, Mr. Hicks said he aims to support diversity and adaptability. “There’s only so much you can learn from a textbook. We’re in a time now where we have so many learning styles and no student learns the same as another student, so you have to try to find a way to reach all the students,” he said. “You do that through different techniques and plans, but at the end of the day you have to engage the student. They have to feel a part of the class. They have to feel empowered to learn.” Most importantly, Mr. Hicks, who continues to teach at St. Thomas More Secondary while also pursuing his interests as an actor, model and scriptwriter, said he believes in the potential of his students. He encourages them to gain real world experience and become involved with current issues, demonstrating his strong belief that learning extends beyond the four walls of the classroom or the scripted pages of textbooks.

“I think that bringing this type of real world knowledge and experience into the classroom motivates the students to possibly pursue a career path they may have not known existed,” he said. “It opens up a world of opportunity to them.”