Getting to Know SDCOE: Matt Kruger, Juvenile Court and Community Schools Teacher of the Year

While Matt Kruger always wanted to be a teacher, he didn’t pursue that career until he was in his 30s.

However, he found himself teaching others through each of his other jobs, a trait he said was probably inspired by his father, who was an Air Force instructor. In his late 30s, he decided to follow his gut and embrace teaching.

“I have finally found my calling in life and couldn’t be happier,” he said.

As a humanities teacher at San Diego SOAR Academy at the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, Kruger said he’s proud of the difference he has made for some of our most vulnerable students.

One of those students wrote a letter of recommendation, saying that he wouldn’t be graduating this summer and taking college courses if it weren’t for Kruger.

“School was never really something I was into. I was low on credits, unmotivated, and stuck in a mindset that wouldn't allow me to better myself. Matt has helped me solidify the idea that I can go somewhere after this,” the student wrote. “Matt is a great teacher, but even more importantly, he is a great person.”

Kruger created a classroom that felt like a safe place where students could let their guard down and forget about the challenges related to being incarcerated, the student said.

Kruger also taught history at San Pasqual Academy. In that role, he served as an Associated Student Body advisor, helping students see themselves as community leaders.

“I was able to model to students what it is like to be a leader, and what it means to be civic-minded,” he explained. “To this day, some of those young people are now teachers and professionals, leading happy lives, striving to live lives that they couldn’t imagine. I am happy to say I may have had a small part in that.