Hannah Gaines

What year did you graduate from SRU and what was your major?
2012 - Health and Physical Education

What jobs have you landed?
Physical Education Teacher at The Austintown Elementary and Intermediate School
Assistant Aquatic Director at The Farrell Area School District

How did you prepare for the interview for the job you landed?
Used online resources, skills I learned from my senior seminar class at SRU, and past teaching experiences

What have you done well at that job?
Managing large classes, and having a successful start to the school year

What types of recognition, awards, honors or even activities have you been involved in?
None yet at Austintown since I was just hired.

What SRU experience or faculty influenced you and in what way?
The physical education department at SRU is the best! The professors are so knowledgeable. Learn everything you can from them and get involved in everything possible, it will help provide you with the experience you need to be successful in your career.

What else can you tell us about your success story that SRU students could learn from?
Don't give up! The education fields are very competitive, but keep searching and you will find the job that is meant for you.

Jamie Rylands

What year did you graduate from SRU and what was your major?
May 2014 
Major: Early Childhood Education, Special Education, with a Minor in Elementary Mathematics

What jobs have you landed?
August 2014 – Autistic and Emotional Support Teacher, at Moraine Elementary School in Slippery Rock Area School District
July 2015 – 2nd Grade Teacher, at Moraine Elementary School in Slippery Rock Area School District

How did you prepare for the interview for the job you landed?
I took an accumulation of interview questions from previous teaching interviews and brainstormed the best possible answers the days before the interview. 

What have you done well at that job?
I have become great at differentiating instruction, writing IEP’s, and individualizing lessons. My classroom management skills have improved tremendously. 

What types of recognition, awards, honors or even activities have you been involved in?
Smart Board and Promethean Board Workshop Presenter
Kindergarten Camp Teacher
SRU Track and Field High Jumper

What SRU experience or faculty influenced you and in what way?
The whole special education and elementary departments at SRU supported me tremendously.
My Advisor, Dr. Merhaut, guided me in all the right directions. He was always so easy to contact and willing to help!
My professor, and later student teaching supervisor, Dr. DeCarlo, was an amazing mentor. She gave the best feedback to help me improve my teaching strategies, and was never more than a phone call or email away for support.
Dr. Preston, Assistant to the Dean, was so easy to contact and continually supports me with everything including my efforts to extend my knowledge of smart boards to current SRU students. 

What else can you tell us about your success story that SRU students could learn from?
Don’t get discouraged when applying to schools in PA. I applied to over 50 schools across the state, and didn’t hear from a lot of them until late July and August. I was actually hired just 2 days before school started!
Apply anywhere and everywhere! The more interview experience you have the better. I truly believe all the interviews I had prepared me fully for my current job interview.

Alfonso Angelucci

What jobs have you held in the past?

Day-to-day building substitute teacher (grades K-12; 1992)
Long-term substitute teacher (grade 2; 1993)
Second grade teacher (1993-94)
Fifth grade teacher (1994-95)
Sixth grade teacher (1995 – 1999)
Basketball official (1995 – 1997)
Basketball coach (middle school; 1997 - 1999)
Asst. football coach (middle school; 1996)
Asst. elementary principal (2000)
Elementary principal (2000 – 2007)
Asst. superintendent (2007 – 2009)
Superintendent (2009 – present)

What types of recognition or awards have you earned?

Nominated for Teacher of the Year (H.H. Poole Middle School; 1998, 1999)
Coached a county championship basketball team (1997)
National PTA School of Excellence, West View Elementary School (2002)
Featured in national PTO Today magazine (October 2005)
Member of New Castle, PA, YMCA Board of Directors (2010 – 2014)
Member of Lawrence County School to Work Board of Directors (2009 – 2014)
Member of Univ. of Pittsburgh Tri-State Study Council Board (2011 – present)
Member of Western PA Forum for Superintendents (2012 – present)
Member of Butler County United Way Board of Directors (2014 – present)

What makes a good educator in your opinion?

The successful educator always makes decisions based upon what is best for kids. There is no “silver bullet” for improving education. Successful educators pay close attention to building positive relationships with students, parents, fellow staff members, and the school community.

What makes you proud to be a SRU alumnus?

Seeing the progress that the University has experienced over the course of the past 25 years makes me proud. I have had the opportunity to work with many, many successful and committed professional educators from SRU through the course of my career. We have and continue to leave a positive impression on the educational landscape on a national level.

What was your best experience at SRU?

Besides meeting my wife in 1990 when we were both cast in a drama production at Miller Auditorium, my next best experience would be the moment I realized that I would be a college graduate. It occurred in the McKay Education Building in May of 1993. I had completed all of my coursework and was closing out my student teaching period. After receiving confirmation of my final grades, I jumped off the steps exiting McKay and ran for a little while until I tired out! Dr. Kathleen Strickland and Dr. Mary Agnes McKay significantly impacted my education while a student in the SRU College of Education.

What can you tell us about your success story that SRU students can learn from?

Never deviate from what led you to become a professional educator. You got into education to make a difference in the lives of children. Be the best influence you can be – at all times.

Rebecca Herron

What year did you graduate from SRU and what was your major?
I graduated in 2013 with a dual major in Elementary and Special Education.

What jobs have you landed?
I taught for two years in Alexandria Virginia for Fairfax County Public Schools. I currently teach in Southwestern City School District.

How did you prepare for the interview for the job you landed?
My first job I went to the spring SRU job fair and landed a job on the spot during the screening interview. For my second job I sent applications to the school district and remained persistent.

What have you done well at that job?
I have gained a lot of confidence in classroom management. When I taught kindergarten I learned to teach beginning reading and math skills and see how they progress into upper grades because I now teach 4th grade.

What types of recognition, awards, honors or even activities have you been involved in?
For two years I helped run Relay for Life in the City of Alexandria. I also have taken advantage of every professional development opportunity.

What SRU experience or faculty influenced you and in what way?
I feel like all of my professors had helped in molding me into the educator I am today. They pushed me to work hard and try my best. I also think their respect of students helped to translate into my our respect of students.

What else can you tell us about your success story that SRU students could learn from?
I feel like you have to continue to develop and work hard. Teaching is amazingly rewarding but also hard work. If you love working with students you will succeed in anything you do.