Mr. Hojnicki’s Chemistry With Chemistry

Mr. Hojnicki explains how solubility rules affect chemical equations. Photograph by Maren Gemerchak.

By Maren Gemerchak
March 3, 2025

Toledo, OH.- Qualifying for Olympic Trials, cooking with world-renowned figures and owning entire businesses are not things every teacher has crossed off their bucket list. 

Yet, SUA has a teacher who has done it all.

James Hojnicki, one of Saint Ursula Academy’s chemistry teachers, has lived a life full of unexpected turns. Yet, the one constant that has always stuck with him is a love of chemistry.

“Right from high school, I knew I wanted to study chemistry,” he said.

His desire to learn knew no bounds. Not even country borders could have stopped him, with the original intent to study in Canada. However, that plan was derailed when he received a job offer as a chemist in the States. 

Mr. Hojnicki explains how compounds are influenced by solubility rules. Photograph by Maren Gemerchak.

The problem was that this would not be the only profession to call his name. 

Throughout his education, he served as a part-time personal chef for a famous wine collector.

“Retrospectively, I may have become a chef,” Mr. Hojnicki said. “I got to work with a lot of interesting individuals. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it as much, but it would’ve been a good fit for me.”

He also spent time in sports, qualifying for the Olympic Trials in curling. As captivating as these events were, he still could not ignore the opportunity to pursue chemistry. 

Mr. Hojnicki demonstrates an experiment between soluble and insoluble substances. Photograph by Maren Gemerchak.

Nonetheless, the decision to stick with science would turn out for the better; even today, his former job as a chemist remains one of his favorite experiences. 

“Any job has its moments of stress – you run into situations where you’re supposed to solve some problem, the deadline is coming, you don’t have the solution yet, and it causes you to work harder and stay up nights, but I loved it,” Mr. Hojnicki said.

“It was easy to go in at eight o’clock in the morning, it was easy to stay until late at night,” he said. “I was working with things that were beyond my expectations.”

However, he reached a dilemma when his employers put the laboratory through a corporate buyout. 

Mr. Hojnicki explains his experiment. Photograph by Maren Gemerchak.

“We offered to buy the laboratory for the sake of self-preservation,” Mr. Hojnicki said.  “So, part of my laboratory experience was in my own company, where I was a principal in the company with a few partners.”

As a business owner, he worked with his partners to continue their earlier pursuits, and while the work was certainly a good fit, it would not be his only chemistry job. 

When he took the initial shift into teaching, it was originally with college students.

“I didn’t get my degree intending to go into teaching,” he said. “I never would’ve expected it was something I would do, but it seemed like it might be a pretty good fit.”

Although, this was not as enjoyable as he thought it would be.

“Teaching in college was very frustrating,” Mr. Hojnicki said. “Students hated chemistry, hated the thought of taking it, and hated me as a consequence.”

Mr. Hojnicki occupies Room 124, or the Chem Lab. Photograph by Maren Gemerchak.

When deciding to teach high school, it became an opportunity to intercept students before they grew a dislike for the subject.

“Teaching in high school is different, because you can get to students before they get to that stage,” Mr. Hojnicki said. “You can give them a better experience and attitude towards the subject.”

Mr. Hojnicki continues to share his love of chemistry with his students, teaching them to look at it with appreciation rather than detestment.