Cape High teacher earns legislative fellowship, doctoral funding

Cape High social studies teacher Kristian Schmidt offers a few words of advice to his students each year: Work hard, treat people nicely, take calculated risks, and you can do anything you set your mind to.

Schmidt is set to take his own risk as he prepares to leave Cape for the University of Delaware, where he will be a funded scholar in the urban affairs and public policy doctoral program of the Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration.

As part of the appointment, Schmidt will earn a stipend for working as a research assistant for the university Center for Community Research and Service, which focuses on public health and health care services, community leadership and development, housing and homelessness. 

Schmidt was also awarded a legislative fellowship to research policies for Delaware’s executive branch and the General Assembly.

“I am very excited for this next journey and still somewhat shocked it has been afforded to me,” Schmidt said. “I hope this can serve as an inspiration to others, as this has always been a dream for me, and it shows the kids and citizens you can accomplish anything if you work hard enough.”

Last summer, Schmidt said, he participated in the Democracy Project, a summer institute for teachers that is part of the Biden School, designed to improve civics instruction in Delaware classrooms.

“It made me consider returning to school for my doctorate,” Schmidt said. “As a teacher, I’m able to make an impact on the lives of students and parents every day, but I knew I wanted to make a greater impact in the community and a more systemic impact.”

Schmidt said the Biden program stood out to him because it offered the opportunity to make changes. As a research scholar, he said, he will learn how to anticipate problems that arise as a result of unintended consequences during public policy-making, and work with legislators and educators to develop state policies.

“It will open some doors not just for me, but for our community,” Schmidt said. “I plan on bringing my personal knowledge and experience back to the Cape community and help make people’s lives better.”

While he may be working in Newark, the fifth-generation Delawarean said he has no intentions of leaving Sussex County. “There is no better place to live than here,” he said. “This is my home, and the people of this community have done a lot for me, and I want to do a lot for them.”

Schmidt said the opportunity is bittersweet because he will have to leave Cape, but he would have never had the opportunity without working in the district.

“Principal Miller has been a mentor to me and always will be,” he said. “She helped me become a better teacher and planner. [School counselor] Joel Simon helped by nominating me, and [Spanish teacher] Estefania Becker pushed me to succeed.”