The Latino Engagement Institute is a prestigious year-long formation program designed to help Catholic schools strengthen school culture, develop meaningful community engagement strategies, and better serve Latino families, one of the fastest-growing populations within the Catholic Church nationwide.
Mr. Lawrence Hansen, Principal, and Mr. Pablo, Assistant Principal, have been invited to return to Notre Dame this July in leadership roles supporting the incoming 14th national cohort of the Latino Engagement Institute (LEI). Last summer they were selected to participate as members of the 13th cohort of the LEI alongside Catholic school leaders from across the country. Their invitation to join the 14th cohort is due to their successful completion of the program and the innovative work implemented here at St. Joseph Hill Academy.
Mr. Hansen has been selected to serve as both a mentor and presenter for Cohort 14, where he will guide a group of nine principals from Catholic schools across the country throughout the year-long program.
In addition to mentoring school leaders, he will present a featured session titled Think Big, Start Small: Building Sustainable Momentum. His session focuses on helping school leaders create sustainable school growth through authentic community engagement, strategic storytelling, practical fundraising, and leveraging the greatest asset every school possesses — its people. The presentation emphasizes how intentional engagement with families, students, alumni, and the broader community can drive long-term enrollment growth and strengthen a school’s mission.
Mr. Pablo has also been invited back to present to members of the incoming cohort. His session, Sustaining the LEI Initiative: From Momentum to Long-Term Impact, focuses on helping school leaders build lasting systems that ensure long-term success after the initial implementation year. His presentation will center on strategies for gaining staff buy-in, transforming community feedback into actionable planning, and providing leadership teams with practical tools to sustain meaningful school-wide initiatives well beyond year one.
In addition to his work with LEI, Mr. Pablo will return to the University of Notre Dame later this summer as he begins participation in the prestigious Hernandez Fellowship Program, a selective leadership development program focused on preparing Catholic school leaders to strengthen operational excellence, strategic leadership, and long-term sustainability within Catholic education. The fellowship provides intensive professional formation alongside educational leaders from across the country and reflects a continued investment in innovative leadership development at St. Joseph Hill Academy.
We are incredibly proud that the work happening at St. Joseph Hill Academy continues to be recognized on a national level. Opportunities such as these affirm the strength of our leadership team and allow us to bring back innovative ideas, best practices, and meaningful partnerships that will continue to strengthen our school community for years to come.
At St. Joseph Hill Academy, we remain committed to ensuring that we continue to grow as a school where tradition meets innovation while providing our students and families with the strongest possible educational experience grounded in faith, excellence, and community.