November 2020

Nov 30, 2020

Meet Mackenzie Hunt ‘20: My Goal is to Work with Students Experiencing Poverty to Help Them be Better Prepared for the Future

Without scholarship support, Mackenzie Hunt ‘20 wouldn’t have been able to attend the NC State College of Education. But as a STEM Education Research Fellow and recipient of the Dean’s Leadership and P.H. Cooper scholarships, she’s now earned her Bachelor of Science in Applied Education Studies. 

Nov 30, 2020

Literacy Today: Looking Ahead: Four Ways 2020 Might Shape the Future of Teacher Prep

Friday Institute for Educational Innovation Executive Director and NC State College of Education Associate Dean Hiller Spires, Ph.D., discusses the ways the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way pre-service teachers learn and ultimately teach online.  

Nov 30, 2020

Meet Kayla Malone ‘20MED: ‘Educational Inequities Cannot be Solved by One Person but I Feel Called to Make a Difference’

As a first-generation college student, Kayla Malone ‘20MED has found her niche in the special education program at the NC State College of Education, where she hopes to have a positive impact on students while working to make education more accessible for all. 

Nov 30, 2020

Meet Dan Frankenfield ‘20MAT: ‘The Most Fulfilling Aspects of the Military For Me Involved Either Teaching Skills to Others or Imparting Guidance on Younger Soldiers’

While serving in the United States Army, Dan Frankenfield ‘20MAT spent a significant amount of time at Fort Bragg, where he was assigned as a psychological operations specialist. While deployed, he worked with teams in Special Forces, where he learned firsthand the importance of relationship building -- a skill he uses daily in his middle school classroom 

Nov 30, 2020

Meet LaShica Davis Waters ‘20PHD: ‘Representation Really Does Matter and I Appreciate the College of Education for Recognizing That and Providing Me the Opportunity to Learn from a Variety of Brilliant Leaders’

LaShica Davis Waters ‘20PHD fell in love with higher education when she began her college career as a first-generation college student. As the academic advisor for NC State’s Leadership in the Public Sector program, the university’s only online undergraduate program targeted at working adults, she developed a desire to learn more about adult learners and their experiences. After she earns her Ph.D. on Dec. 4, 2020, she hopes to use what she has learned to influence policies and implement practices that will benefit the adult learner population. 

Nov 30, 2020

John Nietfeld on His International Collaborations: ‘It’s Hard to Explain All the Things You Gain from Interactions with All These Different People from These Different Countries’

When John Nietfeld, Ph.D., a professor of educational psychology at the NC State College of Education, was given the opportunity to become a Fulbright Scholar in 2016, he thought it was a natural fit for his career. He shares how international work has been “career-making” and how his ongoing Missions with Monty research project is evolving. 

Nov 25, 2020

Meet Erica Shoulders-Royster ‘12MSA, ‘20EDD: ‘I am Determined to Continue the Fight to Ensure Educational Equity for All’

Franklin County Schools’ 2019-2020 Principal of the Year Principal Erica Shoulders-Royster ‘12MSA, ‘20EDD has already achieved a number of firsts in her life. She is a first-generation college graduate, and she was part of the first Northeast Leadership Academy cohort. Now, she will be the first person in her family to earn a doctoral degree. 

Nov 25, 2020

Meet Ginger Burks Draughon ‘20PHD: ‘I Truly Learned a Great Deal and I Value the Investment that NC State and the College of Education Have Made in Me’

When Ginger Burks Draughon ‘20PHD enrolled in the NC State College of Education to earn a Ph.D. in higher education, she was a single, working professional. During her eight-year journey to earn her degree as a part-time student, she has since gotten married and had two children as she balanced family, full-time work and her education. Her own experiences as a part-time student inspired her dissertation research and she hopes to use what she has learned to influence educational policy surrounding part-time students following graduation on Dec. 4, 2020. 

Nov 25, 2020

My Student Experience: ‘Even Though There is a Pandemic and We Are Teaching Virtually, I Wouldn’t Change it for the World,’ Says Jana Humphrey ‘20MAT

As a child, Jana Humphrey ‘20MAT loved the story of Matilda. And she knew if she was ever to become a teacher, she wanted to be just like Miss Honey. Humphrey will graduate on Dec. 4 and will be one step closer to becoming Miss Honey. 

Nov 25, 2020

Meet Nikki Hooks ‘20MAT: ‘I Wanted to Have an Impact on the Next Generation and Help Them Become Lifelong Learners’

Earning a Teaching Fellows scholarship is one of the things that attracted Nikki Hooks ‘20MAT to the NC State College of Education, but her experiences with student teaching and her ability to present at a conference as part of her methodology class are moments she will never forget.