My Ashland story started with becoming an adjunct to offer college credit-bearing gifted professional development to general education classroom teachers. As a gifted coordinator, I saw the need to support this group of educators because they were the front line of educational services for this population. There was a state mandate to identify gifted students and notify their parents, but no mandate to serve; there is still not a service mandate. Next, I decided to earn my principalship licensure and selected Ashland University for this career step. I attended classes at the Columbus Center. I continued to serve as an adjunct when I became an elementary principal, providing professional development along with gaining experience teaching in the gifted endorsement classes for the Talent Development Program in the College of Education. My story happily leads to today, having taken a full-time Educational Leadership faculty position in the College of Education.
