College of Education Host Pinning Ceremony to Honor New Teachers
The College of Education at the University of Central Arkansas held its sixth annual Pinning Ceremony on Friday, May 4 to honor new teachers.
Graduates from December 2011 and May 2012 were honored along with Masters of Arts and Teaching candidates. Two hundred and thirty-five candidates were eligible to participate in the ceremony. The guest speaker was Ms. Kathy A. Powers, the 2011 Arkansas Teacher of the Year recipient and a fifth and sixth grade teacher at Raymond and Phyllis Simon Intermediate School in Conway, Arkansas. Powers earned her bachelor of science degree in sociology and education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her master’s degree in reading education from the University of Central Arkansas in 2003. She received her National Board Certification in Literacy in 2006.
A Pinning Ceremony is a time-honored tradition marking the occasion when one is welcomed into the teaching profession. It is a symbolic ceremony denoting a milestone in an educator’s life. Candidates were presented a College of Education pin that not only signifies their association with the university, but also represents their affiliation with the honorable profession of teaching. Many professions hold this type of ceremony to honor their new colleagues.
Dr. Diana Pounder, the dean of the College of Education, expressed her appreciation for the work of those directly involved in planning and executing the event.
“This event is coordinated through the Office of Candidate Services and Field Experience,” she said. “I greatly appreciate the work of Sue Farris and Jamie Alea in making this pinning ceremony a special time for teacher candidates and their families.”