Success Stories

Luke and Jaime McLellan

Changing Lives in More
Ways Than One

A relief trip to Haiti and a passion for social justice led high school teacher Luke McLellan to ponder returning to college and look at masters degree programs. He found a wife in the process.

"I felt helpless when I got back from Haiti," he says, frustrated by the country's extreme poverty and lack of opportunity he saw. "I decided then that I wanted to go back to school to learn how to help these people in a more effective manner."

After researching local colleges and universities, Luke enrolled at the KU Edwards Campus because the Global and International Studies graduate program best fit his interests and passion.

As a world religion teacher at Rockhurst High School, Luke says a big benefit of attending graduate school is the ability to introduce topics he learns at the Edwards Campus to his own students the very next day. "My program allows me to develop a deeper understanding of how the world works, which enables me to become a better teacher."

Another benefit Luke discovered was getting to know people who share his passion for learning. That includes his wife Jaime, whom he met in his very first class. They were engaged the following summer!

Jaime works for the Army as an operations research analyst, which requires her to enroll in a master's degree program. Unknowingly, just like Luke, Jaime also decided to pursue the Global and International Studies program because its flexibility fits her busy lifestyle as a working professional.

"The professors are so understanding in terms of my work schedule. I often have to travel last minute and it is never an issue, which is extremely important to me," Jaime says.

After completing his master's degree, Luke hopes to begin his doctorate at KU and plans to return to Haiti with Jaime to lead medical and dental teams.