Llewellyn Young, interim leader of the Hawaii Catholic Schools office, discusses the challenges of Catholic education during a pandemic and why he is up to the job
Acting Hawaii Catholic Schools superintendent Llewellyn Young has been the assistant superintendent for a year. He is filling the head office role between the retirement of Michael Rockers and the hiring of a new permanent superintendent, which is expected to happen by the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Young is the former principal of St. Joseph School in Hilo.
What made you apply for the associate superintendent position last year when it opened up?
I was encouraged to apply for the associate’s superintendent’s position by several individuals. They were all aware of my background in administration from previous positions and some of the successes we experienced at St. Joseph School with increased enrollment, strong Catholic identity, rigorous curriculum, expansion of special programs such as the international program and PWH Scholars (a Catholic school scholarship program), and obtaining a full, seven-year, triple-crown accreditation.
I was already a very active member and assistant chair of the diocesan Board of Education, and I had a good understanding of some of the unique challenges facing our schools. In the end, however, I felt God’s calling to rise to the challenge to help all Catholic schools in the state to the best of my ability. I believed in and promoted the mission of the Hawaii Catholic Schools office, and I wanted to help even more!
How has your background prepared you for this job?
I have an extensive background in leadership, management and administration in educational institutions. My education doctoral degree has an emphasis in educational administration and educational psychology. I worked as a co-director for the grant-funded Hawaii Leadership Academy in the early 2000s, and also participated as a trainer in the Principals’ Training Academy through the College of Education around the same time.
I’ve given workshops and seminars on multicultural leadership and diversity in education. I’ve also taught courses as an associate professor in the area of public administration with Northern Arizona University. I served as an assistant dean of the Northern Arizona University Yuma Campus for a few years followed by my tenure as a dean for a junior college with 9,000 students, which is a little more than the total number of Catholic school students in Hawaii.
My background and experience as an educational administrator span well over 20 years. With this experience and knowledge, I’m thrilled to meet the challenges facing Catholic education in Hawaii. I feel blessed that I have the opportunity to put my expertise to practice in the service of my faith.
How has working in your current role differed from your work as St. Joseph School, Hilo, leader?
At St. Joseph School, I was responsible for the management, leadership and operation of one school. Though the school had three distinct divisions: preschool, elementary and junior/senior high, the focus was providing oversight for one school community with its unique gifts and challenges.
With Hawaii Catholic Schools, the focus is on serving and supporting all Catholic schools throughout the state at all levels. This type of leadership requires more of a systems approach to ensure that each school is operating at its maximum potential, realizing its own unique mission and goals, and at the same time, evangelizing with the common faith values and principles we all hold dear in Catholic education. My role is to look at the big picture and see a vision for the future of Catholic education as a whole.
Now that you are interim superintendent for the next year, what are your immediate goals?
My primary goal right now is to assist, serve and support schools in successfully reopening for the fall by adapting to the new “normal” in response to the pandemic. My ongoing goals are to support effective governance models for schools and to provide needed support in the areas of financial management, financial reporting and institutional advancement.
Over the past few years, some of our schools have struggled with the two areas of governance and finance. This is not unique to Hawaii as we see this trend in Catholic institutions across the country. The old parochial model may work for a few, but it no longer works for all. We need to evolve and be more responsive to the needs of today’s learners. We have the perfect opportunity to use appropriate technological and curricular innovations to refine the way we interact with students and exceed the expectations of today’s parents in preparing their children for the future. I’m excited to help with this evolution for our schools!
Did Mike Rockers give you any specific advice before he left?
Dr. Rockers and I have had long and in-depth conversations about the needs of our Catholic schools. He was an excellent mentor in helping to define the superintendent’s role in supporting our schools. He always reminded me to remain student-focused. If you put God and students in the center of any decision, then you’ll have proper justification behind your choices as you move forward. Dr. Rockers led with his love for God and his love for students in Catholic education, and I plan to do the same using my own gifts and talents.
What is the biggest challenge facing the Hawaii Catholic Schools office?
Before Mike Rockers left Hawaii, he gave a mandate to all parochial schools around the state in response to the impact of the pandemic. He told them to show us how they were going to “evolve.” The idea is that we must change the way we do things if we are to survive and thrive in the “new normal.” With that, I think the biggest challenge facing our office is to assist schools through this evolution. We must embrace technology in the same or similar way that students embrace technology. We must endorse and reward innovation, and yet we must hold on to those values and traditions at the core of our faith.
Originally from Kauai, Young attended the University of Maryland and the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He received his master’s degree in education administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He holds a doctorate in education. Before serving at St. Joseph, Hilo, Young held teaching and administrative positions at Arizona Western College at Yuma, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Hawaii College of Education Hawaii Leadership Academy.
—Edited by Anna Weaver
