On the afternoon of Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, many unsuspecting students and parents were enjoying the early beginnings of a well-deserved Thanksgiving break when they were greeted with an unexpected surprise. At 3:02 p.m., an email from the Board of Directors appeared in the inboxes of parents and students alike, reading, “The Loyola High School Board of Directors selected Jamal Kenneth Adams, Loyola Class of 1990 and 2010 Cahalan Award Recipient, as the next President of Loyola High School of Los Angeles.”
This decision to name current principal Jamal Adams ‘90 as the new president is a monumental one, as he is Loyola’s first-ever non-Jesuit president. “I know in my heart that I want to serve Loyola High School,” said Adams when asked about living up to the challenge of becoming the first layperson to serve as President. He added, “This is a great opportunity to marry some of my previous work experience, 11 years in finance and 20 years in education, for the benefit of this institution. Obviously, there is some trepidation about taking on something you have never done before, but I have some great folks to fall back on. The reality of it is the opportunity to help support the mission of Loyola gives me great joy.”
Adams will have some big shoes to fill as the successor to Fr. Gregory M. Goethals, SJ ‘73, President of Loyola High School. Fr. Goethals has worked to transform Loyola into what it is today. During his almost 20 years at the helm, Loyola has seen unprecedented growth in almost every way, including the construction of state-of-the-art Caruso Hall, cementing his legacy as one of Loyola’s finest.
After hearing about the decision, many students began to wonder how this would change Loyola’s spiritual life and future. Change, especially unexpected, can be scary. Despite this change, Fr. Goethals expressed his utmost belief that Principal Adams was the best person for the job. When asked whether having a Jesuit President is vital to maintaining Loyola’s Jesuit identity, Fr. Goethals said, “Principal Adams knows how to be the principal of a Jesuit school. He’s done the Ignatian spiritual exercises, which are the foundation of everything we do. We have our Office for Mission, which reports directly to the president, and we still have our group of Jesuits to guide Principal Adams.”
Although the fiscal year does not end until July 1, 2024, the transition has already started. Principal Adams and Fr. Goethals have already met and begun planning for next year. The transition will continue throughout the remainder of the school year to ensure that Principal Adams has ample time to prepare himself and that Fr. Goethals can say his goodbyes. Fr. Goethals shared, “I’ve seen transitions that happen too fast. I want ours to be seamless, and I want us both to finish out this year with flying colors. I want it to be as easy as possible for Adams, and we’re going to work together. I’m team Jamal all the way.”
