A Look Back at Tim Walz's Teaching Career
Walz spent some time teaching in China.
Published Aug. 7 2024, 3:10 p.m. ET
Before he embarked on his political career, Minnesota governor (and Kamala Harris's VP running mate) Tim Walz previously served in the Army National Guard and worked as a schoolteacher.
As the world continues to learn more and more about the possible next vice president — from his parents, to his religious beliefs, to even his pets — some are curious to find out more about his previous job in education.
On that note, let's take a look back at Walz's teaching career.
Where did Tim Walz teach?
Walz graduated from Nebraska's Chadron State College in 1989 with his bachelor of science degree in social science education, then spent a year teaching in the Guangdong province of China "as a part of the first government-sanctioned groups of American educators to teach in China through a program at Harvard University," per Walz's bio on Congress.gov. While in China, Walz taught English and American history and culture to high school students.
Upon returning to the U.S., Walz returned to his home state and began teaching social studies at Alliance High School in Alliance, Neb., where he would meet his future wife, Gwen, who was teaching English at the very same school.
The pair got married in 1994, and they moved to Gwen's home state of Minnesota, where they both continued their careers in education. Walz worked as a social studies teacher — while also adding football coach to his resume — at Mankato West High School in Mankato, Minn., while Gwen worked as an administrator and coordinator for the Mankato Area Public Schools.
"Between Tim and Gwen, those were two people in the high school that were always there for students," a former Mankato West High School student named Tracy Frederick Corcoran — who took classes with both of them — told NBC News. "Both Tim and Gwen had this magic of helping you see possibilities and potential in yourself that maybe you didn’t actually know was there."
"Tim is definitely one of those teachers that left a lasting impact on me," she added. "Tim really provided a window for me to see that actually you can have a bigger impact on a larger scale and public office is one of those ways that you can do that."
Tim was also at one point named "most inspiring" teacher, and was generally remembered as a well-liked teacher who was also passionate about geography.
Walz has also been called the "education governor," with National Education Association president Becky Pringle stating in August 2024 (per NBC), "Gov. Walz is known as the ‘Education Governor’ because he has been an unwavering champion for public school students and educators and an ally for working families and unions."
