Randolph-Macon College’s 13th annual Education Interview Day was hosted by The Edge Career Center at the Wyndham Virginia Crossings Hotel and Conference Center on April 17, 2017.

Education students interviewed with representatives from 11 school districts (Caroline County Public Schools, Chesterfield County Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Fredericksburg City Public Schools, Hanover County Public Schools, King William County Public Schools, Louisa County Public Schools, Newport News Public Schools, Petersburg City Public Schools, Stafford County Public Schools, Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools) andSouthern Teachers Agency for full-time teaching opportunities.

Ten students participated in the event, which was made possible by a collaboration between the Education Department and The Edge Career Center, RMC’s four-year program that provides students with a competitive advantage when applying for jobs or graduate school.

Preparation for Success
“Being able to work alongside our wonderful Education Department faculty to prepare our students for careers as educators is something that I look forward to every year,” says Cathy Rollman, director of professional development for The Edge. “Our Education Department faculty do such a great job preparing our students, and it is so evident during Education Interview Day. The students represented Randolph-Macon College, the Education Department, and themselves so well, and I am proud of them. Many of the interviewers commented on how much they enjoyed interacting with our students and how well-prepared they were for their interviews.”

Madisen Wise ’17, a mathematics major and education minor, enjoyed meeting representatives from school counties all over the state of the Virginia.

“This was an opportunity that not many education programs offer,” she says, “and getting to meet so many representatives in one day took some pressure off of my job search.”

From Students to Teachers
RMC Education Professor Diana Yesbeck says the Education Department takes great pride in preparing student teachers for their first classroom teaching experience.

“The representatives from two of the schools were so impressed with our candidates that they were willing to write contracts on the spot,” says Yesbeck, chair of the Education Department. “Within days of Education Interview Day, two students accepted teaching jobs.”

Yesbeck says that Education Interview Day is a great way to assist students in making connections with school partners.

“It is a tremendous opportunity, made possible by the outstanding planning and execution of the day due to Cathy Rollman’s attention to detail and consistent, quality work,” she says.

The RMC Education Department
With a strong tradition of preparing outstanding teachers, RMC’s education minor is a Virginia Department of Education approved educator preparation program and is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The teacher preparation program at RMC creates reflective, passionate educators who are highly qualified in their content areas and in 21st-century teaching skills. Inspired by RMC’s own dedicated teaching faculty, our graduates bring to their own classrooms a commitment to children, youth, families and diversity.

Beginning with the first course in RMC’s teacher preparation program, students are in the community, working with real students and teachers in local school classrooms. RMC education courses fully integrate classroom and experiential learning, opportunities for collaborative research, civic and global engagement, personalized guidance, and leadership development.