This year we welcome Valerie Stockton as our new drama director. After many years of being in charge of the theater program, Greg Holtschneider stepped down, handing the torch to Stockton. This is her first year teaching theater, but she has been involved with many different programs throughout her life working lights and soundboard at events. 

Stockton is starting off her Marshfield theater career with “Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella” for the fall musical. She is beyond excited about this production and enjoys seeing it all come to life. November 17, 18 and 19, the show will go on, opening up Stockton’s door to new opportunities. 

“In many ways, teaching is what I knew and understood. I found my home in teaching because it’s different and it pushes me to try new things,” said Stockton.

Before teaching at Marshfield, Stockton studied at a university in Joplin and worked as an English teacher, a paraprofessional and a substitute teacher at Kickapoo. She also had many other jobs like serving in restaurants and working at 8 gift shops in Alaska. Of all of these jobs, Stockton says that teaching has to be her favorite.

“You never learn as well as when you have to teach it, then you really understand it. Then you teach it again and your students will understand it in ways that you would’ve never learned it. That’s my favorite aspect about teaching.”