Every fall, Homecoming draws generations of alumni back to Southeast Polk—returning to the stadium lights, searching for familiar faces, and catching up on where the years have gone.

For Dr. Justin Colbert (04), that return carries a unique weight.

There are very few seats at Southeast Polk he hasn’t sat in. Two decades ago, he was a student-athlete in the Class of 2004. A few years later, he walked back through the doors as a high school teacher and on the sidelines as a coach. Today, he experiences Homecoming from two entirely new vantage points: as the district’s Deputy Superintendent, and as a parent watching his own children walk into Southeast Polk classrooms each morning.

Paying It Forward

When Dr. Colbert looks back on his time growing up in Southeast Polk, he credits the adults who helped guide his path.

“I was fortunate to interact with many really good teachers, coaches, support staff, and administrators during my time as a student at SEP,” he recalls. “I remember these individuals having a strong influence in helping to shape me as a student and person, and also helping to create great experiences for me during my time as a SEP student.”

That early foundation inspired his decision to return to the district at the start of his career.

“SEP invested so much in me as a young person,” he says. “Coming back as a teacher was about paying that investment forward in the next generation of students and trying to replicate the positive experience I had with my own students and student-athletes.”

Having lived the daily realities of the classroom and the athletic fields, those years now anchor his approach to central office leadership.

“It is both humbling and a profound sense of responsibility,” he reflects. “However, having walked the same halls as our students and led a classroom as a teacher, I bring a grounded and empathetic view to our leadership decisions. Knowing what our students experience and what our teachers navigate each day helps me honor the success of our past while also looking for ways to innovate.”

The Parent Perspective

While his professional career has spanned classrooms, sidelines, and administrative offices, his most personal connection to Southeast Polk happens each morning at school drop-off.

“It definitely is the ultimate full-circle moment,” he shares. “I’m not just invested in SEP because of my job or my history, but I’m invested because the work our educators do each day is helping to shape my children’s future.”

Watching his own children experience the district reinforces his appreciation for the staff across the building.

“I know how hard our educators work behind the scenes,” he says. “Their work ethic, care, and dedication to our future generation make it easy to trust them when my wife and I pass our children into their care each morning.”

A Symbolic Bridge

As parade floats line up and alumni gather across the community this week, Dr. Colbert views Homecoming through a broader lens.

“As I have grown older, I view Homecoming as a symbolic bridge that connects our past, present, and future,” he reflects. “All those different generations come together and celebrate our traditions and history together. It is a time when everyone who has been connected to SEP at some point in their life can be proud of our District and community. Even when I was living and working outside this community, I always felt that connection to SEP and knew I always had a home here.”

Student. Teacher. Coach. Parent. Leader.

Welcome home, Dr. Colbert.