When Dan Walker walked into the classroom to give the pre-snack time prayer, the tiny faces lit up and he was greeted with the excited cries of “Mr. Walker, Mr. Walker” - probably the best character references one can get. The new St. Mary’s Catholic School principal beamed back.

Walker says what he likes best about his job is how fun it is.

“I’m grateful to this parish for giving me this opportunity,” he said. “There’s an innocence about this school. When you have an opportunity to hang onto innocence,” he says of the students, “you jump for it.”

A retired teacher and school administrator, he moved to Albia to be closer to his son and daughter and grandchildren. Daughter Rachel Walker-Corpus teaches in Albia and son Ian lives in Ottumwa and is the district manager for Aldi Foods.

Though he spent his professional years in public schools, he is no stranger to parochial schools. He spent his first 12 years in the parochial school system in Jacksonville, Ill.

“I have a strong place in my heart for parochial schools,” said Walker. “They gave me a great foundation.”

Walker’s first 20 years in the education field were spent as an instructor, teaching English, literature and Russian. His first administrative job was in the East Union School District in Afton. Coincidently enough, the person who hired him in 1997 was Rich Turner, the current Centerville School District superintendent.

Walker acknowledged that small schools like St. Mary’s face many challenges.

“I ‘m hoping people reaffirm their knowledge that this is a good place to send their children,” he says of the preschool through sixth grade school. “Places like this are a treasure and once gone, they’re lost. I feel a strong sense of responsibility to provide excellent instructors and the best care of their children.”

Walker added that parochial schools have a place alongside public education and that they can compliment each other.