Since Wright joined NGU in 2012 as dean of the COE, the college has continued to make strides.


New programs added under her leadership include Spanish education and, most recently, physical education. In addition, every NGU student now graduates with a Read to Succeed endorsement, and education majors can now take American Sign Lan- guage to fulfill their foreign language requirements.


Wright has also helped to lead several technology improvements, such as the addition of Chromebooks and iPads for instructional purposes.


But Wright says one of the most important changes she has implemented is strengthening the mentoring program at NGU.


Previously, NGU hired mostly outside teachers to complete observations for students enrolled in cours- es with field experiences. But now, it’s the education students’ actual professors who watch them teach and then provide feedback.


“Our professors are able to monitor in real time if they’re teaching our students effectively and then make any needed modifications to their instruction right away,” Wright explains.


Tis is the shift Wright attributes to the college’s re- cent hiring rate success among education graduates. For the past three years, in fact, the COE has touted a 100 percent hiring rate among graduates who sought a teaching job.


Wright adds that the notable success is also due to the comprehensive way NGU’s COE faculty teach students what they need to do to land a job after graduation. For example, NGU education majors go through the process of preparing a professional port- folio, writing a cover letter and resume, and learning specific tips about how to conduct themselves in a school setting. Tey even experience mock inter- views with local principals.


In addition, NGU’s COE hosts a job fair every spring, inviting representatives from school districts in Greenville, Spartanburg, and beyond to meet and set up interviews with NGU’s highly sought-after


teacher candidates prior to graduation.


Now that she’s overseeing both NGU’s undergradu- ate and graduate programs in education — after a re- organization of the COE in March 2019 — Wright hopes to make it even easier for NGU alumni who are seeking another degree after graduation.


She’s looking into smoothing out the transition be- tween NGU’s bachelor’s and master’s programs and master’s and doctoral programs, all but eliminating the application process for students who have already established a proven track record at NGU.


Moving forward, Wright also plans to create a pro- fessional development center for teachers at NGU’s Tim Brashier Campus at Greer, as well as to add new academic programs to NGU’s growing list of education offerings and to further develop NGU’s education facilities.


Of course, she also hopes to continue mentoring aspiring teachers who understand what she under- stands:


“Being a teacher, you get to make a lasting, life- changing impact on the world,” Wright says. “What I hope each of our students has been prepared to do by the time they graduate is to inspire future genera- tions to love learning; to invest in learning them- selves so they can remain effective in the classroom; and, most importantly, to impact communities by modeling Jesus’ love. Tey have the unique opportu- nity of taking Jesus with them into school environ- ments where He is not necessarily welcome, and by doing so they demonstrate His love not only for the children in their classroom, but also their colleagues and, ultimately, the greater community.”


COE at a Glance


12


95% 65


87% 15


100% 18 | NGU.EDU


Education degree programs offered at NGU Graduation rate


Teacher of the Year Awards given to NGU grads NGU grads still in teaching since 2013, on average


Local school districts that attended NGU’s 2018-19 Educator Job Fair


Employment rate among grads seeking teaching jobs (2016-2018)


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