Dr. Salome Thomas-EL ’86 to Return to ESU as Undergraduate Commencement Speaker

Alumnus Dr. Salome Thomas-EL ’86 will be the keynote speaker for East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania’s two undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 4 in Koehler Fieldhouse.

Dr. Salome Thomas-EL lives in Pennsylvania with his family and has been a teacher and principal since 1987. He is currently a K-8 principal in Wilmington, Delaware and received national acclaim as a teacher and chess coach at Vaux Middle School in Philadelphia, where his students have gone on to win world recognition as eight-time national chess champions.

Principal EL is the author of the best-selling books, I Choose to Stay (movie rights optioned by Disney Films), and The Immortality of Influence (foreword by Will Smith), which stresses the importance of leadership and service to others. He is also the co-author of three new books, Passionate Leadership, Building a Winning Team, and Retention for a Change. Dr. EL speaks to groups around the country and frequently appears on C-SPAN, CNN, and NPR Radio.

Principal EL is a graduate of ESU and has studied abroad at Cambridge and the University of London, in England. He continued his graduate leadership studies at Lehigh University and holds a doctorate in education leadership from Wilmington University in Delaware. Dr. EL has received the Marcus A. Foster Award as the outstanding school district administrator in Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania’s distinguished Martin Luther King Award. Reader’s Digest magazine recognized Principal EL as an “Inspiring American Icon.” Dr. EL was recently featured on Good Morning America and appeared on the Oprah Radio Network.

The ceremony awarding bachelor’s degrees from ESU’s College of Health Sciences and College of Business and Management will begin at 8:45 a.m. The ceremony awarding bachelor’s degrees from ESU’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of Education will begin at 1:45 p.m.

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