K. Riley Dunn
Theology
Community Service Coordinator
EDUCATION
M.A. in Ministry & Theology, Creighton University
B.A. in Psychology, Saint Louis University
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because, by it, I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis concluded his essay “Is Theology Poetry?” (The Weight of Glory) with this image that had a profound impact on the way Mr. Riley Dunn approaches his faith, his life, and his calling to Education.
Mr. Dunn comes to Judge Memorial as a lifelong product of Catholic education, having grown up in Kansas City, Missouri, and having spent many years as a student and employee of Jesuit Catholic schools. He graduated from Rockhurst High School before going on to study Psychology, Theology, and Spanish at Saint Louis University. His first introduction to teaching came as a volunteer in the Jesuit Alumni Service Corps at St. Louis University High School, where he taught English and worked in the Campus Ministry and Service offices. He went on to Creighton University (Omaha, NE) to study Theology and to work in Campus Ministry, supporting students’ faith development through retreats and liturgies. During and after the Covid-19 pandemic, he returned to Kansas City and his alma mater, where he served as the Executive Assistant to the Principal, taught English, and supported the liturgical and sacramental life of the high school.
In the Fall of 2024, Mr. Dunn came to Salt Lake City with his partner — who was born and raised here and serves as a physician at the University of Utah — and began substituting at Judge Memorial during that term. In January of 2025, Mr. Dunn took over the high school and middle school (through Our Lady of Lourdes) classes of a Spanish teacher who enlisted in the Air National Guard, and he quickly learned what a welcoming, engaging, and tight-knit community Judge is. He is honored and excited to return to Judge, now in the Theology Department, and to begin his role as the Service Coordinator.
Outside Judge, Mr. Dunn takes every opportunity to appreciate the wonders of the greater Salt Lake and Wasatch regions with his partner. Like C.S. Lewis, Mr. Dunn knows that all of the good food, good people, good museums, good music, good views, and good skiing (even though he himself isn’t good at it) are all God’s gifts. He remains grateful for those experiences and looks forward to helping the students at Judge to see their own lives through a rich lens of gratitude.
