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EMBRACING GROWTH AND DEDICATED SERVICE towns in the state of Selangor. A memorable first day at work had a heavy downpour in the afternoon and the grounds of the school were flooded, not able to wade through the waters. He slipped and fell, this incident reminded him that he had received a baptism that confirmed his call to“ teaching minds, touching hearts and transforming lives.”
Commissioned by PIBG of St. Xavier‘ s Institution, this portrait of Br Paul was presented to him on his retirement as Principal of the School.
Journey of Growth Amidst Challenges After two years of teaching experience in Klang, Br Paul was transferred to St. Francis Institution, Malacca for two years. After 4 years in service, he applied for further studies in the United Kingdom, which marked the beginning of his time in Manchester. Despite facing environmental challenges including racial slurs, there were many positive experiences that he was grateful for. Br Paul reflected that he“ made sure I( he) had my degree,” acknowledging the expectations placed upon him. The three years in Manchester proved survivable- thanks to family support.“ I survived every summer because my mother and two brothers were in London. Every holiday, I could take the coach and go back to London,” he explains. This period reinforced an important lesson about religious brotherhood:“ Religious life has many challenges, especially living in community with different personalities. You can’ t run away from them.”
Leadership Through Service His first experience as principal came unexpectedly at age 35.“ No training to be a principal. One day, you just can,” he recalls with characteristic humility. His first leadership position placed him in La Salle Secondary School, Jalan Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. A neighborhood school with many social challenges. The learning and experience in administering the school came from advice from fellow principals, teachers and when I joined“ The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.” After three years in this demanding environment, Br Paul returned to England to pursue his master’ s degree, six