Saint Andrew principal earns doctoral degree

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April van der Sluys

On May 23 in sunny southern California, Erin Carrabba, principal at Saint Andrew Catholic School in Riverton, received her Doctorate in Education, Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education.

Carrabba was accepted into the Organizational Change and Leadership program at USC’s Rossier School of Education in the fall of 2018. She undertook the doctoral degree from this specific program because of USC’s forward-thinking mission. The program challenges candidates to consider the issues of DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and how this movement is so important to shaping the health and integrity of the American socio-political, economic and educational landscapes.

“As an educator, I take my duty to provide equity in opportunity for every student very seriously,” Carrabba said. “The Rossier program has opened my eyes to the innovative, collaborative and adaptive opportunities that leadership in the United States needs to employ as we move forward in this unprecedented time of social discord.”

Carrabba’s research for the doctoral degree was centered on the importance of diversifying the teacher workforce in the United States and how this undertaking will maximize outcomes for all American students. She believes that it’s the responsibility of all those in educational leadership positions to formulate creative solutions to make a diverse teacher workforce a reality in this country.

“As a K-8 school principal in Utah, I look forward to the impact I can make regarding this important issue,” she said. “I look forward to working with colleagues to emphasize the very real and imminent opportunity that we have to positively impact our students.”

April van der Sluys is advancement coordinator for Juan Diego Catholic Schools.