Congrats, May 2021 Graduates!

Our Virtual Graduation Celebration

The NC State College of Education celebrated the academic achievements of 372 undergraduate and graduate students during a virtual graduation ceremony on Friday, May 14.

Read the Recap 

Meet Some of Our New Alumni

The NC State College of Education celebrated the graduation of 372 new alumni during its Spring 2021 Virtual Graduation Celebration on Friday, May 14. Meet a few of our new alumni, and view photos and videos from our graduating students.

DEVELOPING MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS

Briana Campbell ’21MED is excited to increase access to counseling through culturally sensitive practices and advocacy.

Meet Briana 

FINDING A PASSION

Sarah Brown ‘21 had no doubt that she wanted to pursue a career in the sciences. Her father was a research scientist and instilled a love for science in her at an early age. When she arrived at NC State, she chose to major in molecular biology.

Read more 

COACHING TEACHERS THROUGH NEW LITERACIES AND GLOBAL LEARNING

Brittany Regan ‘21MED wants to become a literacy coach. See how the College of Education has prepared her to be a supportive leader for teachers.

Meet Brittany 

COMBATTING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

Aiman Hussein ’21 applied the skills he learned in his major to print 3D face masks to help fight the spread of COVID-19.

Meet Aiman 

EXPLORING COMMUNITY COLLEGE SUCCESS

Jonathan Loss ’21EDD was able to further explore his interest in improving community college transfer in North Carolina as he earned his doctoral degree.

Meet Jonathan 

USING MATH TO MAKE AN IMPACT

Samuel Hammett ’21 hated math until he got a teacher who made math more enjoyable. Now, he wants to make the same impact.

Meet Samuel 

TEACHING STUDENTS TO EMBRACE THEIR IDENTITIES

James Daniels ’21 knows young people can change the world. His goal is to be there for his students as they develop their own voices.

Meet James 

HELPING OTHERS IN NEED

Having grown up in a community where mental health issues were not often discussed, Zakiya Futrell ’21MED decided she wanted to become an advocate for mental health.

Meet Zakiya 

LEADING WITH LOVE

Since Gavin Bell ’21MED was an undergraduate student, he knew he wanted to better support and develop students from underrepresented identities and communities.

Meet Gavin 

FINISHING THE RACE

Junpai Dowdy ’21 learned many skills, on and off the track, that he will be able to transfer to his career.

Meet Junpai 

Our May 2021 Graduating Class | By the Numbers

FINDING MOTIVATION IN THE POOL AND THE CLASSROOM

Wolfpack swimmer turned pro athlete Ky-Lee Perry ’21 will graduate, just as she prepares for the 2021 Olympic Trials.

Meet Ky-Lee 

ENCOURAGING STUDENTS

Giovanny Hernandez ’21 has been teaching students from the moment he started elementary school.

Meet Giovanny 

TEACHING KIDS TO BE KIND

Growing up, people always told Emma Wilson ‘21 she would make a good teacher. But she never considered it until her senior year of high school.

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RESEARCHING WHILE TEACHING

Dorothy Holley ’21PHD developed an interest in educational research after reading studies that explored experiences she had in her own classrooms.

Meet Dorothy 

PAYING IT FORWARD

Helena Boehling ’21 chose a career in education because it brings her joy to spread joy to others.

Meet Helena 

SERVING UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES

Shaunacee Harris ’21MED hopes to open a community counseling center in a rural area that is accessible to marginalized communities and individuals with disabilities.

Meet Shaunacee 

PREPARING FUTURE SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS

Casey Holmes ‘21PHD was selected to receive the NC State Graduate Student Association (GSA) Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching.

Meet Casey 

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

Liam Ryan ’21 has had the opportunity to give back and volunteer with several organizations while earning his degree at NC State.

Meet Liam 

AFFECTING CHANGE

Hannah Ehmann ’21 wants to instill her love for learning into high school students across North Carolina.

Meet Hannah 

BEING THERE FOR HER STUDENTS

Through her experience with SAY, Amaya Dicker ’21 realized her passion for teaching and is now pursuing a career as a middle school educator.

Meet Amaya 

BRINGING REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE TO CLASSROOMS

Retired Air Force Colonel James “Jim” Bitzes ‘21MAT lived and worked in 17 countries — an experience he hopes to bring into the classroom.

Meet Jim 

BRIDGING GAPS

Iwinosa O. Idahor ’21PHD hopes to connect students and educators with opportunities to learn, engage and collaborate on addressing issues that impact students’ experiences.

Meet Iwinosa 

COMING FROM A LONG LINE OF WOLFPACKERS

As a math teacher at AC Reynolds High School in Asheville, North Carolina, Ivy Briggs ’17, ’21MED has already seen her degree paying off.

Meet Ivy 

CELEBRATING CULTURE

Relocating to the United States at a young age and assimilating into a new culture while preserving her Indian traditions provided Jessika Patel ’21 with a global perspective on life and a high cultural competence. That has shaped who she is as a person and as a college student.

Meet Jessika 

DRIVEN BY HER PASSION FOR HELPING OTHERS

For Pam Rose’21MED, her perfect job would be a role where she improves the lives of others and serves as their cheerleader.

Meet Pam 

STEPPING FORWARD TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS

Scholarship support made it possible for Cheyenne Quarless ’21 to attend the NC State College of Education and pursue her dreams.

Meet Cheyenne 

IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY

Following in his father’s footsteps, Nicholas Schwankl ’21 decided to pursue a career in STEM education.

Meet Nicholas 

SAVING LIVES THROUGH KIDNEY DONATION

Isabella Forst ‘21 donated a kidney to her father while pursuing her degree in technology, engineering, and design education.

Meet Isabella 

MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR YOUNG LEARNERS

Matthew Falcone ‘21 had the chance to apply the skills he learned in his classes to an actual third-grade classroom.

Meet Matthew 

Meet All Our New Alumni

View and download a PDF that lists the names and degrees of all May 2021 College of Education graduating students, as well as special recognitions and honors.

View List of New Graduates 

The NC State College of Education Class of 2021

We asked the Class of 2021 to share some photos from their time at the college. See some of our graduates and their memories.

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