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January 28, 2025

Education GRAD School of Education

It’s 9 p.m. and Cortnee DePoppe M’14 is reading “The Three Little Pigs” to her wiggly, not-so-sleepy 2-year-old daughter, Emmy, in the hopes that in a few more pages, Emmy’s eyelids will start to droop over her curious blue eyes.

When Emmy finally falls asleep, DePoppe can begin her Saint Mary’s graduate coursework for the evening.

However, she may need another cup, or two, of coffee before the evening is over.

DePoppe also has to get up early, as she teaches sixth-grade English language arts and social studies at Le Sueur-Henderson Middle/High School, and she coaches all first-year elementary staff for the school district. Additionally, she teaches a course in Saint Mary’s Master of Arts in Education program while simultaneously attending Saint Mary’s Ed.S. program in Educational Administration.

And let’s not forget that curious and energetic 2-year-old.

“I don’t sit well,” DePoppe said with a laugh. “I’m also a huge coffee shop addict. I’ve taken my little 2-year-old to the coffee shop ever since she was born. I pick her up from daycare and we head over. She has orange juice and I have a latté, except she’s always trying to steal my latté.”

Beyond the constant flow of caffeine, it’s also the natural high of teaching that keeps DePoppe going.

“I love shaping the minds of young people into thinking positively about school, and I’m a big advocate for social-emotional learning,” she said. “There are so many aspects that go into teaching: daily obstacles, life changes, social media, all the things. The best part of my job is being with kids and instilling confidence in all of them while building them up to be the people they will become.”

DePoppe said she tells her students that inside her classroom, they are a family, and she loves it when her students say that she is like their second mom.

“In 13 years, I’ve never had parent issues, but sometimes I do want to take some kids home,” she said. Knowing that students don’t always have the home support that they need can be challenging. “I see when students aren’t getting enough sleep or when they have added pressures of having to take care of younger siblings, etc.” she said. 

Caring for her students exists well beyond 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., as does her workload, but the payoffs are worth it. DePoppe is proud to say her school has one of the highest Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment scores in the region for English language arts. “We’re doing a lot of deep diving into reading curriculum, data, comprehension, higher-level critical thinking, and extending thinking about how to process,” she said. “With COVID-19, vocabulary and reading all took a hit, but we’re finding ways to bounce back.”

DePoppe earned her M.Ed. from Saint Mary’s when she and a friend went through the program together. 

“I loved the program,” she said. “I kept in touch with a few of the instructors, and one day, the program director reached out, and he offered me a teaching spot. I thought if there was one class I could feel comfortable teaching at the master’s level, it would be this one – How Children Learn, my favorite class when I was in the program. It’s been seven years, and I love it every single time. In this course, learners compare child development and behavior theories. Learners also explore patterns of human development to identify warning signs of mental health disorders, abuse, and addiction, as well as analyze their statutory obligations as mandated reporters. 

“I get to continue promoting Saint Mary’s. I love Saint Mary’s,” she said.

And now, through the university’s Trusted Partnership Program, DePoppe qualified to return to Saint Mary’s to obtain her Ed.S. degree in Educational Administration.

Saint Mary’s has partnered with numerous businesses, school districts, healthcare systems, professional associations, and other organizations in Minnesota and nationwide to offer employees opportunities to advance in their careers — and save money.

Through the Trusted Partnership Program, employees of partnering organizations, like DePoppe’s school district, qualify for a significant tuition discount.

“It’s a good opportunity for me to be able to get that degree and have it under my belt,” she said. “I have always loved to learn. That’s the nerdy side of me. I guess I just love being in school. I have been tapped for leadership by some different colleagues and former administrators, so if the opportunity arises some day and the timing feels right, then I’d have my ducks in a row.”

She’s also grateful for the tuition discount.

“I think every penny that educators can save is awesome, and I appreciate those who recognize that, especially being a full-time teacher and full-time mom. Everybody in every profession can be giving but teaching is constantly giving. You’re spending money out of your own pocket constantly. It entices educators to want to be even more giving when they have that partnership opportunity.”