In her Practicum II program, Camrynn McTeer is preparing for a future as an elementary school teacher. During a recent day in the classroom, however, she also got to meet and have a conversation with the nation’s highest-ranking education official.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited the Laurel (Delaware) School District earlier this year. As part of his tour, he spent time at Laurel Elementary School, where McTeer student-teaches second-grade students under the guidance of her mentor teacher, Kathy Shockley, and her Wilmington University advisor Leah VanGelder.

Secretary Cardona, a former teacher and principal, expressed interest in learning about McTeer’s teacher prep program. He and McTeer also discussed her experience working with students. McTeer, who lives in Georgetown, expects to graduate from WilmU in 2022 and hopes to continue her education with a master’s degree in speech pathology.

Appointed by President Biden in January, Secretary Cardona’s hands-on approach to leadership focuses on partnerships within the U.S. Department of Education, between state agencies, and with local boards, educator unions, school administrator associations, child advocates, students and families.

Learn more about the College of Education here.

Photo: Camrynn McTeer