Elon University's School of Education honored the academic excellence of 44 undergraduate and graduate students on May 3 as they were inducted into the Sigma Gamma Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society in education.
Kappa Delta Pi was founded in 1911 by leading thinkers in education at the University of Illinois. Since that time, it has grown to an international organization of more than 60,000 members. Acceptance into KDP is based on academic excellence, with a requirement of a GPA of 3.6 or higher, and the recommendation of three teacher education faculty members.
Stephen Byrd, faculty sponsor and organizer of the event, began the ceremony with the lighting of the white Kappa Candle acknowledging the organization’s commitment to Elon’s motto “Numen Lumen.” Faculty members Richard Mihans, Terry Tomasek, Mary Knight-McKenna and Glenda Crawford led the students in affirming the society’s ideals of “Fidelity to Service, Fidelity to Science, Fidelity to Humanity, and Fidelity to Toil.”
Byrd offered a charge to the inductees on the theme “Embrace your calling; Honor your commitments.” Carolyn Stuart, chair of the Department of Education, concluded the ceremony with the society motto:
“So to teach that our words inspire a will to learn; so to serve that each day may enhance the growth of exploring minds; so to live that we may guide young and old to know the truth and love the right. To the fulfillment of these objectives we pledge our efforts.”
The School of Education faculty is proud of the following undergraduate and graduate inductees:
Ashleigh Bauer, Music Education
Hannah Bourquin, Special and Elementary Education
Kelsey Butt, Middle Grades and Elementary Education
Lauren Campbell, Elementary Education
Meghan Cathey, Elementary Education
Tory Chase, Science Education
Collier Cobb, English Education
Kara Cowdrick, Elementary Education
Janet Craddock, M.Ed. Elementary Education
Parker Cramer, Math Education
Anadylia Cuadra-Miranda, M.Ed. Special Education
Erin Deans, Elementary Education
Heather Dedrick, Elementary Education
Evan Dempster, Middle Grades Education
Lindsay Eversole, Elementary Education
Rebecca Fogle, Elementary Education
Laura Funk, Elementary Education
Erica Gierlach, Elementary Education
Laura Graybill, Elementary Education
Gregory Hardin, M.Ed. Gifted Education
Kerry Howard, M.Ed. Special Education
Amanda Joyner, Music Education
David Kay, History Education
Tina Kennedy, M.Ed. Gifted Education
April Kirby, Elementary Education
Sibyl Langley, M.Ed. Elementary Education
Tracy Llewellyn, Physical Education and Health Athletic Training
Amelia Martin, Elementary Education
Kelsey Miller, English Education
Lauren Mottle, History Education
Jennifer Murphy, M.Ed. Elementary Education
Monica Phelps, M.Ed. Elementary Education
Sara Riek, Middle Grades Education
Dina Rieley, M.Ed. Elementary Education
Lindsay Ring, Elementary Education
Jennifer Schafer, Elementary Education
Barbara Smith, M.Ed. Special Education
Christine Smith, Elementary Education
Brandy Sparks, Elementary Education
Kirby Sypek, Elementary Education
Jenna Temple, Physical Education
Iris Versmissen, Elementary Education
Rhonda Wood, M.Ed. Special Education
Rachel Youssef, Elementary Education