Education
B.A. History Teaching – University of Northern Iowa (2001)
M.A.E Educational Leadership – University of Northern Iowa (2005)
A.S.C. Superintendency – University of Northern Iowa (2016)

What do you do in your current position?
I am the principal of West Waterloo high school. I enjoy every aspect of my role but I would say I most enjoy seeing our students take advantage of all of the incredible opportunities they are presented with in a diverse urban comprehensive high school. 

How did your major help prepare you?
Being a history teaching major helped prepare me in many ways. I was able to learn time management and organizational skills while working on projects and papers. I was able to explore multiple effective instructional strategies through methods courses and this has paid off throughout my career as a classroom teacher and now as an administrator.

Most memorable part of your studies?
I would say that the collaborative opportunities during my methods coursework and my student teaching experiences were the most memorable parts of my studies. Having the opportunity to work with other like-minded students on major projects and compare notes and outcomes really helped shape who I became as a professional.  Dr. Connors always pushed us to collaborate and work as a team; this is something that has stayed with me.

What advice would you give future panthers?
I would advise anyone looking at UNI and contemplating declaring history as a major to go for it. The skills you will acquire, the faculty you will work with, and the other students you will collaborate with will certainly set you up for success.  You will come away with employability skills you may never have imagined gaining while studying engaging course content.