The beginning of the school year signals lots of change: different schedules and classes, a redeveloped roof (at least this year), and, of course, brand-new faces in the halls, Stoughton High School’s newest Assistant Principal, Lance Masters, amongst them.
Originally from the state of Oregon, Masters moved to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, eight years ago. Since then, he’s settled in Stoughton with his wife of 14 years and two children, Brazil and Scout, who are in sixth and seventh grade, respectively. Despite not being Stoughton natives, Masters and his family feel right at home.
“We love the town,” Masters said. “I think the first weekend my wife was here, she fell in love with the downtown. There’s just so many different things. Our girls love it.”
Although he serves as our assistant principal now, Masters began his teaching career at an outdoor school in Oregon. He also attended Wabash College in Indiana, majoring in History. After graduating, Masters earned his teaching certification in Oregon, becoming a Social Studies and English teacher at a small school in the Columbia River Gorge. After teaching for several years, he decided to pursue administration.
“I had a number of leadership positions as a teacher, and one of the things I realized was that I could have a bigger impact on students by supporting their teachers,” Masters said.
As an administrator, Masters has a range of responsibilities, such as supporting others, which he feels is a vital responsibility that comes with the position.
“My number one role here is to believe in people and help them succeed in meeting their goals, whether that be our students or staff,” Masters said. “I have a lot to learn about how we do things here, and so far, I’ve just been finding out what the teachers need, sometimes I’m helping students find their way to class, and sometimes I’m helping them write papers.”
Another responsibility Masters has as an assistant principal is to help the student body with what they plan to pursue after graduation.
“Helping our students finish off the last part of their public education [is important], but also that preparation for whatever’s next. […] We’ve got four years here to get ready for it, and I just love that challenge,” Masters said. “I believe people are going to live up to their potential and always become better. I think that, as humans, that’s what we do, but sometimes we get stuck. I want to be in a position where I can help people just keep getting better and better. And that goes for students I work with, teachers I work with, whoever it is, I just believe in people. I want to help them be part of a team and a system where we can get better.”
Outside of school, Masters enjoys spending time with his family, paddleboarding (a hobby he recently persuaded his daughters to try), and watching sports. Masters is an avid Portland Trailblazers fan, although he also enjoys Wisconsin sports due to the influence of his wife, a Wisconsin native, joking, “I married into the Green Bay Packers.”
Masters also shared a core belief of his that he thinks contributes to success: one’s attitude. According to Masters, everyone has control over their attitude, but there are also some universal aspects to life that can help people find joy and resilience. Some examples he cites are practicing gratitude (such as through writing thank you notes, something Masters aims to do as often as he can), developing our sense of curiosity, building community, and—his personal favorite—having fun.
“[We can try] to find different ways to adjust our attitude, just by going back to these universals. Let’s play a game. Let’s find something we’re grateful for. Let’s investigate something we’re interested in. Let’s be part of something bigger than ourselves. You know, what are the groups and communities that are going to help us thrive?” Masters said. “I’m passionate about helping [others] be successful, and I want them to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. We can achieve more when we’re all working together.”