Pekin Community High School (PCHS) has held a tradition of honoring a teacher every year as the “Master Dragon” for their dedication to teaching.

Zach Budde, science teacher at Pekin Community High School, was nominated for the 2024-2025 Master Dragon Award. For the last seven years, Budde has taught a number of courses, including biology, chemistry, advanced placement environmental science (APES), physical science and physics. 

When asked why he chose to be a teacher and why he chose science, Budde states, “I worked at wildlife prairie park, and they asked me to come up with a fun summer class kind of thing, and that was kinda the gateway for me.” 

Although it was a new experience for him he  “had a blast doing it and got a lot of positive feedback from it. Science is explaining everything happening in the natural world. I always asked questions as a kid and I like knowing the answers to a lot of things and that's what science does for me.” 

Budde has touched the hearts of many students over the years. Not just as a teacher, but as a person. 

Karmen Bush, sophomore at PCHS says that her “favorite part of class is when we do fun labs and activities that other class courses don't do. My favorite part about him as a teacher is that he is very engaged with the students and puts his time into making the class fun and educational.“ 

Budde creates an ideal learning environment by having mutual respect for people's thoughts and ability to share, test what they know, and general respect for everybody involved. 

Budde’s impact doesn't just stop at current students; Zoe Kormah, former student at PCHS, voted for Budde last year for Master Dragon. 

Kormah shares her experience in Budde's class: “I voted for Mr. Budde because he made it a point to always help you out with the simplest tasks. He dedicated all his classes and teachings to getting the best outcome of a student. As a student, I appreciated this because I was someone who took a little longer to understand a concept, and he made sure to slow it down and teach the concepts in a way I could understand fully.”

Being nominated as Master Dragon shows dedication, motivation and professionalism. 

“Being Master Dragon meant a whole lot, because my peers and students specifically, felt like I should be honored with it. It was a surprise to me, a good one, because it was validation that I'm doing something right. 

Budde’s advice to young and incoming teachers is to “make the stuff that is exciting to you, talk about the things that are exciting to you, relate to your subject, students will appreciate that. Live experience is greater than a book.“

Budde’s influence on students, teachers and PCHS is not easy to forget. He has shown great character and commitment to helping students be the best version of themselves. He has certainly set the bar high for the upcoming Master Dragon.