For the month of February, JCSD 509J is spotlighting Cody Kollen for the work he does every day as an English Language Arts (ELA) teacher at Madras High School. He has taught at MHS for the past 21 years.
Mr. Kollen comes from a family of teachers. He said that was a big influence for him growing up. His mom is a retired teacher who taught in Crook County School District, his sister is a teacher in the Bend La-Pine School District, and his grandparents were teachers in the Culver School District. His wife, Sara Kollen, is a 3rd grade teacher at Warm Springs K-8 Academy.
“Both of my parents were really big on picking something that’s going to give back and help people, and I believe education does that,” he said. “That’s an important part of why I do what I do.”
Watch the video to learn more about Cody and his time in JCSD 509J!