Pacifica Stories

Mr. Benedetto grew up in Chicago and attended Taylor University in Indiana. He came to Pacifica immediately after graduating from college, so Pacifica is where he has built his career in education. In addition to Pacifica, Mr. B has worked at Christian summer camps and as a counselor and teacher at the American School in Switzerland.

In college, Mr. B was part of a tight-knit community where he met incredible people who helped him grow in his faith. He studied secondary mathematics education and did a semester abroad in Ireland, one of his favorite life experiences. Ireland sparked a passion for international travel.

In addition to teaching math at Pacifica, Mr. B has coached golf, winning several league championships and guiding many college-level golfers. He has also run our international travel program, guiding students through Italy, Costa Rica, Spain, France, and more.

It is not surprising that Mr. B is multi-talented. Outside of the field of math, he is an artist and specializes in oil painting. After teaching math all day, he decided to stretch his brain through learning to paint. Painting helps develop his creativity. Other interests include all things sports, a passion for cars and motorcycles, and personal finance. Mr. B is indeed well rounded.

Mr. B has always appreciated the relationships between teachers, administration, and students. It is fun for him to get to know students deeper than just what happens in the classroom and to see all of the other teachers do the same. In most schools, the teachers’ lounge is full of complaints about their students and admin. However, at Pacifica, the staff love the community and find joy in speaking highly of students and colleagues.

Mr. B and his wife, Emily, have been married since 2014. They have one son, Luca, who is an absolute joy and miracle. He was born with a rare congenital heart defect, but he had amazing care as a newborn at UCLA and is now doing so well and very healthy. Mr. B and Emily enjoy walking the streets of Santa Monica and going to the beach and local car shows.