The Eclectic Mr. Cain

In the upstairs E hallway, just south of the library, lies a seemingly dormant room, which is easily missable and nearly out of sight. The room looks bleak, with little space for sunlight. But for 23 years, Mr. Cain has been enlightening, entertaining, and guiding young minds in the form of history there. 

Upon entering his classroom, you are greeted by endless amounts of historical and witty footnotes, decorative and archival memorabilia, and Mr. Cain at the helm, accompanied by his nesting dolls. And the knick-knacks play their part in telling the history of Mr. Cain – the experiences he’s had have made him the teacher he is today. So whether lecturing about the Roaring ‘20s, recalling his days as a college soccer player, or describing the history of the British Parliament, he always provides amusing anecdotes, often turning what would be monotonous lectures into memories.

Long before marching in through the front doors of Blake, Mr. Cain was trying to secure a soccer career. He thought he was gonna “be a soccer star and go play in Europe.” Unfortunately, an injury during his senior year in high school would be the first of many setbacks, and he had to spend a year rehabilitating. He was cut during his freshman and senior years in college and was unable to travel with the program due to a school rule. “It was devastating because I didn’t get to travel … because of the fact that you had to do your last 30 credits at the school,” Mr. Cain says. 

Although he still looks back on the good friends and good times he made playing soccer fondly, he maintains that it was the best thing for him. “It made me focus on more important things like my education.”

Initially, Mr. Cain thought studying history was a “good precursor to a job in something like law or government.” As he continued to study, he found teaching was more the route he wanted to take. “My mom was a teacher, and I had friends who became student teachers, and I was intrigued to give it a try,” he explained.

From then on, Mr. Cain was on his way to becoming a compelling teacher, although it took some time to get there. He recalls having had an assistant principal tell him “that he didn’t think that teachers could be made; they kind of had to be born.” Mr. Cain later assessed that he knew he wasn’t doing great as a teacher, but he really enjoyed doing it and felt he could improve. 

An impactful moment for Mr. Cain came in the form of a trip to Hong Kong in 1999 when Yale University received the money for a program for 24 teachers to go and learn about China. He was one of those teachers. He remembers the man who donated the money and his motive behind it. He was a Chinese-born American who received a lot of discrimination for being from China. 

Recalling the motive of the man, Mr. Cain said, “They would say racist things or made racist gestures. … So he said, you know, If I ever make a lot of money, one of the things I will dedicate it to is getting teachers to go to China.’” This experience allowed Mr. Cain to break down a wall while teaching history to his students. “People like to make all kinds of crazy stories about food and that kind of stuff,” he stated, but he can come from a more authentic place and stomp certain preconceived notions.

When asked what keeps teaching attached to his life and constantly fulfilling, he states, “I really enjoy the people that I work with, and I do enjoy teaching families. I also like it when students get back in touch.” Looking back on two students who have since gone on to teach in China and Vietnam, he says, “I’ve had these students that have cool experiences and come back and talk to me… so I really enjoyed that.”

Rivaldo Mancia, a senior who took AP World History, has nothing but kind words to say about the veteran history teacher, stating that he “makes learning about world history engaging” and admires “how passionate he is about what he teaches.”

Teaching aside, Mr. Cain took up scuba diving about five years ago after becoming fatigued with summer school. A former teacher invited him on board, which became an annual thing.  “We find little holes in the swimming pool … that we seal with underwater glue and vinyl … so that became my summer gig,” Mr. Cain described.

Mr. Cain hopes he is a “stepping stone in [students] succeeding academically and in their next pursuits.”

23 years in, and Mr. Cain continues to impact Blake students, with his own sharp but engaging teaching style. The Blake history department and community wouldn’t be the same without their savvy history buff and story-telling ace.