Matthew Kammrath

When Matthew Kammrath first arrived at Masters 18 years ago, he taught physics, there were no ethical leadership classes, and the boys’ basketball team had only won four games in the last three years. Now, nearly two decades later, he has left his mark on the school: Kammrath has revitalized the basketball team into a state-championship winning program, created the Business Dynamics class, and most notably, developed an academic department that builds leaders out of students.

About eight years ago, Kammrath realized that he and Eileen Dieck both shared a passion for leadership theory and education. When the curriculum first took off, it was on a much smaller scale than it currently is; according to Kammrath, helping it grow has been his most fulfilling achievement. 

“[What] I’m most proud of is the development of the leadership program, which literally went from Dr. Dieck and I meeting with three students in a hallway, to having a space, teaching three classes, and working with all different kinds of student groups,” he said.

Through the ethical leadership department, Kammrath has worked closely with Dieck for many years. They co-teach classes that delve into leadership theory and develop ideas for improving the Masters community. Dieck described their partnership as a “dream collaboration”, saying “We are better together than we are [alone] and our different perspectives on life based on what we’ve done and where we are in our lives, has really enriched the classes significantly.”

Dieck said, “He is generous and thoughtful… He cares deeply about students. In the years when I first knew him, he would provide for students who didn’t have clothes or sneakers, especially with the basketball team. He just went out of his way in very quiet ways to take care of kids. There’s an essential goodness in him in how he cares about students.”

Kammrath said he will miss the students at Masters the most, because it was rewarding to work with them and observe their growth as individuals.

“Masters admits really good kids… students that you want to help, you want to work with, that you are motivated to be around,” he said, continuing, “It doesn’t necessarily feel like a job coming in to work, because the students that you work with are so engaging and so thankful and appreciative.”

“I think it’s always awesome to see a student, particularly a ninth grade student, who doesn’t necessarily see themselves as a person who is a leader… evolve into somebody who wants to be a captain, who wants to be the leader of a group that they’re a part of, who wants to run for a class president or the co-chair position, because they found something inside of themselves,” Kammrath said.

Kammrath will be moving on to the Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut to take on the role as Director of the Center for Common Good. The role will combine his passion for working with students with his interest in being an administrator, he said.

Kammrath has been a part of Masters for his entire educational career, so while he’s excited to move to his new position, he said he will miss the school and its people.

“It’s been an amazing 18 years, and I’m so thankful for the chance to be here. I really never thought I would be a teacher, but Masters has been a place I’ve been able to call home for 18 years, so I’m just grateful to all the students and everyone who made that possible,” he said.