Editor’s note: This is part of a series of profiles for spring 2018 commencement
Maria Ramirez feels like she’s lived her life in reverse. Married at 15, mother at 16, putting two daughters through ASU in her 30s, and today, finally graduating college herself at 47.
Bobbi Doherty is not your typical ASU graduate. She was in her 40s when she decided to switch her career path and turn to education. In addition to her roles of wife and mother, Doherty has managed to complete her coursework, student teaching and the necessary Arizona educator certifications. Most recently, she secured a job at a local school district while maintaining a GPA to qualify her to graduate summa cum laude.
Chelsey Sands taught special education for five years, in Tucson. An active and healthy lifestyle has always been important to Sands, so it made sense to combine her two passions. She returned to ASU to pursue a degree in physical education.
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of profiles for spring 2018 commencement.
Chelsey Sands taught special education for five years in Tucson. An active and healthy lifestyle has always been important to Sands, so it made sense to combine her two passions, and she returned to Arizona State University to pursue a master's degree in physical education.
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of profiles for spring 2018 commencement.
Ana Contreras immigrated to Phoenix from Mexico with her family when she was three years old. One of her first memories she has is of the Head Start program and the kind teachers she had.
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of profiles for spring 2018 commencement.
Lora Eger never questioned what she wanted to do with her life: “I was born into teaching. Both of my parents are teachers, and I have known nothing less.”
Lora Eger never questioned what she wanted to do with her life: “I was born into teaching. Both of my parents are teachers and that’s all I know.” Eger grew up in a small town in Mesa and is now student teaching at a charter school in the same area. She teaches 7th-grade math and has signed a contract to teach at the school next year.
Along with teaching, Eger enjoys music. She grew up going to ASU football games and dreaming about being in the Sun Devil marching band. Eger promised herself she would be on that field — and she did just that.
Ana Contreras immigrated to Phoenix, Arizona from Mexico with her family when she was three years old. One of her first memories is of Head Start and the kind teachers she had — that kindness continued throughout her education. Contreras says her family didn’t have the means to buy her nice things like some of her classmates had, but her teachers made her feel special. “Whenever I thought about teaching, I thought about kind people,” she says.
Carole Greenes has been honored with the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).
Education has been a hot-button issue recently. Many people engaged in public dialogue, attended walk-ins and organized protests in efforts to effect change throughout the nation.
Situations such as these lead one to wonder: What is the most constructive way to engage in such dialogue? How do we equip our children with argumentation skills to effectively create social change?