What is education actually for?
Is it mainly about helping students get into college and launch a career, or is it about forming the kind of person who can flourish in faith, wisdom, and vocation?
In this episode of BaseCamp Live, Davies Owens is joined by Ali Ghaffari, Executive Director of the St. John Henry Newman Institute and founder of Divine Mercy Academy, for a rich conversation about leadership, renewal, and the true purpose of education.
Ali shares his remarkable journey from a difficult childhood to flying F-18s in the Navy, teaching leadership at the Naval Academy, embracing the Catholic faith, and helping lead renewal in Catholic education. Along the way, he reflects on how mentors, failure, and God’s providence shaped his life and calling.
Together, Davies and Ali explore the growing renewal movement in Catholic schools, the leadership challenges many schools face, and why education must aim higher than test scores and college admissions. They discuss the need for schools to form students in wisdom, virtue, and vocation, while also encouraging parents to raise their expectations and stay actively engaged in their children’s education.
🎧 Tune in to hear:
- Ali’s powerful personal story
- Why leadership in schools is so difficult and so important
- What is fueling renewal in Catholic and classical education
- Why education must be about formation, not just information
- How parents can partner more intentionally in their children’s schooling
This is an encouraging episode for school leaders, parents, and anyone asking the deeper question of what education is really for.
Special Thanks to our partners who make BaseCamp Live possible:
Wisdom and Eloquence
The Herzog Foundation
The Champion Group
Life Architects
Wisephone by Techless
ZipCast
Wilson Hill Academy
Ali joined SJHNI in 2022 and, after three years, was named executive director.
A convert to the faith, Ali and his wife, Mary, founded Divine Mercy Academy, a K–8 Catholic school in Pasadena, Maryland. They were inspired by the beauty, truth, and goodness of the Church’s educational tradition and wanted that for their children.
Ali is a career Naval officer, having flown a variety of aircraft—most notably the F/A-18 from aircraft carriers. At the U.S. Naval Academy, he taught leadership and ethics to midshipmen, faculty, staff, and coaches.
He holds master’s degrees in philosophy and theology from Holy Apostles College & Seminary.
Connect with Ali: