There’s a Whole Lot More Under the Tie: Mr. Donahue Talks New Role, New Year, & Drug Testing

Mr. Donahue, ’03 took over the position of Assistant Principal of Student Affairs.

“In the day-to-day working with students…you realize there is a whole lot more under the tie,” says Mr. Donahue, Central Catholic’s new Assistant Principal for Student Affairs.

While Mr. Donahue may be new to Office C, he’s a familiar face around 4270 Fifth Avenue.

After graduating from Central in 2003, Mr. Donahue went on to pursue his Master’s Degree in psychology.

“I never thought I’d ever come back,” Donahue reflects, but a chance encounter reconnected him with his alma mater.

As an ice hockey player during his time at Central, Mr. Donahue continued to stay involved with the hockey program: “Coach Connelly asked me to help assistant coach one of his [hockey] teams. I came to a hockey banquet, saw brother Bob…and got the invitation to apply.”

Mr. Donahue joined the Central Catholic staff nine years ago as the Director of Family Support Services.

Donahue’s previous role was extremely rewarding to him, as he explains, “To see a part of the individual growing here is incredible…They [students] pour their hearts out…and how much they trust this place to share something that’s just crushing them is really special.”

A major part of Mr. Donahue’s time in the counseling department was focused on curating new mental health initiatives to benefit students and faculty, alike.

“The stigma is definitely getting cracked down,” says Donahue, “Hopefully what we can do with mental health is to allow the students to know that anyone can benefit from talking to someone.”

This year, Mr. Donahue made the jump from his previous position to assume Mr. Macurak’s role, explaining, “My position worked very closely with Office C. We [counseling and Office D] were ‘two wings of a bird’ that balanced each other out.”

Despite this, the transition was still difficult: “I loved the counselors, I loved that office, and I loved working with students in that way.”

As Assistant Principal for Student Affairs, Mr. Donahue sees his role in tandem with the Lasallian Tradition.

For Donahue, “My role is supposed to be to model the Christian faith and Lasallian virtues for all of the students to live out.”

These Lasallian virtues form the basis for Central Catholic’s new drug testing policy. As a counselor, Mr. Donahue was an architect behind the program.

When trying to decide whether to pursue the controversial program, Mr. Donahue jokes, “Sometimes the joke out in the world for recovery centers is that their greatest volume of clients come from law schools, doctors, and Central Catholic.”

Mr. Donahue takes this worrisome trend seriously and is intent on making a positive impact against drug usage at Central Catholic. At its heart, Mr. Donahue stresses that the program is designed to enrich the overall health and well-being of the Central Catholic community.

Donahue emphasizes, “…We’re not going to hide from issues of alcohol or drug abuse…If you’re struggling, we’re going to get you help.”

Mr. Donahue is hopeful that drug testing is indicative of the new year ahead for Central Catholic. “My hope is that…we’re moving on from the pandemic,” adding, “I hope that we have a normal year again.”

A month in, Mr. Donahue continues to settle into his new role as the Central Catholic community looks towards a “new normal.” We wish Mr. Donahue the best of luck as the 2021 – 2022 school year ramps up!

 

Writer’s Note: The Viking sends a huge thanks to Mr. Donahue for taking the time to speak to me. He was integral to the success of this story, and I really appreciate his transparency and openness.