41 years, 7,380 school days, or 51,660 class periods of teaching. Throughout entire generations of students passing through, one teacher has remained, teaching class after class of Mustangs.

After over four decades of teaching and developing the Latin program that she herself flagshipped, Julia Kolander plans to retire this year.

“I am looking forward to a little more freedom in my travel, volunteering, and general day-to-day life,” Kolander said.

Throughout her time here, Kolander has impacted hundreds of students’ lives, especially those in the close-knit community fostered by her own Latin program.

She has poured into these students for decades, occasionally even teaching multiple generations of the same family. While her teaching structure has changed year to year, her love for her students and content has never faltered.

“Although, of course, my delivery has changed a wee bit, I think that my enthusiasm has never wavered. I think that it has always been there, because I truly enjoy being around kids this age,” Kolander said.

This passion is tangible in the way Kolander interacts with her students. Each year, she deliberately reinvents how she teaches each unit to accommodate and resonate with each particular grouping of students.

“I try to translate my love of my field and reinvent it — I don’t think there’s been one day I’ve taught the same in 40 years. I have a different audience, different levels of understanding, and a different set of students,” Kolander said. “It’s kind of fun to figure out ways to communicate with each unique set of students, and you have to accept that. You have to know it’s going to be fun for you to do this; otherwise, don’t be a teacher.”

This effort and intentionality in her teaching have not gone unnoticed by her students, such as senior Isaiah Jacobson.

“It’s always been a different type of vibe from her [than with other teachers]… she’s good at being the interactive teacher who is very chill, but also really pushes you,” Jacobson said.

Kolander has taught Jacobson for three of his four high school years, as well as proctoring the Latin Club, which he is a part of. Throughout their numerous interactions, he’s not only learned Latin but also the power of consistency and determination.

“One of her [Kolander’s] mottos is ‘just a little bit every day’. I try to live by that. She says that you just have to put in something every day; it doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t have to be a lot. You just keep putting in something every day, and you build that consistency and go from there,” Jacobson said.

Coming straight from grad school at UNL to building the Latin program in the Millard district, she grew the program until, after three years of back-and-forth between here and Millard South, it became large enough that she could take on a full-time position at MN.

“When I came from Lincoln and was starting here, one of the things I had heard was ‘North’s a gunner school. If you’re going to teach there, you better be prepared every day to work hard, because that’s the expectation in that high school,’ and I went ‘bring it on’,” Kolander said.

Starting here in 1984, she launched the new Latin program, building the curriculum and starting the trend throughout the district. Originally, she traveled back and forth from MN and Millard South before eventually settling here in a full-time position when the program grew large enough to support it.

While the Latin programs in the other two Millard schools have since been discontinued, the program here at MN has been maintained throughout the decades.

“All the high schools have had it [the Latin program], but ours is the only one that maintained enough enrollment, enough interest, and, this is the key thing, administrative support… when you get support from your administration, that makes all these things possible, and that was what allowed me to continue and grow this program,” Kolander said.

These factors, not to mention Kolander’s consistent effort, have allowed the program to flourish at MN. What started as a couple of students in small classes has grown into a fully developed program with classes almost every hour of the school day.

“At first, Latin was just a few classes, but she grew it into what it is today. She has definitely made her mark on the way Latin has been taught here, [and on] countless students and their love for classical languages and the ancient world,” Latin teacher Matt Meyer said.

With Kolander’s retirement, Meyer will assume the role of Latin Department Head, switching from teaching Latin, AP World, and IB Theory of Knowledge to teaching Latin exclusively.

[I’m hoping] to maintain all the excellent things that Magistra has done over the years… and I’m really looking forward to teaching [solely] Latin. I love the kids, Latin kids are just excellent students, and so that’ll be fun to have them throughout the years,” Meyer said.

Meyer is hoping to keep much the same, continuing the programs and activities thoughtfully designed by Kolander, while simultaneously adding his own insight and design to the curriculum.

“I am excited for every new perspective and technique he will bring to the program.  My current scholars will appreciate hearing new jokes–for sure,” Kolander said.

Throughout the development of the Latin program, it has seen many unique eras, and this one is no different. Like with challenges of the past, like adjusting to new technologies or culture shifts, the Latin program will adapt to those changes while remaining true to its roots.

“Things have to change. It’s like having a child grow up: one day, they’re crawling on the floor, and now they’re running in a race on the track. It’s bittersweet, but you accept it; it is what it is. You may have nostalgia for when they were crawling, but you see the beauty in each stage too,” Kolander said.