Meet Trinity Schools new president

This year, “Celebrate Catholic Schools Week” is January 30-February 5. In honor of this special week, we introduce you to the new president of Dickinson Trinity Catholic Schools, Marya Skaare. She took over the new role on July 1, 2021 replacing the retired Steve Glasser.

What is your background information?

A North Dakota girl through and through, I was born in Minot and lived in Voltaire until a job at Antelope Valley Station, north of Beulah, lured my family to Coal Country in 1985. As a new second grader at Hazen Elementary, I remember very well the first time someone questioned me about my name, as I am sure many of your readers are considering, too. (My name is pronounced MAR-ee-uh.) Growing up the youngest of four in a rural community, everyone knew me so I did not realize that my name was somehow unique (which, translates to “weird” in second grade terms). In my panic, I insisted that my teacher and my schoolmates just call me “Mary.” My mother eventually realized that no one seemed to know my actual name and she helped to remedy the situation rather quickly. It is interesting that moments like this seem to repeat and we find ourselves much like that new kid at school again, even into adulthood. Whether starting a new job, moving to a new community, joining a new committee, or even taking a new class at the gym, that sense of newness and nerves seems to be there no matter how old we are. The difference? I think it's grace. Grace and patience—with ourselves and with others. As one of the “new kids at school” in my role as president at Trinity Catholic Schools, I am filled with excitement for what lies ahead, humbled by the many kind welcomes and best wishes, and relieved that, thankfully, I am much more skilled at explaining how to pronounce my name!
My husband, Jeff, and I have two daughters, Harper (15) and Hetta (13). We are members of St. Joseph parish, where Jeff serves on the finance council and is a Knights of Columbus member, Hetta volunteers as an Altar Server and I serve as a Lector.  Proud of our Dickinson home, I am currently serving on the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the Chamber Government Relations Committee, and am the current chaplain of the Eagles Auxiliary and president of the DSU Rodeo Council. In addition, I serve on the SW CTE Taskforce and am a member of Dickinson Noon Lions Club, Rotary, P.E.O. Sisterhood, and am a past member of the ND Workforce Development Council, as well as the Leadership ND cohort and am a former adjunct professor of communication studies at Williston State.

What is your past work experience?

Passionate about servant leadership and developing strong networks of support through community engagement and relationship building, I earned a Master of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communication from Emerson College and a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts and Advertising from University of Jamestown. Prior to joining Trinity Catholic Schools, I served as Director of the CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson Foundation. Previously, I served on the leadership team at MBI Energy Services as the director of communication and recruitment.

What is your past involvement with Dickinson Catholic Schools?

Interestingly, my first Titan memory is playing against Trinity in a seventh-grade basketball game, and fortunately, my involvement at Trinity has been much more joyful since then! We became a Titan family in 2017 and as a parent, the first time I saw my daughters in their school standard dress melted my heart; but that moment pales in comparison to the first time I attended school Mass. What an incredible gift! Coming from a public school setting, I can't even put into words the sense of peace and relief I felt as a parent. To say my soul sang would be an understatement. Since then, countless activities and events, friendships and fellowship have colored our experience as a Trinity family and enriched our lives. Over the years, I have been an active supporter of Trinity Catholic Schools as a fall gala committee member, student congress advisor, athletics and fine arts booster and Mardi Gras booth captain. To think, 30 years after that basketball game I would receive the phone call that every ‘first day’ of my professional life seems to have led up to is still pretty surreal.

What role has your faith played in navigating this new job?

My faith has informed every element of navigating my new position—inspiring me to lead joyfully and remember to be gentle, patient and kind—and not just with others, but with myself as well. It is so important to remember how valuable each of us are and to rejoice in that! To find joy in each day and laugh generously. We’ve all heard it said that the younger you are, the slower time seems to go; the older you are the faster it flies. At times, I find myself marveling at how different the world seems in a relatively short amount of time, and that can be a scary thing—if we let it be. I remind myself daily to slow down and see the good around me and I encourage others to do the same. God is good and He is faithful.

Can you speak of the strengths of Dickinson Catholic Schools?

As I reflect on the strengths of our schools, I keep going back to the richness and fullness of life at our schools—strengths that can be attributed to greatness of love. First, Trinity is a beautifully welcoming place, where a helping hand is easily found and any thirst for knowledge is met with a generous willingness to teach. On any given day, you can easily find good things, big things happening here; but what is so remarkable are the little things that happen in the midst of the big things. Little things that teach us about the great love that is the source of our vibrancy. An example of one such little thing happened after reading a story to a class of our youngest Titans. When preparing to leave and saying my goodbyes, a sweet little girl with her arm waving high above her head, in a perfect chipmunk-like voice called out, “Goodbye! I love you!” With a big hug, she sent me out into my day with an extra spring in my step and appreciation for the little things that make this place so special. That student knows she is loved, feels that love in our schools and in turn, made sure that I knew that I was loved. In our big moments and big happenings that are cause for excitement, little moments like this one speak to the divine source of love that is our strength and the foundation of who we are and all that we do—whether big or small.

What are some of the more immediate challenges ahead of you?

It is no secret that competing with publicly funded schools for talent when our budgets look a lot different can be a challenge for us. However, where we can’t always compete from a wage standpoint, we make up for with our culture, class sizes and the very welcome and real presence of Jesus in our schools. Working in the vineyard of Catholic education is a blessing and we see our work bearing fruit when we are faced with the challenge of growth—as we are today. Our enrollment in the junior high and high school is up this year and we have full classes in nearly all elementary grades. In fact, our pre-K was full with a waiting list the first day we opened registration for the current school year. This challenge has tasked us with making what will be generational decisions for the future of Trinity Catholic Schools that are really quite exciting! This includes the construction of a new Early Childhood Center, with room to right-size our current elementary facilities by including classrooms for an additional section each of K-4 as well as atrium space to offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to our students and faith formation students from all four Dickinson parishes.

Often put forth is the mission to educate the whole student—mind, body and soul. What does that mean to you?

Catholic education and our mission at Trinity are so important to me for a number of reasons. First and foremost, as a parent of two school-age girls who have also attended public schools, I have experienced the very real difference Catholic education makes in the lives of students and their families. Educating the whole student—mind, body and soul—provides the quiet assurance that every kid needs to know that they are so much more than a body, in a seat, in a classroom. Nurturing their awareness of the totality of who they are and how precious they are to God not only helps them to become positive contributors to the world around them today, but also awakens greatness in them for all their tomorrows. I am honored and humbled to play even a modest role in the formation of our children—our future—and the enormity of this gift is certainly not lost on me.