Dear friends of the College of Education,
We approach the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year with enthusiasm as we continue to prepare educators and mental health professionals who serve those with the greatest need. In this digital issue of Marquette Education, we highlight the impact faculty, alumni and students in the our college have had on our community through our teaching, professional work and service.
Our first digital story features the work of Drs. Gabriel Velez (Department of Educational Policy and Leadership) and Robert Smith (Department of History), who are co-teaching a dual enrollment course for 16 Milwaukee Public School students that focuses on equity and restorative justice in education along with historical movements and civil rights. Velez and Smith have used an experiential approach in their teaching that supports their students in making direct connections between what they are learning and their community. Dual enrollment courses support high school students in envisioning their future as a college student by providing opportunities for them to receive college credit while learning what it takes to be a successful college student.
In June, Dr. Bonnie C. Nicholson, Grad ’98, ’01, received the College of Education’s Distinguished Alumna of the Year Award. Since completing her doctorate in counseling psychology at Marquette, Nicholson says the Jesuit concept of cura personalis — care for the whole person — has continued to shape her life, including her work as a professor of psychology and parenting researcher at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Finally, Maiya Sabree, Arts, ’23, a graduate student in our Student Affairs and Higher Education program, shares how her involvement in the Brewed Ideas Challenge for Black Mindz helps support students of color as they learn about mental health and how to reduce stress and feelings of isolation by increasing knowledge, community connections and confidence.
Thank you for your continued support of the College of Education. This mission would not be possible without you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Heidi Bostic
Dean of the College of Education
Dr. Leigh van den Kieboom
Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Education
