Cohort 4, Class of 2020

Leslie Battles

Sutton Elementary, Fort Smith School District, 5th Grade Teacher

• Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education, University of Central Oklahoma, 1993
• Master Of Education, Specialty in Library Media, Arkansas Tech University, 2013
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT program has allowed me to build a personal network of positive Arkansas educators. It has helped me focus my skills on best practice and grow as a leader.

Sammie Beene

Nemo Vista Elementary School, Nemo Vista School District,
Assistant Principal K-12/Technology Director

• Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education, Henderson State University, 1995
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT Leadership program has allowed me to create a Personal Learning Network that will be valuable throughout my career as an educator, giving me the knowledge and guidance to address the challenges that we are faced with in today’s educational world.

Traci Birkes

Lincoln Elementary, Lincoln Consolidated School District,
Principal

• Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education, University of Iowa, 1998
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship is providing me with unparalleled personalized support to strengthen my leadership abilities.  Leaders of the program are meeting me where I’m at and uncovering strengths I didn’t know I had.

Erin Bradley

Central Elementary, Cabot School District, 4th Grade Teacher

• Bachelor of Arts General Studies-Humanities, Harding University, 2013
• Masters of Arts in Teaching with Licensure (P-4), Harding University, 2014
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT program is preparing me to be a better teacher leader within my school community.  I am learning how to serve my school and the community that I work in, while making positive, lasting relationships with the people in my cohort.

Alexa Brown

Rena Elementary, Van Buren School District,
Assistant Principal

• Bachelor of Science, Early Childhood Education, 5/6 Grade Endorsement, University of Arkansas Fort Smith, 2015
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship program has provided me with the knowledge and experiences necessary to grow as an effective teacher leader, and better serve my students, school, and community.

Chassidy Caraway

West Junior High, West Memphis School District,
Assistant Principal

• Bachelor of Science, Early Childhood Education, Arkansas State University, 2014
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT Fellowship program has equipped me with the confidence and tools to become a better leader in my school and in my community.  “The task of the leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been.” –Henry Kissinger

Chelsea Collins

Ringold Elementary, Benton Public Schools,
District Instructional Facilitator

• Bachelor of Science, Early Childhood Education, University of Arkansas-Little Rock, 2012
• Masters of Education, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Arkansas-Little Rock, 2014
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship is allowing me to  build confidence in my ability to be a teacher leader. I am developing the skills to make knowledgeable decisions to positively impact the staff and students in my school.  I am grateful that the IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship program is designed to provide the necessary support of program leaders and fellows to push me to become a more impactful leader of students and adults within my school community.

Ashdon Floyd

Little Rock School District,
Secondary Instructional Lead

• Bachelor of Art, Sociology, Arkansas State University, 2012
• Master of Art in Teaching, Arkansas State University, 2019
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship Program has given me the opportunity to expand my learning network and helped me reflect on my current role as a teacher leader. The program consistently pushes me out of my comfort zone. IMPACT helps me strive to be a change agent in my building. The Leadership Academy and collaboration amongst like minded educational leaders is incomparable.

Sarah George

University Heights Elementary, Nettleton School District,
Assistant Principal

• Bachelor of Science, Early Childhood Education, Arkansas State University, 2007
• Master of Science in Education, Reading, Arkansas State University, 2010
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship has provided me support and guidance as I continue to grow and develop my leadership skills. The opportunity to build a network and collaborate with other passionate educators has helped me think with an open mind and has inspired me to become a change agent for my students, school, and district.

Bud Hamley- Wallace

Fort Smith Southside, Fort Smith School District,
Special Education teacher

• Bachelor of Arts, History, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 2012
• Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary Education, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, 2013
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship has rekindled my own personal growth mindset. It makes me question my why every single day and grow as a teacher and a learner.

Jan Hill

Jimmy Brown Elementary, Star City School District, K-5 Math Curriculum and Instructional Specialist

• Bachelor of Science, Early Childhood Education, The University of Arkansas at Monticello, 2007
• Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction, Arkansas State University, 2016
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship program has provided an extensive amount of support and tools needed to help build my confidence to become an effective leader.  I am grateful for the opportunity to work and learn with a professional network of cohorts that share the same passion for making an impact on student achievement.

Sarah Hoskyn

Jonesboro Kindergarten Center, Jonesboro School District,
Instructional Facilitator

Janelle Kerns

Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, Student Affairs Coordinator

• Bachelor of Science, Early Childhood Education, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith, 2005
• Master of Education in Counseling and School Leadership, Arkansas Tech University, 2014
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

I am humbled to be a part of the Impact Fellowship. The challenge of the learning and the new professional connections have expanded my ability to better serve my students, peers, and community.

April Moore

Premiere High School, Springdale, Principal

• Bachelor of Science, Business Administration and Organizational Management, John Brown University, 2008
• Master of Arts in Teaching, University of Central Arkansas, 2010
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

I am both blessed and humbled to be an Impact Fellow. The ability and encouragement to collaborate with growth minded school leaders is transformative in developing my leadership skills. This will allow me to build capacity and sustainability in my own school so that I may better serve my students, peers, students’ parents, and community.

Shane Sanderson

Muskogee High School, Oklahoma, Broadcasting/Dig Media/ Web Design

• Bachelor of Music Education – University of Central Arkansas, 1999
• Master of Music, Choral Conducting – University of Arkansas, 2006
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT Leadership program has helped me to sharpen my vision for education as we prepare for the classroom of tomorrow.  In addition to giving me valuable skills to improve my own teaching in the classroom, it has also equipped me with tools that I can share with fellow educators to enhance teaching and reflection on teaching.  It is my sincere desire to take what I have learned and, as a building-level leader, guide others to teaching excellence.

Adriane Smith

Auburn City Schools, Instructional Coach

• Bachelor of Science-Elementary Education/Middle School Language Art-University of Montevallo, 2001
• Master of Arts-Curriculum and Instruction-University of Phoenix, 2006
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

My journey to leadership has not been a traditional one, so participating in the IMPACT program has helped me to be a more confident leader.  The IMPACT program has been effectively designed, not leaving any detail to chance. A three-pronged approach of the Teacher Leadership Institute, classroom experiences, and internship/coaching is enhancing my development as a leader.  As a result of my personal development, I am seeing growth in my school. The support received is truly the best professional learning I have ever received, because it is always relevant and immediately applicable.

Kimberly Soto

Fairview Elementary, Fort Smith Public Schools,
Physical Education Teacher

• Bachelors of Psychology, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith, Arkansas, August 2007
• Non Traditional Teaching License, Department of Education, Little Rock, Arkansas, April 2010
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

The IMPACT Arkansas Fellowship program has empowered me to become a teacher leader within my schools. The tools and resources that I have gained will allow me to grow professionally and lead me down a path of leadership. I am thankful for the opportunities that the IMPACT program has provided.

Heather Weaver

Jonesboro Pre-K Center, Jonesboro Public Schools
Pre-K Lead

• Bachelor of Science, Early Childhood Education, Ouachita Baptist University, 2007
• Masters of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas, 2020

IMPACT has encouraged and nurtured the leadership skills I had, to help me become a more confident and better equipped school leader in a very personal and meaningful way.