Jeremy Ekeler, incoming CAO at Pius X High School, has announced Jennifer Tran as the next school principal.
Tran is a former English teacher at Pius X, and has served in Catholic school administration the past six years, the past four as principal at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School. She will officially begin this summer taking over for Terry Kathol, who has accepted the principal position at Columbus Scotus (Tran’s alma mater).
“I’m blessed and excited to have the opportunity to be a Thunderbolt yet again,” Tran said. “I have such great memories of teaching at Pius, and Pius is where I found my love for being an administrator and supporting teachers. I’m overjoyed to be part of the leadership in the school to make positive changes along with keeping cherished traditions. Go Bolts!”
Tran earned her Bachelors Degree in Second English Education and Masters of Education Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has served on committees focused on school safety, crisis management, instructional models, strategic planning, among others.
Ekeler said he has seen Tran’s leadership in important Catholic school issues throughout her career.
“Jenn is a passionate, driven, and rising talent in the Catholic education world and I’m excited to welcome her back to Pius,” he said. “Those who know Jenn are aware of her commitment to excellence, making it no surprise that every step of her career has seen Jenn quickly assume leadership roles.”
Tran started teaching middle school English at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Lincoln, before teaching at Pius X from 2016 to 2019. She served as an assistant principal at St. Peter Catholic School in Lincoln, then became principal at Blessed Sacrament in 2021. It was there she guided the school to successes in academics and faith formation opportunities for the students.
“Most recently, Mrs. Tran’s efforts with Fr. Michael Morin led to the tremendous turnaround at Blessed Sacrament school so many have noted,” Ekeler said. “Personally, I was blessed to work with Jenn in two capacities where she impressed me: as a fellow administrator in the Diocese of Lincoln, and through her advocacy for Nebraska’s Catholic schools during my time at the Nebraska Catholic Conference.”
Jenn and her husband, Khoi, have three children: Oliver (4), Julian (2), and Naomi (11 months). They are members of Blessed Sacrament Parish.
