College of Education

Months before COVID-19 hit, Dr. Crystal McCabe and Sonya Berges of the College of Education gave a presentation whose driving point was “we are all in this together.” It was later a rally cry for the pandemic but also for distance learning, and their presentation on the subject won an award at a prestigious conference.

Lynette Collins has brought her real-world experience to her GCU online classes in social sciences and education for 10 years. The adjunct instructor was selected as the featured teacher for April in Honored, a nonprofit that promotes excellent teaching. But you’ll also see her the latest season of “Girls Incarcerated” on Netflix. Here’s why.

There is one overarching factor in how GCU administrators and faculty are judged: Did their students get good jobs after graduation? It is the true meaning behind the University’s “Find your purpose” slogan. “It’s the passion to serve our students that our faculty and staff have,” Provost Dr. Hank Radda said, “which makes them willing to dive in, shepherd and advise students toward their ultimate career goal.”

For some GCU students, the prospect of losing income during the pandemic was stressful. But the University made big efforts to keep many student workers employed, retaining nearly half in their jobs with GCU and GCE. Most could work remotely. Junior Jamie Bettis had a desktop set up right at the foot of her bed in a Phoenix apartment.

Many people want to make a huge impact on the world, said GCU junior Lidia Botia, but “I would say it is one kid at a time.” Botia has helped start a preschool in Tanzania, where she lived before coming to GCU, and wants to someday take back the lessons learned here.

Teams within the College of Education connected during the semester by meeting virtually over coffee, breakfast or lunch. It made for a happy group.

Nikita Ford had several major reasons why she could have just given up trying to obtain her master’s degree, from the births of two sons to the deaths of two family members to the disappointment of failing on her first try. But she came back and tried again, and not only did she succeed — she amazed her counselor by earning the best grades of her life.

From remote graduation parties to a graduation ceremony on Zoom to a social-distance-minded graduation dinner al fresco from a parking lot across from a Texas Roadhouse, GCU’s Lopes found a way to celebrate even though they couldn’t be together on campus for Commencement.

Theresa Killingsworth, Principal of Westwood Elementary School and a 2008 GCU graduate, never expected to be inducted into the GCU Hall of Fame. But Dr. Kimberly LaPrade, Dean of the College of Education, said the honor is richly deserved. Killingsworth’s guiding hand has been key to Westwood becoming a GCU Academic Excellence site.

College of Education Assistant Professor Katy Long led the COE faculty in creating a heartwarming visual message that was sent to its ground students, who are now studying remotely during the COVID-19 crisis, via COE Instagram and Twitter pages, the Educators Rising GCU Instagram page and individual faculty to their classes. Follow along the photos of faculty from top left to read the message: Meredith Critchfield (Dear), Nathan Hollis II (GCU), Lisa Bernier (Lopes,), Rebekah Dyer (We), Katy Long (miss), Stacy Vaught (you), Elizabeth Lemster (so), Stephanie Nilsen (very), Christy Eliserio (much), Paul Danuser (and), Michelle Keso (want), Sarah Hathaway (you), Kim Yates (to), Sister Mary Anubalu (know), Alicia Kozimor (that), Katie Kosier (you), Jena Akard (are) and Debbie Hurst (loved).