Though down a principal, Gibault Catholic High School began the 2025-26 academic year welcoming some new administrators, the two having their own histories as student and staff alumni.

Stepping in as the school’s president is David Gregson, while the school’s English department chair Haley Kovarik has also taken on the role of assistant principal.

Gregson’s most recent work in Catholic education had him in Columbia, serving as principal at Immaculate Conception School.

Originally from Hecker, Gregson graduated from Gibault before attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for a Bachelor of Science in business education, furthering his education with a Master of Arts in pastoral studies from the Aquinas Institute of Theology and a Master of Science in educational leadership from McKendree University.

His first teaching job took him to Chicago, where he taught at Providence St. Mel School for three years.

From there, he returned to his old stomping grounds at Gibault in 1993, starting as a business teacher and going on to serve as campus minister for a time, departing as dean of students after 25 years at the school.

Gregson then stepped in as principal at St. John Neumann Catholic Grade School in Maryville in 2018, jumping to ICS in 2021.

Speaking on his return to Gibault, Gregson was enthusiastic about the school year ahead and was quite pleased with the welcome he’s received having officially returned in July.

“I’m very excited to be back,” Gregson said. “I’ve been getting reacquainted with a lot of alumni that I haven’t seen or touched base with in a long time, so that’s starting to happen more and more. Meeting new families is always exciting. Meeting new students that are ready to learn here at Gibault. It’s just been great.”

Among many past and present staff and faculty members at Gibault who graduated from the school, Gregson had excellent things to say about his alma mater given its impact on him as a student and educator.

“Gibault laid the groundwork for me as a student here from 1980-1984,” Gregson said. “I loved being a student here. I think it really changed me and helped me figure out who I was and what direction to take in life by some of the amazing teachers I had in those days. When the opportunity came open in ’93 to come back here, I was thrilled… I stayed for 25 years and am just excited to continue on that and provide very special, life-changing opportunities for children in this generation.”

Gregson officially holds the title of president at Gibault, a position added by the diocese in recent years to focus on more of the outward-facing, community-oriented responsibilities of a typical principal position.

While the principal is meant to handle more of the school’s internal, day-to-day operations, it’s likely Gregson will have a hand in these duties given the departure of Dr. Geoffrey Miller just prior to the start of the school year.

Regarding his hopes as he takes on the role of administrative leader, Gregson placed emphasis on community. He spoke about a desire to both increase the student population at the school and welcome back graduates.

“I’d like to get the enrollment up, I’d like to get more students here,” Gregson said. “We are a very vibrant school. We have a lot to offer. One goal is to increase enrollment and another is to get the alumni back involved. Let them reexperience the feeling of the uniqueness of Gibault… Just because you graduate in four years doesn’t mean that you’re gone. This is still your home.”

Working alongside Gregson in the role of assistant principal is Kovarik, who also serves as Gibault’s college planning coordinator on top of acting as English department chair and teacher.

Kovarik grew up in Ellis Grove, attending grade school in Chester before graduating from Gibault in 2010.

She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Saint Louis University.

After college, she worked at Southwestern Illinois College, where she filled a number of roles including academic advisor.

Kovarik started at Gibault in 2018, stepping in as an English teacher and also handling the school’s dual-credit English classes with SLU.

Wearing quite a few hats, Kovarik said working with students in so many capacities helps her really get to know them, which will hopefully serve her well in her new position.

“I have so many different ways to get to know our students which just helps more and more in this role,” Kovarik said. “I can know them as their teacher, I can know them from college and career planning, I still sponsor student activities… All of that, I think, helps in the role of assistant principal.”

She further commented on her shift into administration. While her passion for teaching remains, she also has an interest in contributing to some of the school’s broader operations.

“I guess over time I found myself wanting to get more involved in decision-making and taking more leadership roles like becoming the English department chair and then leading the curriculum committee,” Kovarik said. “It just sort of naturally came that I felt like I had time and gifts to offer.”

Like Gregson, Kovarik also had good things to say about her high school, commenting on the community unique to Gibault and why a number of graduates who have pursued careers in education have been happy to return.

“I think it’s no accident that so many Gibault alumni end up working here later,” Kovarik said. “Everybody who has been through Gibault says that Gibault is like a family, and I have felt that. So many of my family have gone to Gibault… My husband and his family went to Gibault, and there’s just such a, in my experience, warmth and welcomeness and uniqueness to this place that makes you want to come back.”

She expressed optimism about the school year to come, making note of the newly introduced “house” system intended to serve as a change from typical homerooms, with students being sorted randomly into a house – each based around a particular saint and virtue – that will serve as a student-led community for them throughout their time at Gibault.

Regarding her new responsibilities, Kovarik said she looks forward to working even more with the students.

She acknowledged the assistant principal position is largely about discipline, remarking that the root of discipline is “disciple” – so her emphasis in that area will still be placed on teaching.

“The assistant principal is student-facing, so my biggest hope is that – over this year and as long as I serve in this role – that our students are safe, that they’re healthy, that they’re flourishing, that they’re growing in their faith, that they know that I am here to help and support them and guide them,” Kovarik said.

As she looks forward to working with Gregson, the president voiced his high opinion of her.

“Haley’s been around here for a while now,” Gregson said. “She understands it, and she’s taken off with this role, jumping right into it and doing a great job.”

Gregson further summarized his hopes for the school year and his tenure as Gibault president.

“The bottom line is, we want a school where these kids can learn and be themselves and grow spiritually and mentally,” Gregson said.