Post date: Oct 25, 2017 6:54:58 PM
How did you feel when you found out you were going to be the principal?
Well, I was a little shocked because I felt that there were a lot of strong candidates. I was also relieved because I was anxious to find out whether or not the search committee thought I was principal material.
Was it competitive?
I did not know who the other candidates were until the after the whole process was finished and Brother Leto offered me the position. I think this was done on purpose.
Did you take any steps into becoming the principal or was it like “surprise you're going to be the principal”?
No, I was not just appointed. I had to go through an interview process with the search committee, Brother Leto, and board members. All of the candidates did. The board of directors with Brother Leto’s guidance chose to search inside Iona Prep to find a candidate that was suitable for what they believed would make a strong principal. If none of the candidates who applied were suitable, they were then going to do a larger search outside of the school
What sets you apart from our past principals?
I think that the main thing that sets me apart is my time here at the Prep. Of all the sitting principals, I have the longest history with Iona. I have also worn the most hats, so to speak; from being the director of facilities, to the science department chairperson, to the freshman dean, to the dean of student services, to the dean of student life. It’s hard to believe that I am starting my 34th year at the Prep this year.
How would you describe the difference between being the dean and being the principal?
Well, there was a persona shift that was necessary. The dean’s skillset is vastly different than the principal’s skillset, so it took a year to transition. Last year, I worked very closely with Mr. O’Neill on the transition from dean to principal. It took time to dismantle that persona because I had been in it for 15 years. It was also a bit of a challenge to slip into it last year because I was still the acting dean. Mr. Mahoney was in transition as well because he had accepted the offer to be the new dean of students. So, I think the persona change was a little challenging for me.
What made you want to pursue a career in education?
I would have to go back to my senior year in high school, I think. At the time, I was a junior EMT riding in a private ambulance squad, which I rode in through my college days. I had the opportunity to be certified by the Red Cross and the American Heart Association to become an instructor in CPR and advanced first aid. I think that really lit the fire for me. I just loved being up in front of an audience teaching and watching people's’ lightbulbs go off when they got a concept. When I was in college, I was also a CPR instructor on campus. At the time, Fordham was starting an ambulance squad. I volunteered to teach, and I really enjoyed being in front of the classroom. So, my goal of being a teacher really goes all the way back to high school.
Describe the journey from your first day working at Iona Prep to becoming the principal.
Wow, that’s a long time! Well, I made my share of mistakes as a young teacher out of college. I did not start at Iona. I began teaching at Paramus Catholic High School, where I was a Biology and Geometry teacher. I had a very strong mentor there in a man named Brother WIlliam Batt of the De La Salle Brothers, who ran the staff at Paramus Catholic, or at least the boys’ side of it. He was a very strong mentor to me. One of my mistakes was how I was presenting lessons and managing the class. When I came to Iona, I thought I was ready for anything, but Iona presented its own, unique challenges. As I grew older and I became a parent, my whole perspective on how to handle a classroom environment changed radically. I think that parenthood easily had the biggest influence on me.
Why Iona as opposed to anywhere else?
It’s funny because the same summer that I had written and submitted a resume to Iona Prep, I had also submitted one to Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey, which is our brother school. They offered me the exact same position as Iona did, teaching chemistry. I was actually torn because all my younger brothers had gone to Bergen Catholic. I was the odd one out. But then, Iona Prep offered me an interview within the same week, and when I arrived here, I just fell in love with the campus, the brothers, the facilities, and the reputation of Iona at the time. I thought that accepting Iona’s job offer would probably be a good career move. So I turned down Bergen Catholic. Since I was living in New Jersey at the time, it was a bit of a trek to come here, but I have never looked back.
How has it been these first few weeks in your first year? How are you settling in?
It is very busy. I did not realize the volume of paperwork I would have to do. As the dean, I was very focused on the students, and a lot of my responsibilities were only relevant while the students were in the building. As the principle, I had to spend the summer here and discovered that there are a lot of different pies that I have to have a slice out of, oversee, and manage. The volume of work has increased quite a bit. It has been very stressful, though very exciting because there are lots of people here that have been helping me. My two assistants, Mr. Mahoney and Ms. Natale, and of course Brother Leto, have been valuable mentors to me.
How do you plan to continue our school’s legacy of excellence?
Well, I have a lot of initiatives. Maybe I’m a little too eager, but I see the school moving into the 21st century. There’s a lot of things that come along with that title. Certainly a digital, paperless classroom is one of my biggest goals. We are also starting a strategic plan for the next five years that the principal will play a role in. I’m excited that there are lots of different avenues that we are going to pursue in terms of STEM, but we also want to increase our arts program here. I have a lot of work cut out for myself and I’m eager to make those changes happen.
-Brendan McHugh '20