Meet Hope Academy Board Member Marlon R. Llewellyn! When Marlon was serving as a school principal at a neighboring high school, he had a student who was struggling with substance abuse and thought they might be able to benefit from Hope Academy’s offerings and recovery-focused environment.

Marlon already knew Hope’s principal Linda Gagyi from previously working together, so he reached out to her, and was immediately able to get his student and their family the support they needed to enroll.

“I’ll never forget how much Hope Academy gave me hope as a principal to help a family in need,” Marlon shared.

Soon after that experience, Linda reached out to Marlon with an ask of her own. She asked him if he would be interested in joining the board. He was excited to have the opportunity to work with her again and see how he could lend his service as a board member.

In addition to his board duties with Hope, Marlon currently serves on the marketing committee. He holds an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and advertising from Ball State University. He started his career as a teacher in Chicago and has served in K12 education for over 18 years.

“I have been blessed to serve in various leadership capacities, including school principal, in public, private, charter, alternative, and turnaround school environments,” said Marlon. “I now can add higher education to my resume, as I currently serve as the director of recruitment and strategic partnership at Marian University Klipsch Educators College.”

Marlon has found the mission, people, and the students to be the most rewarding aspects of serving on the board at Hope Academy. He is also extremely excited and passionate about what the future holds for Hope.

“I see Hope becoming a beacon of support for our local high schools, students and families. Most importantly, I see Hope becoming the driver of eliminating the stigma associated with recovery high schools and giving students hope across the state,” Marlon added.

In his free time, Marlon loves cooking and gardening. He has been married for 17 years to his talented wife Tracy, who’s an operating room manager at Eskenazi Health. They have two children, Emersyn (14) and Bryce (18).

Marlon says, “I am an advocate and driven by the belief that every person has inherent worth, not earned through wealth, power or status, but beyond human understanding authored by God.”

We are grateful to have Marlon as a board member and advocate of Hope Academy.