Hi, I’m Martin Olague and I have been at St. Olaf since August of 2021. I received a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf in Social Studies Education in 2004 and received my master’s degree in Educational Leadership from St. Mary’s University in 2013.
I serve as the Director of the Taylor Center. I have had the privilege of many great mentors here at St. Olaf College, like Kathy Glampe and Joy Kluttz, whose guidance helped shape me into the professional I am today. Another great mentor I had was the late Elder Bill Green. Mr. Green, as I knew him, was passionate about DEI work. His passion for community and working with youth stood out to me. I didn't realize that I could work in a career that I was passionate about. It was then that I set my goal to work in DEI. I am now lucky enough to practice my field at the place which shaped me
My work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) stem from seeing injustice and needing the language to articulate the experience. I love to work in DEI because I enjoy difficult conversations. It is important to have these conversations with students, and have a space where they can learn and grow. This type of work is not easy, but it’s necessary to create a better world for the future.
In my spare time, I follow many sports, such as football, soccer, baseball, and basketball. I also like to read about history and learn about social movements. My personal favorite era is the 1960’s, and I enjoy learning about Martin Luther King and Muhammad Ali. Ali is a personal favorite of mine, as he was a sports figure who also was heavily involved in the social movements of his time. I live in Apple Valley with my wife and two children. My wife is a teacher in Minneapolis, where she's won her school's Golden Apple Award. We support each other and we drive each other every day to do great work for students.