Sonya Simril
Love As Leadership
The Power of Staying
Love is often framed through grand gestures, bold declarations, moments designed to be witnessed. In the world of education, love shows up differently. It arrives early, stays late, and for Sonya Simril, it’s also consistent and disciplined. Such is the life of an accomplished educator who is deeply rooted in service.
After more than thirty-five years in education, Simril understands that love shows up in quiet ways too. For instance, encouraging the child who pauses at the classroom door. Or supporting the teacher who bears the signs of exhaustion. There are also the times when you have to make that call to parent long after the last school bell rings. Love in Sonya Simril’s world is not loud but faithful.
Early in her career, one moment clarified the path ahead. A young student who was struggling academically and emotionally looked at her one morning and asked: “Do you think I’m bad?” In that instant, Simril understood that no curriculum or lesson plan could matter until a child felt valued. Education, she realized, would always require heart.
In an era that rewards constant reinvention, Sonya Simril’s career stands as a quiet counterpoint: She stayed. Decades devoted to one school community allowed her to cultivate something rare—continuity. At Saint Leo the Great, she has taught students and later welcomed their children into the same classrooms. That level of longevity builds trust, shared values, and a sense of belonging that cannot be rushed.
Staying, she believes, is an act of love. It signals presence without an expiration date. Growth does not always require change; often, it requires commitment. When families and educators know you are there for the long haul, they are more willing to trust the process.
With that trust comes responsibility. Simril is acutely aware that leadership leaves echoes. Words spoken, decisions made, standards upheld. These linger long after the school year ends. Consistency, she knows, carries weight.
Sonya is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she was raised as the youngest of eight children in a close-knit family rooted in faith and strong values. Her parents emphasized the importance of higher education, instilling confidence and a belief that learning could open doors. That foundation continues to guide Sonya’s leadership today and her enduring commitment to educating and forming the whole child.
Love as Leadership
For Simril, compassion and accountability are not opposing forces, they are interdependent. Simril believes that clear expectations create safety. Honest conversations build trust. “When people know they are cared for, they are more receptive to correction”, she says.
Some of the most loving moments in leadership, she reflects, are the most difficult. Love does not avoid truth. It speaks it—clearly, respectfully, and with intention. Empathy allows understanding; clarity allows leadership.
Do your best & let God do the rest.
Seeing the Whole Child
To truly see a child, Simril believes, is to recognize that learning is inseparable from emotional and social well-being. Academic growth cannot thrive without safety and belonging. Love in education means acknowledging the whole child.
When students face challenges at home, she offers grace without lowering expectations. Structure, support, and consistency teach students that hardship does not define them—but resilience can. Years later, former students return with a realization that stays with her: what they remember most is not a lesson, but how safe they felt. How protected. How seen.
Families, Faith, and Partnership
Trust with families is built through honesty, respect, and a shared commitment to the child’s well-being. Even in difficult conversations, Simril remains grounded in care. Parents may not agree with every decision, but they recognize when choices are made with fairness and intention.
In moments of vulnerability, leadership becomes pastoral. Sometimes love simply means being present—listening, reassuring, holding space. Education, she believes, works best when partnership leads the way.
Service, Recognition, and Responsibility
Beyond the school, Simril’s service extends into the broader community through board leadership and civic involvement. She chooses where to give her time based on mission and impact, guided by where collaboration can strengthen the whole.
Her work has not gone unnoticed. She has been honored with an Educator Award from the NAACP Oakland Branch and received a Certificate of Recognition from the Mayor of Oakland—acknowledgments that reflect not a single achievement, but decades of steady leadership. In January 2026, she is scheduled to receive an additional Educator Award from the Diocese of Oakland, the auspicious recognition that underscores the depth of her service and faith-centered leadership.
The awards are affirmations but they don’t overshadow Simril’s purpose. Service, she believes, is love made actionable. It requires commitment beyond convenience and responsibility beyond intention.
Women, Strength, and Self-Preservation
As a woman in leadership, Simril has navigated the expectation to lead with both strength and care. She rejects the notion that one must be sacrificed for the other. True leadership allows firmness and compassion to coexist.
Self-love, she shares, has meant setting boundaries, leaning into faith, and honoring rest. You cannot serve well without tending to your own spirit. To young women who fear leadership requires losing softness, her message is unwavering: softness is not a weakness. It is a leadership asset.
As her guiding principle reminds her daily: “Do your best & let God do the rest.”
Love as Legacy
Legacy, for Simril, is measured in people, not programs. She hopes students leave carrying faith, kindness, confidence, and responsibility—knowing they are loved and expected to make a difference, particularly for those less fortunate.
One of the most meaningful affirmations of her life’s work arrives unexpectedly: wedding invitations from former students. Nearly every year, she travels to witness these milestones—powerful reminders that education extends far beyond the classroom. These moments, she says, have enriched her life both professionally and personally.
She is equally clear that her success is shared. Her faculty and staff, she insists, are foundational. “They make me look great,” she says often. Their excellence fuels both her leadership and their students’ success.
Looking Forward
What gives her hope remains constant: the children—their curiosity, resilience, and capacity for goodness. Grounded in faith and purpose, Simril remains open-hearted in a demanding profession. Her vision endures: schools as places of belonging, rigor, and hope—where every child is known, every family welcomed, and education remains an act of love.
Family: Beyond her professional accomplishments, Sonya’s greatest joy is her family. She treasures time with her husband, David; her daughter, Serita; and her grandchildren, Victoria, Corey, and Karlie.
Boards: Sonya currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Girl Scouts of Northern California and Carondelet High School. Her additional board affiliations are Saint Mary’s College High School, the Pearl and Ivy Foundation and the Oakland Zoo.
Organizations: A lifelong advocate for service and leadership, Sonya is an active Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated. She is also a proud member of the Alameda Contra Costa (CA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.