Courtney Jude '11

Courtney Jude '11, left, and his wife, Christian Lewis-Jude ’12, who also has a career in education.

Tell us a bit about your career.

I am a principal at Lexington Elementary, a St. Louis Public School. It’s 99 percent African American, and qualifies for the city's free lunch program. Many of my friends from Knox are also in education and educational administration. Being a principal is something I always wanted to do.

Who influenced you to come to Knox, and who influenced you while you studied at Knox?

I’m originally from Chicago. I played basketball and ran track in high school. My high school coach, Mervin Swanson, was a Knox alumnus. I visited Knox and met the basketball and track coaches and fell in love with Knox and the area. 

I remember calling my parents at home while I was standing on the now-named Tim Heimann Court and saying, “I’ve made my decision.” Knox felt like home.

I also played basketball at Knox for Rob Purlee and Barry Swanson, who was not related to Mervin. Barry was also a professor in the Department of Educational Studies and was a mentor for me. He helped me figure life out and has always been in my corner. I know that even to this day, I could call him for some very sound advice.

Steve Schroth was also a professor in the department who was pivotal in my educational and personal development. Jason Helfer was the chair of the department and also very influential for me. Diana Beck, George Appleton Lawrence Distinguished Service Professor Emerita of Educational Studies, taught me the need for hard work. I wasn’t prepared when I arrived at Knox, and I had to drop one of her classes. She was honest and told me I wasn’t prepared, but I went back and took it again. She taught me what it means to be 100 percent invested in what a student needs. She molded me as an educator. It felt good to know that she believed in me.

How else did Knox prepare you for your career?

The Department of Educational Studies at Knox is ahead of its time. Education is something that continuously changes. The things that worked in a classroom in 2010 may not be the same things that work just 10 years later, but there are things I learned at Knox in 2010 that are just starting to come into general usage now. I was prepared, I knew what was coming.

Knox instilled in me the idea that data matters, so you can use it in real time to edit the game plan for student success. One of the major ways we use data right now is with reading instruction. We use progress monitoring assessments to track students’ grade-level equivalency (GLE) progress. We use this data in order to determine next steps and needs for students.

You can tell the difference when someone comes from Knox. I learned a lot from being around other education majors like Chris Mahone '11, Maurice McDavid '10, Deandre Henderson '10, Jordan Lanfair '11, Sean O'Keeffe '12, and so many others. We were dreamers then, and we are dreamers now. We want to succeed and want to learn.

What else stands out from your Knox experience?

I started dating Christian Lewis-Jude ’12 when I was teaching in Galesburg right after I graduated. Even though we started our relationship after we both graduated, our love for Knox was a commonality that still is prevalent today. We now have two children, a son, 7, and a daughter, who is 3. My wife and I are very close to many people who live in Galesburg, even those that are not associated with the College.

I was part of the group that started recording the oral histories of Black residents in Galesburg. The late Pastor Jon Sibley was one of the people I interviewed. I loved hearing his thoughts about how things had changed in Galesburg. In the education program, we had to do field experience. We got to know parents, teachers, and kids. You learn about the city, and you fall in love with it.

There’s no place like Knox. When you meet someone who went to Knox, there is joy that comes across their faces when you talk about shared experiences.