{"id":11181,"date":"2017-02-06T09:17:25","date_gmt":"2017-02-06T14:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=11181"},"modified":"2017-06-18T18:46:24","modified_gmt":"2017-06-18T23:46:24","slug":"great-graduates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/2017\/02\/06\/great-graduates\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Graduates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"\">College of Education (CED) students engage with real-world problems through original research opportunities, comprehensive extension and engagement activities, and partnerships with governments, industry and other universities. Upon graduation, these alumni are among the leading minds in the field of education today \u2013 forging paths in the areas of teaching, learning and educational leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"\">We look back at stories we\u2019ve done on seven graduate students and alumni over the past year. Here, we showcase why they chose the college and how it helped prepare them for where they are now.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Cindy Miller-Walker<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Master of School Administration, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nela.ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/\"><span style=\"\">Northeast Leadership Academy (NELA)<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Franklin County Schools\u2019 2017 Assistant Principal of the Year<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"\">\u201cMy time in NELA impacted me as an educator because it provided me with the tools that I would need \u2014 such as knowledge, skill-sets, and dispositions \u2014 to continue to serve and eventually lead. NELA surrounded me with individuals from diverse backgrounds who had the same desire as me \u2014 to improve the educational experience for our students in the northeastern part of the state.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2kaFEWs\"><i><span style=\"\">Read Miller-Walker\u2019s story<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Brooke Ashley Shurer<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Ph.D. in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/elphd\"><span style=\"\">Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Director of International Programs, Meredith College<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"\">\u201cI appreciate how the excellent faculty within the college challenged me to think more deeply and critically about my focused field of international education, yet also illuminated important connections with larger K-16 educational issues. I also appreciate the many ways that my accomplished colleagues in the programs have broadened my professional network and furthered my academic growth. From both faculty and peers, I have developed a strong foundation to be a thoughtful and effective educational administrator.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2kCeE3a\"><span style=\"\">Read Shurer\u2019s story <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Shea Kerkhoff<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"\"><strong> Degree:<\/strong> Ph.D. in Literacy and English Language Arts, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/tels\"> Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences (TELS)<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Visiting Assistant Professor of English Education, Purdue University<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"\">\u201cI was attracted to NC State because of the faculty\u2019s influence at the state, national and international levels. The faculty address issues of social justice and equity in education in ways that make a difference with real teachers and real students in North Carolina. In addition, since NC State is located so closely to the state legislature, faculty are in a position to influence education policy and contribute to positive change in the state. NC State is also a Research 1 university with a highly ranked College of Education, which told me that the faculty were connected at the national level and were experts in their field.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2kBMhye\"><span style=\"\">Read Kerkhoff\u2019s story <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Diane Hunter<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Master\u2019s in Elementary Education, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/tels\"><span style=\"\">Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences (TELS)<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Ph.D. student, Elementary Learning Sciences, <a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/tels\"><span style=\"\">Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences (TELS)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"\">&#8220;I chose NC State because I knew that I was going to be getting a quality education. . . . The college has given me tools to continue my education and be ready to work through anything that comes my way. I am prepared to ask questions and continue to grow as an educator and student.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2jFPxs2\"><i><span style=\"\">Read Hunter\u2019s story<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Whitney N. McCoy<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Doctoral student, Educational Psychology, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/tels\"><span style=\"\">Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences (TELS)<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholar<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"\">\u201cI chose to pursue a doctoral degree at NC State because the College of Education\u2019s curriculum design, faculty expertise, strong communication and resources were exactly what I had been looking for. The university has also identified a direct and immediate need to support minority students in their graduate studies; this resonated with me considering the fact that I am both African-American and female. Ultimately, I believe that the educational psychology program will help me gain a better understanding of how psychosocial development plays a critical role in African-American student achievement in STEM studies, a focal point of my future studies.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2k11FVR\"><i><span style=\"\">Read McCoy\u2019s story <\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>David English<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis, specialization in Higher Education,<a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/elphd\"><span style=\"\">Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development<\/span><\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"\"><strong>Today:<\/strong> Provost, University of North Carolina School of the Arts<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"\">\u201cI can\u2019t overstate the importance of the Ph.D. program in my development as an academic leader. First, the set of core courses provides a deep and meaningful grounding in the historical, organizational, and financial systems that undergirds our colleges and universities. I can\u2019t count how many times this deep understanding of higher education has allowed me to make better decisions.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2jxUbel\"><i><span style=\"\">Read English\u2019s story <\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Jennifer Nickell Lovett<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Ph.D. in Mathematics and Statistics Education, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/stem-ed\"><span style=\"\">Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education<\/span><\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Middle Tennessee State University<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"\">\u201cI chose NC State because it has one of the country\u2019s top doctoral programs in mathematics education. The emphasis on teaching mathematics with technology made NC State stand out from the other universities that I applied to&#8230;The mathematics education faculty provided me with opportunities to collaborate in research and in collegiate teaching experiences. Over the years, I have been given more and more responsibilities to grow professionally to prepare for a career in academia as a teacher educator.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2jxRaKI\"><i><span style=\"\">Read Lovett\u2019s story<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/graduate\/\"><i><span style=\"\">Learn more<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"\"> about the College of Education\u2019s graduate programs and how they innovate and inspire future leaders of the classroom through hands-on learning and solution-driven research, technology and scholarship.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"\">Keep up with the latest College of Education news and updates on <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCStateCED\"><i><span style=\"\">Twitter<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"\"> and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NCStateCED\/\"><i><span style=\"\">Facebook<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"<span style=\"\">College of Education (CED) students engage with real-world problems through original research opportunities, comprehensive extension and engagement activities, and partnerships with governments, industry and other universities. Upon graduation, these alumni are among the leading minds in the field of education today \u2013 forging paths in the areas of teaching, learning and educational leadership.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"\">We look back at stories we\u2019ve done on seven graduate students and alumni over the past year. Here, we showcase why they chose the college and how it helped prepare them for where they are now.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h3>Cindy Miller-Walker<\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Master of School Administration, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nela.ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/\"><span style=\"\">Northeast Leadership Academy (NELA)<\/span><\/a>\r\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Franklin County Schools\u2019 2017 Assistant Principal of the Year\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"\">\u201cMy time in NELA impacted me as an educator because it provided me with the tools that I would need \u2014 such as knowledge, skill-sets, and dispositions \u2014 to continue to serve and eventually lead. NELA surrounded me with individuals from diverse backgrounds who had the same desire as me \u2014 to improve the educational experience for our students in the northeastern part of the state.\u201d<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2kaFEWs\"><i><span style=\"\">Read Miller-Walker\u2019s story<\/span><\/i><\/a>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h3>Brooke Ashley Shurer<\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Ph.D. in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/elphd\"><span style=\"\">Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development<\/span><\/a>\r\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Director of International Programs, Meredith College\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"\">\u201cI appreciate how the excellent faculty within the college challenged me to think more deeply and critically about my focused field of international education, yet also illuminated important connections with larger K-16 educational issues. I also appreciate the many ways that my accomplished colleagues in the programs have broadened my professional network and furthered my academic growth. From both faculty and peers, I have developed a strong foundation to be a thoughtful and effective educational administrator.\u201d<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2kCeE3a\"><span style=\"\">Read Shurer\u2019s story <\/span><\/a>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h3>Shea Kerkhoff<\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"\"><strong> Degree:<\/strong> Ph.D. in Literacy and English Language Arts, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/tels\"> Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences (TELS)<\/a>\r\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Visiting Assistant Professor of English Education, Purdue University\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"\">\u201cI was attracted to NC State because of the faculty\u2019s influence at the state, national and international levels. The faculty address issues of social justice and equity in education in ways that make a difference with real teachers and real students in North Carolina. In addition, since NC State is located so closely to the state legislature, faculty are in a position to influence education policy and contribute to positive change in the state. NC State is also a Research 1 university with a highly ranked College of Education, which told me that the faculty were connected at the national level and were experts in their field.\u201d<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2kBMhye\"><span style=\"\">Read Kerkhoff\u2019s story <\/span><\/a>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h3>Diane Hunter<\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Master\u2019s in Elementary Education, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/tels\"><span style=\"\">Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences (TELS)<\/span><\/a>\r\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Ph.D. student, Elementary Learning Sciences, <a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/tels\"><span style=\"\">Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences (TELS)<\/span><\/a>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"\">\"I chose NC State because I knew that I was going to be getting a quality education. . . . The college has given me tools to continue my education and be ready to work through anything that comes my way. I am prepared to ask questions and continue to grow as an educator and student.\u201d<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2jFPxs2\"><i><span style=\"\">Read Hunter\u2019s story<\/span><\/i><\/a>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h3>Whitney N. McCoy<\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Doctoral student, Educational Psychology, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/tels\"><span style=\"\">Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences (TELS)<\/span><\/a>\r\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholar\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"\">\u201cI chose to pursue a doctoral degree at NC State because the College of Education\u2019s curriculum design, faculty expertise, strong communication and resources were exactly what I had been looking for. The university has also identified a direct and immediate need to support minority students in their graduate studies; this resonated with me considering the fact that I am both African-American and female. Ultimately, I believe that the educational psychology program will help me gain a better understanding of how psychosocial development plays a critical role in African-American student achievement in STEM studies, a focal point of my future studies.\u201d<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2k11FVR\"><i><span style=\"\">Read McCoy\u2019s story <\/span><\/i><\/a>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h3>David English<\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis, specialization in Higher Education,<a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/elphd\"><span style=\"\">Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development<\/span><\/a><\/span>\r\n<span style=\"\"><strong>Today:<\/strong> Provost, University of North Carolina School of the Arts<\/span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"\">\u201cI can\u2019t overstate the importance of the Ph.D. program in my development as an academic leader. First, the set of core courses provides a deep and meaningful grounding in the historical, organizational, and financial systems that undergirds our colleges and universities. I can\u2019t count how many times this deep understanding of higher education has allowed me to make better decisions.\u201d<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2jxUbel\"><i><span style=\"\">Read English\u2019s story <\/span><\/i><\/a>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<h3>Jennifer Nickell Lovett<\/h3>\r\n<span style=\"\"><strong>Degree:<\/strong> Ph.D. in Mathematics and Statistics Education, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/stem-ed\"><span style=\"\">Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education<\/span><\/a>\r\n<strong>Today:<\/strong> Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Middle Tennessee State University\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"\">\u201cI chose NC State because it has one of the country\u2019s top doctoral programs in mathematics education. The emphasis on teaching mathematics with technology made NC State stand out from the other universities that I applied to...The mathematics education faculty provided me with opportunities to collaborate in research and in collegiate teaching experiences. Over the years, I have been given more and more responsibilities to grow professionally to prepare for a career in academia as a teacher educator.\u201d<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2jxRaKI\"><i><span style=\"\">Read Lovett\u2019s story<\/span><\/i><\/a>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/graduate\/\"><i><span style=\"\">Learn more<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"\"> about the College of Education\u2019s graduate programs and how they innovate and inspire future leaders of the classroom through hands-on learning and solution-driven research, technology and scholarship.<\/span><\/i>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"\">Keep up with the latest College of Education news and updates on <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCStateCED\"><i><span style=\"\">Twitter<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"\"> and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NCStateCED\/\"><i><span style=\"\">Facebook<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"\">.<\/span><\/i>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>College of Education graduates are among the leading minds in the field of education today \u2013 forging paths in the areas of teaching, learning counseling and educational leadership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":151,"featured_media":7834,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[194,185,203],"tags":[289,270,290,240],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"class_list":["post-11181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-post","category-news","category-research-and-impact","tag-graduate","tag-homepage-news","tag-masters","tag-ph-d"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/151"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11181"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11181\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11181"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ced.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=11181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}