Eastside Catholic veteran faculty member appointed new principal
Soonja Larsen, a veteran educator with 13 years at Eastside Catholic School, has stepped into the role of high school principal, bringing with her a vision of servant leadership and community engagement. Larsen, who previously served as acting principal, was officially appointed on Jan. 1, 2025.
Larsen’s appointment comes as Eastside Catholic, like many schools, is navigating challenges related to student behavior, faculty retention, and the evolving role of technology.
The Sammamish Independent had the opportunity to ask Larsen about a range of topics, including her strategies to address these challenges and her vision for the school’s future.
Q: Eastside Catholic has faced many challenges in the past, including student conduct and faculty stability. Looking back, what key lessons have you learned from these experiences? And what specific strategies will you be implementing to ensure a safe, respectful, supportive environment for students and staff in the future?
A: Challenges with behavior, challenges with teacher staffing, that is not exclusive to Eastside Catholic. I think just keeping those open lines of communication is my strategy so that we can be proactive. I always want to be transparent about why I’m making those decisions, because then that starts to build trust.
Q: You mentioned that servant leadership is a core example of how you will demonstrate your daily interactions with students, faculty, staff, and parents. What does that look like in practice?
A: I want to show people that there is no job that’s below the principal. I’m the one in the stands picking up the garbage after mass. I’m putting chairs away, getting chairs for our guests, hanging signs. Just showing my community that we’re all here to serve each other. They need to be able to see that I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty.
Q: If you could identify one or two key areas where you believe Eastside Catholic needs to improve, what would they be? And what specific strategies would you employ to achieve those improvements?
A: Something that the school has done such a great job of, that I want to see continue, is hiring and retaining teachers of color. It’s really important that kids have mentors who they can look to, who look like them. A challenge that we also are facing right now is the right way to handle, manage technology. We need to continue to wrap our heads around what’s important to our community in terms of technology.
Q: How will you be actively promoting diversity and inclusion in the curriculum, in extracurricular activities, and in the hiring of faculty?
A: We participate in a yearly diversity career fair. We’ve hired a director of equity and social action. The director works with all of the affinity groups. We are very focused on curriculum right now and making sure that we are being culturally responsive. We have our departments regularly meeting together to look at their curriculum.
Q: How will you be specifically ensuring that the school touchstones are integrated into the daily lives of students and staff?
A: Every day, our students commit to being the best version of themselves, to be a person of integrity, to be caring, to be thankful. I would say on a daily basis that’s more important to me than someone getting straight A’s. I also am equally invested in making sure that students are working on themselves and working on being good people.
Q: Where do you see Eastside Catholic in five years under your leadership?
A: I really see it as being a place where every kid wants to go to school. I want people to know when they see a student doing something for someone else, that, oh of course they go to Eastside Catholic! I also think that there is maybe a misperception that we are that pretentious school on the hill. I want to be able to change that narrative and presumption, so if someone said that, the person next to them might respond, “You know, there are some really great kids and teachers at that school.”
Q: Many principals have different leadership styles. What unique perspectives or experiences do you bring to Eastside Catholic that set you apart from others?
A: I think it’s pretty rare to have a principal who has been at a school for a long time. I’ve also held several different roles at the school. I am very, very invested in the school. I care about every single student, family, and teacher.
Q: Considering your diverse background, how has that prepared you in ways that other principals might not be prepared?
A: Because the student body is increasingly diverse, it’s a powerful statement to have a principal who is a person of color. I can help provide that safe and welcoming space where all families feel comfortable. I want to make sure that all students feel seen.
