While Campus Ministry Director Josh Kohane has an office in the West Catholic building, you’re more likely to find him out in the halls and common areas, coffee in hand, engaged with the high schoolers and enthusiastically directing events for the students. Behind just about every faith-related activity at the school happening outside the classroom, Mr. Kohane plays a crucial role. From observations of special feast days and on-campus liturgies to retreat planning and Catholic whole-school engagement, there’s never a shortage of things to coordinate. Yet, beyond the logistical work of his position, Mr. Kohane most relishes building meaningful relationships with students, witnessing their formation and maturation, and being a sounding board who can offer a Catholic perspective on issues faced by teenagers today. “Something else I love about my job is having an office just 10 feet away from an adoration chapel,” he added. “It’s the thing I brag about the most!”
Though only recently joining the staff in 2022, Mr. Kohane’s West Catholic roots are deep. As the middle child of seven kids—all Falcons—and having grown up in a home just a minute and a half from campus, he’s been part of the West Catholic community for many years. A 2018 alumnus himself, Mr. Kohane sees how his path to his current role began even in high school. Apart from athletics, most of his extracurricular involvement was faith-related. He recalled, “When I was in high school, I always thought it would be cool to be a Campus Minister!” His time studying at the Franciscan University of Steubenville equipped him for just that. While he loved his philosophy and theology courses, he also enjoyed the firsthand ministry experience he acquired. “For the four years, I was at Franciscan, I did what’s called SENT ministries—Student Evangelization Network Team. A large part of that was to coordinate and lead retreats. It was a great experience.”
As Mr. Kohane reflected on his time as a student at West, he was struck by a number of teachers and experiences that helped shape him. One standout memory involved his social studies teacher: “I remember Mr. Beaudoin, who was just fantastic,” Kohane said. “I looked up to him, and I just remember him giving me a really stern talking to because I, admittedly, turned in a very bad essay, and he said, ‘I know you threw this together quickly. What are you doing?’ He called me out, which was exactly the talk I needed as a 16-year-old boy. It had a very positive effect on me, and I still think of it today.”
Outside of work, Mr. Kohane and his wife, whom he married in April, enjoy traveling together and spending time hiking and being outdoors as much as possible. Coming from a musical family, he’s also fond of playing piano in his downtime. Though he doesn’t consider himself an avid reader, Mr. Kohane said he enjoys getting lost in a good book, particularly the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
We are grateful for Mr. Kohane’s passion for his work and the invaluable role he plays in the life of the school and students!
