For more than four decades, Susan Podboy Coan had dedicated her life to advocating and ensuring students in Collinwood, East Cleveland and Euclid have access to quality, Catholic education. One of seven children, she and her siblings all attended Villa Angela Academy or St. Joseph High School. As a 1973 Villa Angela Academy alumna, Susan experienced firsthand the transformative power receiving a Catholic education has on young adults.
Prior to attending Villa Angela Academy, Susan attended St. Christine School in Euclid. Susan credits many of her own grade school teachers at St. Christine as being pivotal in her call to become an educator. Sister Helen, Mrs. Stenger and Sister Immaculate at St. Christine were central to shaping her into the teacher she would later become. After graduating from VA, Susan received a bachelor’s degree in K-8 education from Cleveland State University in 1977 and a master’s degree from John Carroll University in 1990. She also went on to marry her high school sweetheart, Robert Coan, a 1973 graduate of St. Joseph High School, and the couple welcomed four sons. Wanting to ensure her children had access to the same faith-based education she and her husband experienced, Susan and Robert purchased and operated an ice cream shop for 14 years to be able to afford Catholic school tuition for their sons. A proud mother, Susan’s greatest accomplishment is seeing her four sons now as men, raising their own children to be faithful followers of God.
Susan’s distinguished teaching career began in 1978 at St. Jerome school where she was hired as a first grade teacher upon graduating from Cleveland State University. In 2004, Susan’s outstanding work as an educator earned her the honor of “Teacher of the Year” by the Diocese of Cleveland.
In 2009, Susan became the principal of her beloved St. Jerome School. At a time when many Catholic grade schools in the area were closing due to low enrollment, Susan made it her mission to make certain families in her community had access to Catholic education. Once on the verge of closing its doors, St. Jerome School saw an astonishing 30% increase in enrollment in the first year under Susan’s leadership. Susan was also instrumental in bringing a preschool to the grade school. St. Jerome has remained steady in its numbers, with an average of 230-250 students enrolled and 100% of its third graders passing the Third Grade Reading Guarantee Assessment each year.
Susan’s dedication to her students and their families is without bounds. She has been personally involved in making the decision on every student enrolled at St. Jerome, working hard to create a group of students who would be able to become successful together. Susan’s commitment to her students goes beyond their years at St. Jerome, as she currently serves on VASJ’s Marianist Urban Student Program (MUSP) scholarship committee. This scholarship offers students from select grade schools, including St. Jerome, the opportunity to attend VASJ and receive a Catholic education. Susan treats her students as though they are her very own by rewarding them with and accompanying classes on annual field trips to exciting places like Niagara Falls, Pittsburgh and Put-in-Bay.
In addition to her work at St. Jerome School, Susan is a certified instructor for the Diocese of Cleveland, teaching the Catechism of the Catholic Church for Catholic school teachers.
Since 2015, Susan has served as the accreditation chair for schools in the Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo dioceses, providing guidance on maintaining their accreditation. The Diocese of Cleveland honored Susan’s steadfast commitment to Catholic education with a Recognition of Service award in 2019.