New Purdue teaching graduates honored with pinning ceremony

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. —New teachers graduating from Purdue University will be welcomed to the profession this weekend with a pinning ceremony hosted by the College of Education.

The new educators will receive a Purdue teacher education pin during the ceremony, which will be 5-7 p.m. Saturday (May 14) in the North Ballroom of Purdue Memorial Union. It is open to the public.

College of Education officials will present the pin, which signifies their association with the university and their affiliation with the teaching profession.

It is the second year for the event.

Teresa Taber Doughty, associate dean for learning for the College of Education, said the Class of 2016 also recites the "Teacher's Creed" as part of the pinning ceremony, which states "I change the world one student at a time."

"For our students, the teacher pinning ceremony is the culmination of many years of preparing to become a teacher," Doughty said. "It lets us send our graduates off to start their careers with an experience that will make them even more proud to join the noble profession of teaching."

Keynote speaker for this year's ceremony is Melissa Colonis, a math teacher at Jefferson High School and a Purdue alumna who earned her bachelor's and doctorate at Purdue. She received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2015.

Purdue's College of Education meets the challenges of educating 21st Century learners by discovering what works in education. The college prepares highly qualified educators and conducts research that informs how teachers teach and students learn. With a focus on integrated P-12 STEM education and a commitment to social justice and diversity, graduates are prepared to be leaders in education, business and society.  

Writer: Brian L. Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu 

Sources: Teresa Taber Doughty, 765-494-7345, tabert@purdue.edu