About Colin
Hometown: Lancaster, PA
Degree: B.A. in Economics from Wheaton College (IL), 2018
Colin Wolgemuth entered the TeachHouse community in June 2021, studying in Duke’s MAT program as a Durham Teaching Fellow. He earned a B.A. in Economics from Wheaton College (IL) in 2018, and moved to Chicago’s south side following graduation. There he organized youth programing for a bi-lingual community church, and supported a justice-centered university student movement in the city. During the summer of 2020, Colin transitioned to Durham, NC. There he joined TRAILS Carolina, a wilderness therapy company which specializes in behavioral intervention programs for at-risk adolescents. In January of 2021 he transitioned, and began teaching 4th grade at Triangle Day School in Durham. Colin is passionate about the intersection of student development and ecological sustainability, and during the spring of 2021 he spearheaded a habitat reclamation project of 100 acres in southern Durham County. Also passionate about fitness, Colin is a regular hiker, biker, and walker. Colin loves to cooks and recommends the book, “The Supper of the Lamb” as a primer for any layman interested in the sacred ritual of hosting a dinner party. Colin is from a large family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Why do you want to become a teacher?
I aim to teach because I believe in the power of education. Quality education expands the mind, affords one greater appreciation of the world, and provides a more nuanced perspective of what is happening around them. It allows one to draw connections between seemingly unrelated disciplines and appropriately apply knowledge to solve complex problems with creativity. It is also, if done equitably, an equalizer. It gives students access to ideas and opportunities that need to be known and taken, especially to historically oppressed and marginalized groups. Quality and transformational education sets the trajectory for a life of wonder and meaningful contribution.
What would you like to do when you grow up?
My vocational dream since high school has been to direct a youth camp on a site of a working avocado orchard. Camps can be "heavenly" spaces or exploration and achievement, and I desire to provide this experience to students who are seeking the understand the world in a fully measure. Also, I am a 12-year-old boy at heart, who is always ready to go back to camp.
