Top Teacher

As one of five finalists for Iowa's 2023 Teacher of the Year, Levi has been recognized for his teaching excellence. As an instructional coach, he is striving to help others learn how to live a life of excellence—and succeeding. His M.Ed. in Educational Administration has equipped him to use his influence in new leadership roles.

I love the profession of education. Getting the opportunity to impact students in a positive way is a very humbling experience.

What makes Northwestern Stand Out?

The administrator mentorship portion is very beneficial. This allowed me to take what I was learning in course work and then apply that to real situations and work through them with a current administrator. Second, I believe being able to focus on one course at a time (8-week courses) was outstanding to prevent feeling overloaded. 

Professors have always been willing to ask tough questions to truly make you stretch and grow your thinking about personal and school leadership. 

How did your master's program impact your role as an educator and leader? 

The master's in educational administration program greatly impacted the development of my leadership, not only in my classroom, but in my school overall. I developed knowledge to help support students and teachers as they grow in their pursuit of improving themselves. The NWC program does an excellence job of emphasizing ways to reach all students in their development process, whether that be in the classroom or other ways to connect with students. I also had the opportunity to move into an instructional coach position after earning my masters.

What advice would you give other educators?

If you are thinking about getting started with your master's, simply start! Northwestern is a top tier institution to get your M.Ed. With the course structure and supports that are in place, you will find the program to be very helpful and rewarding!