Future and current heads of school Scott Schroeder and Betty White. (Photo courtesy of Sacred Hearts Academy)
Sacred Hearts Academy announced the appointment of the first male to head the 110-year-old all-girl school at a morning assembly Feb. 28.
Scott Schroeder, a dean and professor at Chaminade University of Honolulu, was introduced to the student body and faculty by Sister Regina Mary Jenkins, president of the Sacred Hearts Academy Corporation, and superior delegate of the Sacred Hearts Congregation, which administers the pre-K through grade 12 school.
Sister Regina Mary said the choice was based on the candidate’s “proven track record and vast experience in education.”
“His Christian-based values also reflect his life-long affiliation in Catholic education as a student and faculty member, making him the best candidate to lead our academy in the 21st century,” she said.
Schroeder starts on July 1, taking over from Betty White, head of school for the past 28 years.
He is currently the dean of the School of Business and Communication and professor of management at Chaminade.
Schroeder graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from Santa Clara University, obtained an MBA from Arizona State University, and a doctorate from UCLA, specializing in management and psychology. He also completed post-doctoral work at Harvard University as a fellow at the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education.
Schroeder has also held faculty and administrative positions at Antioch University, Bainbridge Graduate Institute and Claremont Graduate University.
He joined Sacred Hearts Academy’s board of directors in 2013 and was named chairman in 2017. He resigned from the board in October to apply for the head of school position. He was chosen through a nationwide search by a recruiting firm.
White was a teacher at Sacred Hearts Academy for 20 years before she became head of school. She announced her pending retirement in January 2018.
The chairwoman of the school’s board of directors, Gwen Yamamoto Lau, praised White’s many contributions to the academy, which today has more than 800 students.
“Betty’s incredible leadership and management skills have played an integral role in evolving our academy into the outstanding educational institution it is today,” Yamamoto Lau said of White, the first laywoman to head the school. “She has served as a mentor and positive role model to thousands of Hawaii’s young women, inspiring them to become leaders with character in our communities.”
“We have many multi-generational alumnae who have sent their daughters and grand-daughters to Sacred Hearts Academy because of the environment Betty has fostered,” she said.
White said she is leaving the school in good hands.
“I’ve worked closely with Dr. Schroeder over the years in his role as a Sacred Hearts board member, and I am confident he has the skill sets and shared common values needed to continue Sacred Hearts Academy’s mission and legacy,” she said.
“The Academy has been an important part of my life for many years,” White said. “Leaving this beautiful school, our students and their families, and our amazing faculty was a difficult decision.
Schroeder said he was “tremendously honored to be appointed.”
He said he is “eager to work with academy faculty, staff, parents and alumnae to ensure the school provides its students the best that a Sacred Hearts, Catholic education offers: spiritual enrichment, adventurous learning and a joyful atmosphere.”
