Recently, it was revealed to John Carroll students that Principal Durkin has decided to retire. Mr. Durkin has been teaching and caring for students for 35 years, four of those years spent at John Carroll.

Mr. Durkin began his teaching career in 1985 at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School. Shortly after, in 1990, he began to teach at Loyola Blakefield where he would stay for 25 years. Then, after serving as the Vice Principal of St. Vincent Pallotti High School, he came to JC in 2017 where he has cared for students ever since.
Mr. Durkin said that he has decided to retire so he and his wife can spend more time with their grandchildren.
He commented, “We haven’t seen our grandson, who lives in NY, in person since December 2019, and we missed his fifth birthday this past July. We promised him we would not miss his sixth birthday. These are experiences you don’t get back, and we want to experience them all.”
After retirement, Mr. Durkin also plans to move to Ocean City, Maryland. There he plans to spend time with his grandkids, become more involved with his church, and possibly substitute or tutor.
After working at JC for four years, Mr. Durkin has had many positive memories of the school.
He said, “There are too many positive memories to mention just one. My sophomore English class from 2017-2018 was one of the best classes I have ever taught. They were great! I am still in contact with some of them since they graduated last year. Watching Katie Yurechko win speech tournaments at both local and national tournaments will always be special to me. I cherish the time I have spent working with students in the St. Joseph’s Program. I can’t help but smile when I think about all the memories I have of JC students.”
Mr. Durkin touched the lives of many students at John Carroll. His positivity and kindness will forever be remembered by students, including Jillian Connolly.
Jillian, a JC junior said, “Every day when I walk into school he [greets me and always checks in on all of the students. He always makes my days brighter by just checking in!”
Another student, Annabel Everett, a sophomore, has also been touched by Mr. Durkin’s kindness.
She said, “Mr. Durkin has always been welcoming and kind to me, and he helps everyone to feel included and part of the John Carroll community.”
Senior Marcus Hudson, a member of the band at JC, said he has been positively affected by Mr. Durkin.
“Mr. Durkin is always very supportive of the band and always has something nice to say before performances or during practices.”