Fairbury’s Sean Molloy Is Principal Of The Year
The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals has selected Sean Molloy as the 2022 Outstanding New Principal of the Year. This award is presented annually to a principal who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in their school, region, and at the state level. The winner will have demonstrated their enthusiasm for the principalship by support from students, parents, teachers and peers.
Stephen Grizzle, Superintendent at Fairbury Public Schools, praised Molloy by saying, “He combines many great qualities together, such as enthusiastic creativity, empathy for the students, staff, and patrons of the district, effective personnel management through mentoring and accountability, the desire to stay abreast of best-practice pedagogy, and all with an infectious passion for work. He maintains his focus on our students’ academic progress and eliminates barriers to their success.”
Grizzle added, “During my time with Mr. Molloy, I have watched him grow as an administrator and educator and marvel at what our students and staff are able to accomplish through his leadership.”
Molloy has been in education since 2012. Molloy started in an elementary classroom at Kahoa Elementary in Lincoln Public Schools. He was also an instructional coach at Clinton Elementary in LPS. In 2019, Molloy became the principal at Jefferson Intermediate in Fairbury and in 2021 he became the secondary principal at Fairbury High School.
Molloy received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 2011, and also earned a Master of Education in Educational Administration from The University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 2015. He also received his Education Specialist Degree from Doane University in 2021. In 2022, he was named the NSASSP Region I New Principal of the Year and also serves as the Region I Treasurer. Molloy was a member of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA) for four years and belonged to the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals (NSASSP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) each for two years.
Among those singing Molloy’s praises are FPS High School Math Teacher Julie Petersen, who said, “All of the little things quickly add up, but the greatest influence has been his presence. Students and staff witness him not only supervising commons areas, but he is also frequently in the classrooms. He comes in to observe a lesson, check in with students, and leave a note of encouragement for the teacher. Furthermore, Mr. Molloy has created a healthy relationship with students by designing a type of respect balanced with admiration.”
Students also had good things to say about Molloy. Eliana Livingston, a Fairbury High School student, said, “I can say without a doubt that Mr. Molloy is one of a kind, an inspiration, and one of my biggest role models. He puts his all into every aspect of his job, and it shows. Students respect him because he is personable and fair. He has earned respect and adoration from the student body by supporting us in everything we do.”
