The son of an Iowa farmer, Steve Hogan knew from a young age what he wanted to do when he grew up — and it wasn’t sowing, reaping or harvesting. At least, not on the Iowa fields.
“I was one of those kids who loved school,” he says, adding that he would even act out the role of a teacher when not in class.
His educator relatives were “profound” influencers. As were the Sisters of Charity, BVM who staffed his elementary (Sacred Heart) and high school (Saint Edmond’s).
A life in education “spoke to me — being of service to others,” Hogan recalls.
For the past 30 years, he’s cultivated the minds of Catholic school elementary and high school students as a teacher and principal. He is currently principal at Saint Mary Regional School in Vineland, a role he’s had for 11 years, after serving in the same capacity at Saint Rose of Lima, Haddon Heights for the previous seven.
“I like being a spiritual and academic leader,” he says.
The school website states, “We strive to inspire minds through 21st Century learning, while our Catholic faith aligns hearts with God and fosters lives of service.”
Hogan’s journey from Fort Dodge, Iowa, to Vineland started with good soil. The youngest of four to his father, Paul, and mother, Mona, he soon grew to know and appreciate a life of Catholic faith and service to others.
“My mother was involved with the school board and the Ladies’ Union, and helped to clean the church” at Sacred Heart Parish, he says. His father was in the Father’s Club. Seeing his parents contribute their time, talent and treasure in their faith community, he says, “stuck with me.”
Hogan recalled thinking of parish priests as “extended family.” “It wasn’t unusual for them to stop in (our home) and say hello,” he recalls.
After high school, he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Loyola University in Chicago, and he began teaching at a school on the city’s South Side, Saint Anselm Elementary.
After time as a teacher in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, at Saint Mary’s InterParochial School, he arrived in Vineland, teaching science to sixth, seventh and eighth graders at Saint Mary School.
With more than 15 years under his belt as an educator at the time, Hogan decided to pursue a career in school administration, received his master’s degree in school leadership from South Orange, New Jersey’s Seton Hall University, and began his principal track.
When COVID-19 shut down Saint Mary School on Friday, March 13, Hogan put all the skills learned in his three decades of education to use.
“The next Monday, my teachers and I gathered together, to figure out how we stay together as a community and keep the faith alive,” he said.
Remote learning began the next day for students, with live and recorded video-conferencing sessions to provide flexibility for parents.
Hogan made sure that “no matter what (learning) looked like, prayer was there,” and remote classrooms began with one led by instructors or students.
He continued driving from his Glassboro home to Vineland during the shutdown. Remembering the experience of being the only one walking the halls of Saint Mary’s, he called the absence of students and staff “palpable.”
“We’re a Christian community,” he said. “When we’re not together, we feel it.” There were moments, though, that shined through the darkness of the times.
“The parents did a great job” capturing the remote lives of their children, happily working at their home desks, through photographs or video and sharing it with the school community, he says.
In May, a caravan of cars filled with students and parents passed outside the school and Hogan’s office window, with signs and words of “Happy Birthday” for the principal. “I greatly appreciated that,” he recalls.
A few days before the school’s socially-distanced graduation ceremonies, Hogan and his two eighth grade teachers spent one day traveling to the homes of the graduates and their families. “It was a personal touch.”
As a summer unlike any other summer rolled on, Hogan did not find himself taking full vacations as in years past, but found some time here and there “for rest and relaxation.” Now, it’s full speed ahead to hybrid learning this fall.
For parents opting not to send their children into the school, classroom cameras will bring the learning into their homes. For in-class instruction, new regulations include sneeze guards set up at each student’s desk, hot lunches delivered to classrooms, and time for socially-distanced recess.
As well, a counselor will visit classrooms for the benefit of each student’s social and emotional wellness. The opportunity for help in this pandemic, Hogan notes, also extends to his school staff.
With the dawn of each new school year at Saint Mary, the incoming eighth grade class is tasked with choosing a theme for the entire school community to focus on throughout the year. Hogan senses a graced, comforting hand in what was decided this year. It is psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord!”
“Truly, the Holy Spirit was working” in the choice of the theme, Hogan says.
Hogan praised the “grit, stamina, and dedication” of his staff who have worked diligently since July to come up with a re-opening plan. “They got it done.” He acknowledges that health and safety regulations can change at any time, and knows his team must “be nimble and flexible” and adapt to whatever comes.
In seasons of bounty or hardship, Hogan keeps the faith.
With this crisis, he says, comes “an opportunity for (the school community) to grow deeper in relationship as a community; an opportunity to show our love and care by following health and safety guidelines; and live more deeply and intensely the Gospel.”