Father Steve Takes the Helm

Stephen Sundborg, S.J., began as interim president of Seattle University on April 1. Widely known as “Father Steve,” he previously served as the university’s 21st president from 1997 to 2021, guiding SU through a remarkable period of growth, innovation and transformation.

SU’s longest‑serving president, Father Sundborg oversaw major campus developments, took the lead in articulating a mission grounded in the university’s Jesuit, Catholic identity, strengthened academic and co‑curricular offerings, advanced diversity and inclusion initiatives, deepened SU’s engagement with the community and led the university’s return to Division I athletics.

Following the announcement in October that his successor, Eduardo Peñalver, was named president of Georgetown, Father Sundborg—who was named chancellor in 2024—was asked by the Board of Trustees to serve as interim president.

He recently sat down to discuss his approach to the interim role and answer questions on a variety of other topics.*

THE NEWSROOM: What are your priorities for the coming months? How are you approaching the role of interim president?

Father Steve: I'm privileged to be able to step back in as president for an interim period of time until the next president takes office. I was glad to be asked to do that and continue to help Seattle University in whatever way I can. My first priority is to bring continuity in terms of following up the big decisions the university has made.

My second priority is to keep the momentum going—momentum in regard to the integration of Cornish College of the Arts, momentum around the development of the Seattle University Museum of Art, momentum around transitioning to a semester schedule and momentum around implementing Workday (the university’s system for student information, finance, HR and payroll). One thing that strikes me is the efforts that are going into student success. (Those initiatives) are really excellent and I'd like to, in a special way, support them.

A third priority for me would be to get to know the students a bit. I've been chancellor now for two years and that's a role that doesn't give me much opportunity to get to know the students, so I'd like to have an opportunity to have a little bit more engagement with them.

And then, overall, the priority is to have the university in a great position for the next president, as that person comes on to lead the university.

THE NEWSROOM: Along those lines, where would you like Seattle University to be when you hand the reins to the next president?

Father Steve: I would hope we have strong enrollment in all facets—first-time-in-college, continuing, transfer, graduate, professional students. That’s such an important thing for us. It's a vote of confidence in Seattle University and I would like for the new president to be able to come in with a sense there’s an upward trajectory. And connected with that, I hope the next president inherits a confident university. I think there's some very bold decisions that have been made in the last five years by Eduardo and the leaders of the university and faculty and staff. And this is a time to follow up on them.

THE NEWSROOM: What have you been doing since stepping down as president in 2021?

Father Steve: I've had five wonderful years since I was the president of Seattle University—first, some time off to sort of metabolize 24 years as president and then a wonderful experience of two years being an assistant to the president of Georgetown University. I was happy to come back to Seattle University. This is home and for the last two years I've been focused on supporting the university in a more pastoral kind of a way. I've been able to be more directly a priest, doing spiritual direction, working with people in terms of baptisms and weddings, being with people who are approaching the end of their lives and doing funerals. You don't get that much of an opportunity to do that as a president.

THE NEWSROOM: Can you talk about the work you’ve been doing with groups on bringing the Jesuit practice of discernment into the decision-making process?

Father Steve: Much of my focus at Georgetown and since I’ve been back as chancellor has been on “discernment in common,” a process that goes back to the origins of the Jesuits. How does a group make a decision that is guided by their deepest listening with one another and with the guidance of the Spirit of God? That’s what discernment in common is about. I’ve been working with a lot of groups on this—here at SU, in the archdiocese, in high schools—and with groups across the country in Dallas, St. Louis, San Jose and Scottsdale, as well. I was also part of a nine-day conference in Salamanca, Spain, with about 100  Jesuits and lay people from around the world. The group was convened by the superior general of the Jesuits, Arturo Sosa, S.J., to figure out practically how to foster discernment in common by training people who can lead it. I’ve enjoyed the work and look forward to returning to it after I serve as interim president.

THE NEWSROOM: How has Seattle University changed since 2021?

Father Steve: I've been so impressed with how the university has matured. We have a much more diverse student body than we did five years ago. And that changes who we are and what our education is like and what our community is like and what our opportunities are. It's very, very important for us. And I think we have a clearer sense of direction. I was so impressed with the way the university's picked up on the strategic plan that we developed in my time but then reignited and implemented it.

THE NEWSROOM: This year you will be celebrating your 65^th anniversary as a Jesuit. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give the 1961 version of yourself?

Father Steve: I was 18 years old when I made my first commitments to be a Jesuit and took lifelong vows. You never know what your life is really going to be. You just have a desire and enough of a sense of a commitment to begin it. So, I think the advice I’d give is take it as it comes, keep your eyes focused on one thing at a time, don't try to look too far ahead, because you never know what challenges and opportunities are ahead.

As a Jesuit, I’ve never really ambitioned anything. It’s always been that I’ve simply responded to the calls that have come, whether from the provincial of the Jesuits or whether it’s from Seattle University to consider being president here or currently being the interim president. The term “career” has never fit me and I don’t think it fits any Jesuit. We don’t have careers—we have calls to do things.

THE NEWSROOM: You are a voracious reader. Have you read any good books recently?

Father Steve: I read a book called The Wounded Generation by David Nasaw, which is about returning from the second World War. It provides a picture of what the United States was in the late ’40s and early ’50s, what shaped those eras and what shaped our universities. Seattle University became a real university, in terms of size, with the GI bill, as soldiers were returning from the war. It’s a great book.

THE NEWSROOM: You also read a lot of poetry. Do you have any suggestions for people who want to read more poetry but have trouble getting into that genre?

Father Steve: There's a little poem by Billy Collins, titled “Introduction to Poetry,” that I’d recommend. It’s the best teaching about what attitude you need to bring to poetry. And then I just encourage you to choose a poet who is accessible for you and read that poet’s works chronologically. It’s kind of like an autobiography of the poet.

THE NEWSROOM: Who were you rooting for when SU played Gonzaga this year?

Father Steve: I got two degrees from Gonzaga but my heart is with Seattle University. There are some Jesuits—also with divided loyalties—who, no matter what you do, remain Gonzaga fans. Not me! This was a phenomenal year for our men's basketball team, so far exceeding anything that I could have expected from our first year in the West Coast Conference. Going into overtime with Gonzaga and then taking St. Mary’s to within two points, beating Stanford, Washington and Washington State, going to the NIT and beating St. Thomas. I loved it!

Does Father Steve Still…

THE NEWSROOM: Let’s switch gears and revisit a few topics from past interviews. During COVID you started visiting and reading books about cemeteries. Is that still something you do?

Father Steve: Yes, I continue to be fascinated with cemeteries. During my two years at Georgetown, I was able to visit all the cemeteries in Washington, D.C., and others associated with Civil War battles such as Gettysburg, as well as those at some Jesuit communities. I find cemeteries historical, I find them spiritual, I find them beautiful and I find them peaceful places to be. It fits into my faith and my contemplative sort of side. I’m often asked to help with funeral services, memorials and burials, and I tell people to come back to the cemetery and spend a little time at this grave of your relative, this holy place, let the memories surface for you. Going to cemeteries is also something I see as part of my ministry.

THE NEWSROOM: Are you still an early riser?

Father Steve: When I was president, I would get up at four (in the morning). I'm now getting up at 4:15 every day.

THE NEWSROOM: Whoa, really sleeping in there…

Father Steve: My goal of getting up early is having some time for prayer and then having the opportunity to walk around Green Lake as many days as I can.

THE NEWSROOM: You used to make the coffee for the Jesuit community as part of your early-morning routine…

Father Steve: Well, the good news is there’s a member of our community who gets up earlier than I do. And he makes a good pot of coffee. He does take weekends off, so I make the coffee on the weekends—at 4:20 or something like that.

THE NEWSROOM: Do you still howl with laughter while watching Home Alone?

Father Steve: I was on an international flight recently and saw one of the movies was Home Alone, so I put it on. I don’t like to use headphones for some reason, but I found it was actually better without the sound because I know the movie so well. I was laughing so hard I was crying and choking. The guy next to me had to be wondering what was going on.

THE NEWSROOM: Do you still spend part of your summer visiting your sister and her family at Lake Winnipesaukee?

Father Steve: I do. I never miss it. It's just wonderful to touch base again with family. There’s a separate cabin and when Father Steve is there, he gets the cabin. And it's perfect because there’s a lot of people around, nephews and nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces and I can disappear into the cabin and it’s a little off-limits. But the grand nephews and grandnieces find their way there to get some candy—it’s not encouraged, though. Every morning, I go out at dawn, put a chair at the very end of the dock and sit there with a cup of coffee, listen for the loons and watch for the first light of the sun streaking across and hitting the farther shore of the lake.

Go deeper:

• Watch a brief video conversation with Father Steve as he shares more about himself, key initiatives underway and his gratitude for the Seattle University community.
• Read his message to the SU community.

*Q&A interview edited for length and clarity.