Featured Students
Quotes from AIG Graduate Certificate Students
“I thought that I was a decent honors-level writing instructor before taking courses in the AIG Certificate program, but I quickly realized that although I already held an Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction and and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, I had never learned how to serve AIG students. These courses have led me to realize that AIG students are a population that requires just as much support and opportunities for growth as other students. I also have really enjoyed the asynchronous format, as I typically work a second job along with my university position”. –Peaches Hash (Class of 2022) “The AIG Graduate Certificate Program is an awesome tool for teachers. I have learned several teaching-models that help me differentiate instruction for my advanced learners. I intend to utilize my certificate to create an Academically and Intellectually Gifted Program at my school.” –Tiffany Snead (Class of 2022)
“I have learned so much from the graduate certificate program at UNC Charlotte. The amount of knowledge I’ve gained has been immediately helpful in my classroom with my students. I am certainly not an expert, but this has now given me the tools I need to find quality information and instructional techniques to meet my students’ needs. The course on social/emotional needs of gifted students is a MUST for anyone who wants to work with this student population.” -Jessica Petree (Class of 2018)
“Being a part of this AIG certification program has truly opened my eyes to the benefits of allowing students more opportunities to take the lead in the learning process” –Amy Irvin (Class of 2017)
Quotes from M.Ed. in AIG Students
“Dr. Matthews and Dr. Gilson have been constant supporters during the M.Ed. process! Both professors have provided valuable feedback and encouragement during the process,always being your biggest cheerleader along the way. I am incredibly thankful for the immense support that they have provided.” – Beth Moore (Class of 2017)
“The professors and the graduate program at UNC Charlotte have greatly enhanced my work to support and advance education of the unique population called the academically and intellectually gifted. The graduate program changed my teaching and prepared me for a career change in which I reach and support a broader group of those who need advanced learning and gifted education. Even more, the people and the program at UNC Charlotte have connected me to a network of experts and learners who do the necessary and meaningful work of this field. I entered the program as a classroom teacher and graduated with the toolbox needed to be a specialist, a consultant, and an advocate.” –
Maureen Shay Mensing (Class of 2016)
Featured M.ED. Students
Image of Elizabeth Henley
Elizabeth Henley
Instructional Design Coach
West Rowan Middle School
Rowan Salisbury Schools
“UNC Charlotte was my first choice.”
When selecting a university to pursue my AIG certification, UNC Charlotte was my first choice. The close proximity of the campus, even though the program is delivered in its entirety on line, was a definite must. I enjoyed the opportunity to work with educators across North Carolina, a few in my district, and always looked forward to familiar “faces” in subsequent courses. Throughout each course, I learned more about my students, and my daughter. Their gifts and talents are what make them special, and the AIG label does not encapsulate one type of student, but a multitude of individuals whose uniqueness sets them apart from others.
During the final licensure course, I found myself at a crossroads; finish out the program or continue my coursework with the goal of a M.Ed. in Special Education: Academically or Intellectually Gifted. After talking with Dr. Matthews, Dr. Gilson, and Dr. Laura Hart, I decided to continue due the strong curriculum and instruction component. Making the decision permitted a change in my position from a sixth grade math teacher to an instructional design coach. Although in my current position, I do not work directly with students on a daily basis, planning for instruction and co-teaching benefit all students. Another aspect of my job I enjoy is developing professional development for teachers focusing on research based teaching and learning model implementation.
Standards four and five of the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards implore educators to facilitate learning for their students and to reflect on their practice. The Graduate Certificate and M.Ed. in Special Education: Academically or Intellectually Gifted programs at UNC Charlotte offer educators the opportunity to explore, implement, and reflect on instructional practices, teaching and learning models, and best practices at an exemplary level.
Image of Katherine Nelson
Katherine Nelson
(Class of 2017) successfully defended her M.Ed. research project that focused on secondary Montessori curriculum units and gifted education standards.
Image of Elizabeth Moore, Dr. Matthews, and Dr. Gilson
Elizabeth Moore
(Class of 2017) successfully presented her M.Ed. in AIG research study at the 2017 NCAGT Annual Conference in Winston-Salem, NC.
Image of Maureen Mensing with Dr. Cindy Gilson, and Drs. Michael Matthews and George Betts
Maureen Mensing
Congratulations to one of our M.Ed. alumni, Maureen Mensing, who won the Master’s and Specialist Award at NAGC in 2015.
https://inside.charlotte.edu/news-features/2015-12-16/graduate-student-receives-national-award
Narrative Quote: “I am proud to be part of a cohort of talented doctoral students at UNC Charlotte, the only school in the Carolinas to have a Ph.D. in gifted education. One of the program’s many benefits is collaborative research opportunities with faculty with expertise in special education. It is an intellectual hub where I am continuously challenged to think critically and creatively about advocating gifted education!”
Featured pH.d. Students
Benna Haas
Titles: PhD Candidate (Former Middle School AIG Teacher and Gifted/Talent Development Specialist)
Why did you choose to pursue your AIG Graduate Certificate at UNC Charlotte? What did you like about it? How did it benefit your teaching?
Deciding to pursue the AIG certification at UNC Charlotte was one of the best decisions I have ever made as a teacher. The professional move expanded my job prospects and honed differentiation skills as a classroom instructor for gifted adolescents and adult learners. After starting my second AIG coursework, I was immediately hired as an AIG teacher for a middle school, and the AIG certification subsequently became a launchpad for district-level specialists in which I could disseminate research-based practices to train and empower instructional leads and administrators.
Why did you choose to come back and pursue your PhD in gifted education at Charlotte? What are your research interests? What are your future plans or dreams when you graduate?
I can never stop teaching and learning! After I received my certification in AIG and two master’s degrees in reading intervention and principal leadership, I felt compelled to continue my studies in higher education to learn more about gifted education interventions, specifically for gifted adolescents and adults. What I love most about the program is the cohort model, where doctoral students of different expertise and experiences come together to learn and lead as scholars. What sets the program apart from other academic programs is the flexibility to collaborate and seek innovative ways to pursue my own interests.
Now, I have found my focused interest in creativity as a tool to extend students’ gifts and talents. A scope of my current research is using de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats as part of classroom instruction to increase creative problem solving at the collegiate level. My ultimate goal is to teach at higher education institutions and collaborate with interdisciplinary research teams worldwide to advocate for gifted learners!