The new President of the University of Washington in Seattle is eager to begin a new phase in his professional career and to lead the school further in the direction of success. However, in an interview with the Seattle Times, Michael K. Young explained that coming to Washington State from Utah is also giving him a chance at a fresh start after a divorce.

Young, who was the President of the University of Utah until last year, said that it was difficult for his entire family when he and his wife of 25 years, Susan, decided to divorce. More than that, as a Mormon in a largely Mormon environment, Young felt that his divorce was made even harder by critics and speculators.

When his divorce was announced in 2010, Michele Mattsson, a member of the university’s Board of Trustees, described the split with his spouse as “shocking and unsettling.” James Macfarlane, former chair of the University of Utah trustees, said that while Young’s divorce did not endanger his job, it probably did make him want to seek a new start and a new environment.

What did Young have to say about his divorce and the new phase of his life? "Utah is not an easy place to get divorced… It's what happens in a marriage, and I also hope people understand, you don't leave a 35-year marriage casually."