Dean Kimberly White officially cuts the ribbon on the expansion of the college.

On April 15th, the CEPS celebrated the resolved naming of the Vivian Pollard Mason Kitchen Laboratory.

We would like to congratulate all of the nominees who were inducted into this year's College of Education & Professional Studies Alumni Hall of Fame. The event was held on April 16th here at the CEPS complex.

2024-2025 Inductees:

Leita Conner- Special Education

Ray Hammett- Secondary Education

Lester Laminack- Elementary Education

Mark Sanders- Physical Education Honorary Inductee

Cynthia Harper- Family & Consumer Sciences

Gerod Diggs- Instructional Technology

Chrisopher Shaw-Business Marketing Education

Mackenzie Corbin- Fashion Merchandising

Rachel Robertson- Library Media

Herbert Wilkerson- Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Adam Green- School Counseling

Congratulations to you all on this great accomplishment!

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Candice Byers.

On March 24, Dr. Byers successfully defended her dissertation titled, "Rural Adolescent Girls' Experiences with Female Antiheroes: A Phenomenological Study of Literature Discussions and Mentorship."

Congratulations! The CEPS is very proud of you and this huge accomplishment!

What an amazing experience at The AI Show in San Diego this past month. Andrea Taylor from the Regional Inservice Center presented about M2 and creative ways to build a culture of reflection in a school.

The Regional Inservice Center's 2025 Summer Learning Schedule is officially live with over 60 high-quality professional learning sessions available.

Featured Opportunities:

Classroom to Career Educator Summit

https://docs.google.com/.../1G7v8JwYfx0L9LELsZGLY.../edit...

Open to all K-12 teachers across all content areas!

This powerful experience connects educators with workforce leaders and equips you with strategies to bring career readiness into your classrooms.

VEX Robotics Cohort- Starting Fall 2025

https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSc4QyiVspLkKu.../viewform

Interested in classroom robotics and hands-on STEM learning?

We’re accepting 50 teachers for this exciting cohort. Participating teachers will receive:

1. VEX Robotics for your classroom

2.Paid substitute coverage for training days during the 2025-2026 school year

3.Ongoing support as you integrate robotics into your instruction

Spots are limited for both the Summit and VEX Cohort—we encourage early applications! Share with someone who would love this opportunity!

We're also proud to feature sessions open to all educators from our incredible partners at AMSTI, ATiM, ARI, OSI, and others who are part of the RIC family! These sessions are designed to bring the best of each initiative to classrooms across the region.

Explore the full summer schedule here:

https://lookerstudio.google.com/.../cef74d45.../page/gYjhD

The Early Childhood Block hosted Cocky Counts, an engaging and fun-filled math event for 2nd grade students from Kitty Stone Elementary!

Our preservice teachers created interactive, hands-on math games aligned with 2nd grade standards, covering everything from place value to expanded form. It was a fantastic end-of-year review and a great opportunity for the children to learn through play, while future educators gained valuable teaching experience.

April 23rd was a special day to recognize the amazing people that help hold the CEPS together daily.

Thank you to our awesome team of assistants! We are very thankful for each and every one of you.

The Content Block hosted an Earth Day Celebration for fifth-grade students from Kitty Stone Elementary, creating a learning environment dedicated to fostering environmental awareness and enhancing earth science literacy.

Preservice teachers created and facilitated standard-aligned STEM activities centered on Earth Day themes, allowing fifth-grade students to engage in experiential learning.

April was a big month for signings with the College of Education & Professional Studies.

Congratulations to Madeline Crowe (Oxford High School), Gracie Mason (Arab High School), Carianna Graves (Arab High School), Ayreonna Bishop (Tuscaloosa County High School), Hannah Brown (Tuscaloosa County High School), Emily Arriola Brito (Marshall Technical School), and Ashlynn Kelley (Marshall Technical School).

Congratulations and welcome to Jax State!

It was absolutely wonderful celebrating our newest initiates of the Jax State Chi Theta Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota (International Counseling Honor Society). Their commitment to excellence as Counselors-in-Training speaks volumes as they prepare for their roles as Professional Counselor in the clinical and school space.

Thank you to Emmanuel Rock, MS, LPC, NCC for being our Keynote Speaker.

Congratulations to all of the 2025 inductees!

On April 2nd, the Career Technical Education & Professional Studies (CTEPS) department held Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) Day. FCS Day welcomes high school students from the region to experience the Family & Consumer Sciences programs here at the CTEPS.

We were visited by members of the Dekalb County Technology Center (DCTC). The group was able tour the Jax State University’s Education Department. The day began with learning and ended with a wonderful lunch.

On April 29th, Dean White, along with other members of the Educational Program Committee visited the Challenger Center in Chatanooga, Tennessee. It was great to see all the wonderful things we have been hearing about the Challenger Center being implemented with students!

To learn more about the mission of the Challenger Center, please see the link below:

The Student Alabama Education Association (SAEA) is a professional organization comprised of college students preparing to be educators.

We enjoyed having Future Teachers of America (FTA) students from Albertville Innovation Academy and Albertville High School on our campus this past month!

They visited the Earth Day event hosted by the Content Block and met with Dean White, Dr. Mitchell, and TEP students. They then visited JSU Child Development Center and played with the little ones, ate at the Cafe, and took a tour of the Rec Center and Houston Cole Library.

Jax State's Student Alabama Education Association (SAEA) members, Emma-Leigh Grizzard and Canon Williams along with the State Aspiring Educator Organizer, Ms. August Haygood joined the group and shared valuable information.

On April 17th, the PreK students at the Child Development Center enjoyed a field trip to Little River Canyon in Dekalb County.

Get ready for a world of wonder at the Jax State Child Development Center's annual Spring Fling!

Dare to be amazed as our creative team offers

- TONS of traditional carnival games

- bounce houses and slides

- crafts, bubbles, chalk, and more

- concessions and fair food

An adventure for the whole family, your support funds the center and extra events for the next school year.

Make plans now to join the Jax State Child Development Center on May 9th!

JAX STATE did it FIRST

JAX STATE does it BEST

April 30th was National Apprenticeship Day 2025. We appreciate Sylacauga City Schools and Calhoun County Schools for hosting Alabama's first ever Registered Teacher Apprentices!

As we close out year one and move into year two, our apprentices are ready to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.

#JSUteacher

#NationalApprenticeshipDay2025

#NAW2025

#ApprenticeshipUSA

Our featured staff member for the month of April is Mrs. Angie Roberts. Mrs. Roberts is the Administrative Assistant to the Associate Dean here at the CEPS. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Angie attended elementary school right here on campus at what was known at the time as Kitty Stone Elementary. Not long after she graduated from Pleasant Valley High School, she met Shane, her husband of twenty-three years, and they built a home in the White Plains community.

Mrs. Roberts worked in the medical field for nine years as a bariatric surgery coordinator, and in 2015 became the practice manager for a local surgery center. She held the position for another eight years before deciding to change career paths. She started working at Jax State in January of 2024 and has never looked back. For her, the best part of working here at the CEPS is by far the work family. She stated that each day she feels more and more blessed to be a part of such a special team.

Angie and her husband Shane have two boys that keep them very busy. Austin (22) is employed at Southern Custom Exhibits, and Carson (14) is a freshman at White Plains High School. In her free time, she enjoys weekly trips to Jefferson's, being outdoors, vacationing at the beach, riding RZR's, kayaking, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Thank you, Angie for your dedication to Jax State and the College of Education & Professional Studies.

Our student spotlight for April is Ms. Madison Wisner. Originally from Odenville, AL, she started her college journey at Jax State University in 2019 after auditioning for the Marching Ballerinas and earning a spot on the team. She spent three amazing years dancing with the Marching Southerners, which definitely held some of her favorite memories from undergrad! As she became more involved on campus, Ms. Wisner had the chance to serve as a Gamecock Orientation Leader and later as a Coordinator, which allowed her to connect with the Jax State community in new ways.

Madison is currently working toward her master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling through the Counselor Education program, while also serving as a Graduate Assistant in the Dean of Students Office here on campus. Choosing this program has been one of the best decisions she has made, as the faculty are incredibly supportive. Ms. Wisner has grown so much, both personally and professionally. She has been drawn to counseling ever since high school, when she had an amazing mentor who opened her eyes to what this field of work could look like. Being in a program that not only teaches the skills, but also truly affirms her passion, has been such an incredible experience. Madison really values how the counseling faculty focuses on preparing students to make a real difference in people’s lives by helping with discovering the specific areas where they can truly excel.

Also, fun fact: her aunt, Krista, is a proud Jax State/CEPS graduate! She finished her Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership from the College of Education and Professional Studies in 2020. She stated that it is always a blessing to have relatives that are Alumni. Madison has definitely looked to her aunt for much guidance!

Congratulations, Madison, on all that you have accomplished! The CEPS is very proud of you.

Connie Stancil

Aimee Weathers

Torsten Dryden

Christi Trucks

Nilufer Guler

Candice Byers

Penny Lane

Kelly Murray

Tiffani Wilhelm

Avery Lamb

Hannah Hyde

Alivia Gardner

Nallely Vega Ocelo

Destiny Brown

Susan Gaines

Timberly Skidmore

Tara Hood

Jennifer Ray

Diane Best

Janis Sides

Martha Dingler

Necoal Driver

Email: amroberts@jsu.edu
Website: https://www.jsu.edu/education/index.html
Location: 115 College Street Southwest, Jacksonville, AL, USA
Phone: 256-782-8200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JSUEducation/
Twitter: @JSU_SoE