For Matt Maaske, the journey to school leadership didn’t begin in a classroom. It started in a cubicle.

After earning a degree in finance and economics, Matt spent six years working at Wells Fargo. But something wasn’t clicking. So, in 2009, he walked away from the corporate world and returned to Illinois State University—not to study spreadsheets, but to earn a teaching certificate. He knew almost immediately that he wanted to become an administrator.

Education was, in a way, the family business. His father, a longtime elementary principal, was one of six siblings—all educators in some capacity. And Matt knew he was ready to do something that mattered more to him.

His early teaching years brought him to Canton’s Ingersoll Middle School, where he discovered something unexpected: “I just fell in love with junior high kids,” he says. “I never thought I’d end up in a middle school, but I really connected with that age group.”

That connection has carried him through eight years as principal at Knoxville Junior High School, where he oversees a staff of 40+, an enrollment of roughly 270 students, and a building that stretches from fifth to eighth grade—a span that includes kids still playing with McDonald’s toys and others just weeks away from entering high school.

“It’s a wide range,” Matt says. “But that’s what makes it so important. This is the transition zone. The space where students go from little kid to young adult.”

Matt sees his role as both leader and lifter, helping students grow academically, socially, and emotionally—sometimes in the face of very real challenges.

“You get it all here,” he says. “The tough days, the amazing moments, the conversations where you see a kid turning the corner. You have to be ready for any of it, and all of it.”

His own children remind him of that. One is a fourth grader, one is in sixth grade at the junior high, and the youngest is four. “I’m in the thick of it,” he laughs. “It definitely gives me perspective. I know what it’s like to be a parent navigating all of this.”

That balance between principal and parent shapes how Matt leads. He knows every child is someone’s whole world—and that educators have the privilege and the burden of holding that truth every day.

“You can’t forget that,” he says. “Even if you’re dealing with 270 kids, each one matters. Each one deserves to feel seen.”

That sense of empathy informs the school’s evolving culture. Matt and his team have embraced initiatives that focus on soft skills, leadership development, and emotional growth, from Portrait of a Graduate work to expanded student council opportunities and a standout “Pay It Forward” project run through eighth-grade social studies.

“The project is simple but powerful,” he says. “Each student chooses a way to give back—through a donation drive, community service, or supporting a cause. Then they present their work to the community.”

It’s become one of Matt’s favorite events.

“To stand in the hallway and see all 80 eighth graders sharing what they did for others—it’s humbling,” he says. “These are just kids, but look at what they’re doing.”

Knoxville Junior High is also intentional about screen time. A couple of years ago, the school adopted a no cell phone policy, and while Matt admits it wasn’t easy at first, the results have been dramatic.

“There are more conversations. Less drama. More connection,” he says. “It’s not perfect, but it’s better.”

And for a generation coming of age online, that return to face-to-face interaction is no small thing.

“We’re trying to give them the tools they’ll need later,” he says. “Not just content, but confidence. Not just facts, but resilience.”

That’s what drives Matt: growth. Not just in test scores, but in presence. Poise. People.

“Sometimes we don’t get to see the outcome,” he admits. “We pour into these kids and hope something sticks. And sometimes it doesn’t show up until years later.”

But he keeps showing up. With a steady hand, a clear head, and a belief that the middle matters.

Because it’s not the start. And it’s not the finish.

It’s the moment where direction begins.