The College of Education at the University of Central Arkansas will hold its fourth annual Pinning Ceremony on May 6 at the Reynolds Performance Hall on the UCA campus to honor candidates who are becoming teachers.
Graduates from December 2009 and May 2010 will be honored along with Masters of Arts in Teaching candidates. Two hundred and sixty-six candidates are eligible to participate in the ceremony. A reception will follow the ceremony in the adjoining Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center.
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 will be 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.
The guest speaker will be Ray Simon who has been involved in public education for 44 years, working across all levels of the education delivery system from the classroom to the federal government. He most recently served at the United States Department of Education in the capacity of Deputy Secretary, the second highest ranking official at the agency. He received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Central Arkansas, and holds an educational specialist degree in school administration from the University of Arkansas.
Dr. Diana Pounder, dean of UCA’s College of Education, commends UCA education graduates for their dedication to an honorable and proud profession, rich with opportunities to serve and support others.
“There are many career opportunities within the education profession, including classroom teacher, guidance counselor, school or district administrator, and university professor or administrator,” Pounder said. “UCA has almost 6,000 alums currently working as educators in Arkansas K-12 schools, and we are pleased to see our December 2009 and May 2010 graduates join their ranks.”
