De La Salle Institute’s board of directors announced it appointed Thomas J. Schergen principal of the 130-year-old co-educational Catholic and Lasallian high school.
Schergen, a member of the school’s Class of 1997, will assume his post on Wednesday, July 1.
“De La Salle is pleased to welcome one of our alums as the academic leader of our school,” De La Salle’s president, the Rev. Paul Novak, OSM, said. “Mr. Schergen’s strong academic vision and his familiarity with our Lasallian spirituality and Catholic mission will enable him to guide De La Salle into the future.”
Schergen replaces Diane Brown, who is retiring on Tuesday, June 30.
“Becoming the principal at De La Salle Institute is a great opportunity,” Schergen said. “Some people never get the chance to pursue their dream job, so I am fortunate to be able to return to a place that is special to me.
“Not only do I get to return to my alma mater, but I am able to lead the dedicated faculty and staff of De La Salle and guide the institution forward,” Schergen added.
Schergen currently is principal of IC Catholic Prep in Elmhurst, IL, where he also served as president and athletic director in his eight-year tenure.
Before beginning at IC Catholic Prep, Schergen worked at Marist High School and Maria High School. He previously taught at De La Salle Institute in 2001-2002.
“My main goals are to begin to have some focused conversations with the current faculty and administration to begin to build our future vision,” Schergen said. “I believe in creating a student-centered atmosphere and allowing the students of De La Salle to contribute to the culture of the building.
“I will focus on continuing the traditions of De La Salle, along with keeping the Lasallian mission strong and at the core of what we do as a school community,” Schergen added.
Schergen earned a bachelor’s degree in special and elementary education from Illinois State University in 2001 and a master’s degree in educational administration from Saint Xavier University in 2005.
De La Salle is located at 3434 S. Michigan Ave. Log on to www.dls.org.