The Catholic Diocese of Gary announced Friday that Katie Collignon will serve as Marquette Catholic’s next principal. The move erases the interim tag on the position she has held since August 8th, 2023.

“The hiring committee and I are ecstatic that Mrs. Katie Collignon has agreed to be the next principal of Marquette Catholic High School. Her spirit of collaboration, diverse skill set, and dedication to Marquette’s mission make her the perfect candidate to lead the school. During this year as interim principal, Collignon has grown enrollment, increased fundraising, expanded the school’s leadership structure, and advanced school offerings for students,” said Ms. Colleen Brewer, superintendent of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Gary.

Collignon is in her eighth academic year at Marquette Catholic. She was hired in June 2016 to reshape the school’s athletics department and assume the position of head girls basketball coach. Collignon steered the Blazers to state championships in 2018 and 2019 and stabilized Marquette’s standing with the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to serve the Marquette community. For eight years, I’ve witnessed what young adults can accomplish when paired with a brilliant faculty that strives to educate the whole student. Our ability to instill students with a moral compass while offering them a vast menu of dual credits makes Marquette a special school,” Collignon said.

In addition to terms as head girls basketball coach (2016-present), director of athletics (2016-2023), and vice principal (2020-2023), Collignon has also served as head cross country coach (2016) and head softball coach (2023). She will continue to guide the girls basketball team, which under her leadership is poised to make its third state finals appearance this Saturday.

Collignon’s terms as vice principal and interim principal coincided with increased enrollment figures. Marquette Catholic’s current freshman class - the Class of 2027 - is the largest since 2015. The school’s Class of 2028 is projected to surpass that. 

“Katie’s energy and optimism are contagious, and her positive leadership style makes her worthy of guiding Marquette in its next chapter,” Brewer concluded.

The daughter of a third-grade teacher, Collignon is a native of Woodhaven, Michigan. She graduated from Ferris State University where she majored in accounting and marketing while playing point guard for the Bulldogs. Collignon earned her master’s degree in sports administration from Valparaiso University while an assistant women’s basketball coach. She will complete her master’s degree in educational leadership from Indiana University this May.

Her husband, Brad, is Marquette Catholic’s director of athletics and director of public relations. The Collignons reside in Michigan City.