Farewell Mr. Durkin

Principal preparing for retirement after four years at JC

Farewell+Mr.+Durkin

At the conclusion of this school year, Principal Tom Durkin will be saying farewell to The John Carroll School. Members of the Patriot community shared what they will miss and what they will remember the most about his time in the JC community.

“I will remember the times Mr. Durkin would stand in the hallways and greet everyone he could by name. He is always interested in how we are doing and is always happy to see everyone. He always loves to talk, just as I do. Mr. Durkin has a passion for JC and is truly a community man.”
– Tommy Sukiennik ‘21

“Even though I have only been a student at John Carroll for two years, Mr. Durkin has made a huge impact on me. Every day when I walk into school Mr. Durkin has a smile on his face and greets me with kindness. I love how Mr. Durkin treats his students like they’re his own and inspires us to do our best. It is also very obvious that Mr. Durkin is extremely proud of every student at John Carroll. Once he retires, I will definitely miss his kindness and the joy that he brings to John Carroll.” – Meghan Kerr, ‘23

“I will miss seeing Mr. Durkin in the stands at the girls basketball games supporting us.”
– Mandy Schall, ‘23

“I will miss when he’d come to Advisory and bring donuts and talk to us.”
– Courtney Branch, ‘21

“Mr. Durkin returned to John Carroll a sense of mission and stability. He has been a great cheerleader for faculty, staff, and students. Under Mr. Durkin’s guidance I feel he has ignited a sense of purpose in us all. The thing I will remember most about Mr. Durkin is his love and concern for the students at John Carroll. He would not let a student pass him in the hallway without a greeting or kind word. Be it academics, spirituality, or social engagement, our students have always been his focus.”
– Mr. Monaghan, Faculty

“In this unusual school year, Mr. Durkin has provided a reassurance by always keeping us up-to-date with changes and making a new student feel like John Carroll was doing its best to make this year feel as normal as possible. Mr. Durkin has always been outside, whether it was warm or cold, to greet us in the morning before school.” -Maggie Moloney, ‘24

“As a transfer student, Mr. Durkin was one of the first people my family and I interacted with. From the start of my journey, he has always been a friendly and welcoming presence – one we will be sad to see go. I think I will remember most how inviting and welcoming he was when I first came to John Carroll. He was easy to converse with and has valued me as a student.”
-Hannah Hamill, ‘23

“He is really friendly with all the students and has made sure he was involved with us. I’ll miss him a lot.”
– Jacob Freeland, ‘22

“Mr. Durkin has been extremely important to John Carroll during his time here. He gave so much support to our school community and has helped make our school a better place.”
– Olivia Chesla, ‘23

“One thing I love about Mr. Durkin is his willingness to do whatever it takes to help us out with marketing. Over the years, he has agreed to some crazy things, from getting in a dunk tank to dressing up as the Patriot to sporting a 70s get-up for an admissions video. He is a consummate professional and respected principal, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously to have fun with it, and we will miss him.
– Mrs. Walsh, Staff