Megan Schneider - “Sullivan Leads by Example” [Susie Sullivan

Sullivan Leads By Example

by J1 Reporter Megan Schneider

While approaching the center staircase on the second floor of Marian, students walk past Mrs. Susie Sullivan’s office every day. Tucked away from the classrooms, Mrs. Sullivan spends her days running what she calls her second home. “You know I may not have been the best in my class, but I could outwork anyone,” Sullivan said. This drive for hard work stems back to her time as a student at Marian onto college in Helena, Mont., and back here in Omaha at the University of Nebraska for her Master’s.

Sullivan’s early life was spent with a mom who valued education, “My mom was one of four girls, and it was unusual for girls to go college at the time, but she used to say, ‘Well, you got to get a college degree Susie, so if your husband dies, you can get a job,’” and Sullivan did just that.

Sullivan attended Carroll College and majored in history and minored in English, but did not get a teaching certificate. “My mom kept saying, Do you need to get a teaching certificate? And I’m like, No, I don’t. There’s a million teachers. I don’t know if that’s what I want to do.”

After college Sullivan moved back to Omaha, got married to attorney Mal Sullivan and worked part-time for about 12 years taking care of her three sons. “I always worked like 15 hours a week and then when my youngest was in fourth or fifth grade, I got a full-time teaching job.”

Sullivan’s teaching career began in the Millard district. “I got a job in Millard and then the principal there suggested, ‘you should think about becoming a principal.’ And I’m just thinking, I never thought about that. So I got my Master’s.” Sullivan continued working while pursuing her Master of Science in Educational Administration and Supervision.

“I remember telling my friends the only place I’d ever be principal was Marian because really everything they do is perfect as far as I know and I agree with every single thing they do there.” During this time, however, Marian’s former Head of School Dr. Susan Toohey was still working at the school and Sullivan assumed she would retire from teaching before Toohey did. Her former principal in the Millard district told her, however, “Oh, you never

“I feel like know where life getting this might take people.” job was Sullivan, still truly unsure about switchdivine ing to the adminintervention.” istrative side of teaching, de-

Principal Susie Sullivan cided to ask her then-deceased mother for a sign or intervention of some sort on her drive home from work one day. She remembers saying, “Mom, I don’t know if I still want to teach eighth grade or if I need to do this principal thing. You need to send me a sign.” A week later a friend Michael broke the news to Sullivan that Toohey had been given another opportunity elsewhere. “I remember he said, “Did you hear the news?” And I said, “‘What?’” and Michael said, “‘Susan Toohey is leaving,”’ I said “‘No way,”’ I felt like it was divine intervention because of what I had asked my mom.”

The job principal now open, Sullivan was determined to get an interview. All Sullivan thought was, “If they give me an interview, I know I can convince her (President Mary Higgins) that I am the person for this job.” Sullivan landed an interview and before she knew it, she was one of the top two finalists for the position. “And so I interviewed. I thought it went well and it took them 12 days before they called me and offered me the job,” said Sullivan. The board told Sullivan that they were going to wait a couple of days before the formal announcement and lo and behold on the second anniversary of her mother’s passing, the formal announcement was released and Sullivan was officially Marian’s next principal.

Six years later, Sullivan still loves her job more than ever and is continuing her education by obtaining her doctorate. When asked why she chose to further her education she said, “My job is primarily to research already so I figured why not put my knowledge into a certificate.” Sullivan’s story proves that through hard work and dedication even what seems impossible is within reach.

President Ms. Mary Higgins and Principal Mrs. Susie Sullivan, dressed up for Halloween 2021 in costumes from “Footloose,” the fall musical, pass out granola bars to students before school. Photo by Bella Beck