Mr. Dale Cote is a man of many titles. A quarterback, father, teacher, superintendent, and now Seattle Prep’s new interim principal. Throughout every job, however, one thing has stayed the same: relationships. Building connections with students, teammates, and colleagues is something he takes pride in, and it is fundamental to a strong community. This idea has driven him throughout his nearly four-decade career, and what brought him to Prep. “That’s what I love about being here,” Cote says, “getting to know students, and the connection with young people. My hope is to be in place to help support them and their growth and wherever life takes them.”
He grew up playing football and played at Central Washington University, before finding his passion in education. Throughout his career, football remained with him, as he reflects, “I liked the coaching and teaching aspect of it, and that drew me towards teaching. That’s kind of how I entered in, because I always wanted to be a teacher, largely because I had great teachers when I was in high school that impacted me.”
Prep wasn’t a certainty for him, as after 38 years working, he was ready to retire, recalling that he “tried to say no to coming here. I say that tongue in cheek, because I really did intend on retiring—maybe teaching a course, volunteering, or doing some consulting. Then Seattle Prep reached out. I wasn’t interested at first, but at this stage of my career I felt I still had some gas left.”
Throughout his career, Mr. Cote has worked all around the greater Seattle area, from Lynnwood to more recently in the Lake Washington School District. Seattle Prep differs from those as he went from around 2,000 to 2,500 students to now just about 800. However, this was one of the main reasons why he came to Prep. “When I got on campus—the size of the school, its reputation, and being with students again—it pulled me in. At Lake Washington, I loved my job, but I didn’t have direct contact with students. That’s what ultimately drew me here.”
In addition to this, the motivation of the students and the will to learn enticed him. Lastly, he says, “the Jesuit pillars stand out—forming well-rounded students, encouraging service, seeing God in all things, and striving for the Grad at Grads. Those values make the experience distinct.”
As the interim principal, it is hard to leave your mark. After all, it is likely a one-year job without a lot of long-term impact. With that being said, he believes that he can create progress and build on things Prep is already doing. “I don’t have a set list of “big goals” this year, because the systems are running well. But if I can look back and feel Seattle Prep is a little bit better because I was here, I’d be proud. That’s what leadership is about: helping, serving, and strengthening the community you are part of.”
