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School’s in session
ATPE university local unit members are the ATPE leaders of tomorrow
by Mandy Murray
Education students have a lot on their plates: class work,
student teaching, studying for certification exams. But
some students still find the time to get involved on
campus and in the community. And at 19 colleges and universities
around Texas, education students are getting involved with ATPE.
Cassie Henson is the president of Sam Houston State University
(SHSU) ATPE. She was introduced to ATPE through SHSU ATPE’s
sponsor, Dr. Frank Hoffman, a professor of library science. The
SHSU local unit was in the process of reactivating, and Henson
was glad to help. “We are just getting started, so we haven’t had
many events yet,” Henson says. “But we did just have a meet-andgreet,
and we recruited 10 new members to our organization,
which was exciting!”
Region 6 and Huntsville ATPE members were instrumental
in bringing the local unit at SHSU back to life. “After [the local
unit] fell inactive, I tried to recruit students who were teaching
on Huntsville ISD’s campuses,” says Kathy Partin, president of
Huntsville ATPE. “We had quite a few SHSU members in our local
unit for several years. I would enlist these students to return to
the SHSU Education Department with membership applications
and other materials to ‘keep the word out there’ in spite of the
chapter’s inactivity.”
The local unit at Houston Baptist University (HBU) is led this
year by President Lidia Hernandez. (HBU ATPE is sponsored by
education professors Linda Brupbacher and Carol McGaughey.)
“As students,” Hernandez says, “we feel it is important to not only
take classes but also join an organization that can help us get
connected to the field we want to enter.” At each local unit meeting,
the group focuses on different subjects; the local unit has
held meetings on career opportunities and stress management.
HBU ATPE members also volunteer in the surrounding community.
Members tutor middle school students each Monday and
conduct school supply and book drives.
Christopher Scott is local unit president at the University of
St. Thomas (UST) in Houston. “I got involved with my ATPE [local
unit] because it was a great way to meet new people that are in
the same field as me,” he says. UST ATPE, sponsored by associate
education professor Dr. Terry Brandt, gives back to both its
school and community. The local unit holds a Halloween carnival
for elementary students on the UST campus each year. Members
also sell T-shirts, hold bake sales and get the ATPE name out at the
beginning of each school year through an orientation week booth.
If you’re interested in helping charter a university local unit at a
college near you, please contact ATPE Field Representative Kathy
Lanfer at klanfer@atpe.org or (800) 777-ATPE.
HBU–Lacey Denton, convention–doug eckart, SHSU–LACEY DENTON, Morrow–John Kilpper
Students from HBU meet Feb. 1 to discuss stress management techniques.
ATPE university members celebrate at the 30th Annual ATPE State Convention in March.