Thirty-one Catawba College students and four faculty members were honored in a formal pinning ceremony held in Tom Smith Auditorium on Tuesday, October 6. This event marked admission to the Teacher Education Program at Catawba College.
The ceremony was sponsored by Catawba's Student North Carolina Association of Educators (SNCAE). Mrs. Nancy Goodnight, the 2015 Rowan-Salisbury School System Teacher of the Year, made a presentation entitled "You've Got This in the Bag." A reception in the Delhaize Atrium, sponsored by the Goodman School of Education, followed the ceremony and remarks.
Admission to a teacher education program is not automatic. Admission requirements include the successful completion of PRAXIS CORE standardized tests of reading, writing, and mathematics and the establishment of a 2.5 or better grade point average. Applicants must also pass a criminal background check.
Those who were pinned during the ceremony from the traditional day program at Catawba included Steven Bartlett, Gastonia; Erica Boles, King; Cody Braden, Salisbury; Emily Buchanan, Mint Hill; Zachary Burroughs, Salisbury; Sarah Cranfill, Advance; Mitchell Croot, Rockwell; Rhonda Elder, Salisbury; Anna Fields, Fairview; Courtney Foster, Lexington; Meredith Furr, Concord; Caleb Garner, Robbins; Lauren Gaskill, Salisbury; Joan Hedrick, Elon; Audrey Hoffman, Dacula, Ga.; Michael Jones, Salisbury; Dominique Karriker, Salisbury; Abigal Kennett, Burlington; Sara Sellers, Salisbury; Madison Sides, Landis; Chad Springer, China Grove; and Nathan Wyatt, Gold Hill.
Those pinned from Catawba's Birth-Kindergarten Program included Tonya Carroll, Mount Ulla; Michelle Gullette, Rockwell; Terri Hughes, Concord; Antonio Jenkins, Charlotte; Alyssa Lowe, Salisbury; Eleanor McElveen, Lexington; Tara Safrit, Salisbury; Lori Webster, China Grove; and Emily Williams, Lexington.
Dr. Latoya Dixon of Rock Hill, S.C., a Visiting Education Faculty; Dr. Tanjian Liang of Mooresville, Health and Physical Education Coordinator; Dr. Bradley Stephenson of Salisbury, Theatre Education Coordinator; and Dr. Michael Waiksnis of Indian Land, S.C., Visiting Education Faculty were also pinned as the newest members of the Teacher Education Faculty.
Faculty advisor for the SNCAE organization is Mrs. Amanda Bosch. SNCAE officers for the 2015-2016 academic year include Courtney Foster of Lexington, President; Rhonda Elder of Salisbury, President-Elect; Sarah Cranfill of Advance, Secretary; and Carrie Loman of Salisbury, Treasurer.
