Martha Weld, MAED '08

A former teacher-turned-administrator, Martha Weld, MAED '08 left her heart in the classroom.

“I always knew I wanted to teach,” explained Martha, who has served as curriculum director for O’Fallon Township High School (OTHS) in O’Fallon, Illinois, for the last four years. “When I left the classroom, I missed it so much it was a grieving process for me.”

A 2008 Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Leadership graduate, Martha never put down her books. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in higher education at Saint Louis University. “I love learning. I love teaching. I love the entire process,” she said. “The only high school I ever wanted to teach at was O’Fallon High School. When you’re a teacher, you are constantly exploring, learning and growing.

“In my life’s plan, I always thought I would have another four or five years in the classroom – get my Ph.D. and then have the job I have now,” noted Martha. “But things moved a little faster than I thought they would.”

Before teaching, Martha briefly worked in the hotel industry. She wanted to learn more about the world, so she could impart that knowledge to her students.

“The rewarding part of my job now is working with the educators,” she said. “I get to work on a daily basis with extraordinary colleagues I respect.”

She credits McKendree with helping her succeed. “When I was working toward my master’s degree at McKendree, I really liked the fact you went through the program with the same group of students,” she said. “You developed meaningful relationships.

I also really appreciated the fact you could focus on learning and they made signing up for classes so easy. The people there really cared. I felt very significant. It was a very easy, personal experience.

I was fortunate that McKendree was close by for me,” she said, “but I would have driven a great distance for that kind of education and service.”

Learn more about McKendree University, graduate programs, or the MAED program.