Chancellor Young: How O’Dea Helped Shape His Path of Service

SEATTLE-Chancellor Young says his years at O’Dea High School played a major role in shaping the person he is today. Now a special education teacher at Maple Elementary School and the head track coach at Highland High School, Young carries the lessons of service, brotherhood, and leadership that he first learned as a student.

One of the most meaningful parts of his O’Dea experience was volunteering at Child haven. Young remembers spending time with young children and helping however he could. As he puts it, “We would go over there and spend some time with young children,” and sometimes the most important thing he could offer was simply being “a fun, big kid to play with.” Those moments taught him the value of giving back, something O’Dea encouraged every student to practice.

Young says that the service that O'Dea brings what he learned at home. “It was always something that O’Dea was encouraging us to do, just being a person of service,” he explains. Growing up in a big family, he was already used to helping others, and O’Dea helped strengthen that part of him.

Brotherhood was another major influence. Young remembers being a younger kid watching older O’Dea students from the early ’90s who made him feel included. “All the older brothers were over there supporting us, telling us, ‘Hey, it’s going to be you next,’” he says. That support stuck with him, and he carried it forward as he grew older. Coaches like Coach Kohler, Coach Crotty, and Coach Slat also shaped him. Young says, “They all had big impacts on me and my life,” and he still visits O’Dea to see them when he can.

Young also believes O’Dea taught him how important it is to connect with people. He encourages today’s students to talk to classmates with different interests. “Make as many connections as you can,” he says, because meeting different kinds of people helps you understand the world better. To Young that understanding of others leads to better communication, explaining, “If you can understand people, you can have a conversation,” even when you don’t agree.

One of Young’s favorite memories came from stepping outside his comfort zone. During his junior year, he ended up joining the school musical, something no one expected, including himself. He remembers thinking, “Nobody expected it,” but once he tried it, he discovered new strengths. The experience taught him that trying something new can help you grow in ways you don’t expect.

Young also appreciated how O’Dea helped him stay focused. With fewer distractions, he learned to keep things simple and show up consistently. He jokes about wearing the same outfits each week, but he says it helped him stay grounded.

Today, Young continues to live out the values he learned at O’Dea. Whether he’s teaching elementary students or coaching high school athletes, he tries to give them the same support he once received. Looking back, he says, “That’s what brought me to where I am today,” and he’s proud to carry those lessons forward.