Cardinal O'Hara names new assistant principal

Earl Schunk, athletic director at Cardinal O’Hara High School, has taken on increased responsibility as the new assistant principal. He follows interim Vice Principal Dave Lovering, who will continue his work as Cardinal O’Hara’s alumni coordinator.

“We are very excited that Earl will be expanding his role here at O’Hara to include the position of assistant principal,” Cardinal O’Hara Principal Joleen Dimitroff said in her announcement to the faculty and staff. “Earl has already established great rapport with our students, anchored in mutual respect. He is very committed to cultivating leadership while maintaining high academic standards.”

Schunk said that if he had been told he would be a high school assistant principal a year ago, he would have said that would never have happened.

“What I have learned in my 40 years in education, though, is to always expect the unexpected,” Schunk said. “I have always thought a higher power has directed me, and so I am now here at Cardinal O'Hara.”

Schunk has many years of classroom experience with 33 years in the Buffalo Public School system, including coach of baseball, cross-country, track and field, tennis and softball at Grover Cleveland High School. Recently retired as head coach of the D’Youville University’s men’s basketball coach, he was the former head coach of men's basketball and assistant athletic director at D’Youville.

“People say that kids have changed today, but I disagree,” Schunk said. “Kids are the same and are looking for the same things as when I started in 1977. The way adults treat them is what has changed. I'm looking forward to working with this group to help them achieve their goals."

Dimitroff said, “The entire Cardinal O’Hara Family welcomes Earl in his new role and thanks Dave (Lovering) for his tremendous dedication to our students as we launched our new school year. The school will continue to benefit from Dave’s work with alumni in his role as alumni coordinator.”