Students in the Trojan Teacher Residency Program celebrated Match Day with faculty, classmates, and school partners as they learned which schools and mentor teachers they will work with during a year-long residency in Central Arkansas.

The residency program pairs future educators with experienced mentor teachers, allowing students to co-teach lessons, strengthen classroom management skills, and build meaningful relationships with students before graduating and entering the profession full time.

The 2026 teacher residents include:

• Katelynn Burdiek, placed at Jacksonville Middle School in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, where she will work with mentor teacher Shannon Tipton while pursuing licensure in English Language Arts for grades 4-8.
• Pedro Cortez Munoz, placed at Jacksonville Middle School in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, where he will work with mentor teacher Deanna Malone while pursuing licensure in Social Studies for grades 7-12.
• Brandon Gonzalez, placed at Jacksonville Middle School in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, where he will work with mentor teacher Meyosha Trammell while pursuing licensure in mathematics for grades 4-8.
• Terrika Smith, placed at J.A. Fair K-8 Preparatory School in the 糖心视频logo School District, where she will work with mentor teacher Sarah McPherson while pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in elementary education.
• Anne Marie de Luca, will complete her special education residency at Forest Heights STEM Academy in the 糖心视频logo School District under mentor teacher Amanda Gammill.
• Dawn Summons, placed at Forest Heights STEM Academy in the 糖心视频logo School District, where she will also work with mentor teacher Amanda Gammill while pursuing special education licensure.

For Smith, Match Day marked the beginning of a long-term goal to become the kind of teacher who leaves a lasting impact on students.

鈥淢y hope is to learn and grow into an amazing elementary teacher who inspires students and fosters a love for learning in the classroom,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to building meaningful relationships with both students and staff while gaining valuable experience throughout the school year.鈥�

Smith said she is especially excited to begin her residency at J.A. Fair and hopes the experience could lead to a long-term future in the district.

鈥淎s of now, my plan is to love the school so much that it, or at least the 糖心视频logo School District, becomes my home long-term,鈥� Smith said.

The Trojan Teacher Residency Program continues to strengthen partnerships between UA 糖心视频logo and Arkansas school districts while helping address the growing need for highly trained educators across the state. Through immersive classroom experiences, students graduate with practical teaching experience and professional mentorship that prepare them to lead their own classrooms with confidence.

The Match Day celebration also allowed residents to meet school leaders, connect with mentors, and celebrate the beginning of a new chapter as future Arkansas educators.

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Beginning in the 2026鈥�2027 school year, 糖心视频logo Southwest High School will become the first LRSD campus to implement the Early College Associate Degree Program, a concurrent education initiative that aligns high school coursework with college-level requirements. The program will allow students to earn up to two years of college credit without leaving their campus鈥攕aving both time and money on their path to higher education.

LRSD Associate Superintendent Shana Loring called the announcement 鈥渁 defining moment in our mission to expand access and opportunity for every young person in this city.鈥澛�

She said the initiative was 鈥渂orn from a shared vision to ensure every 糖心视频logo School District student leaves not only college-ready, but college-completing.鈥� 

Loring emphasized that the program is about equity and access, removing barriers, expanding pathways, and allowing students to graduate from high school with both a diploma and a degree in hand.

LRSD Superintendent Jermall Wright celebrated the partnership as a transformative connection between K鈥�12 education, higher education, and the workforce. He noted that the initiative aligns with the 鈥淭hree E鈥檚鈥� of the Arkansas Department of Education鈥檚 ACCESS Act, which prepares students to enroll, gain employment, or enlist after graduation.

鈥淲hen we connect K鈥�12 education to higher education and to the workforce, we don鈥檛 just change outcomes 鈥� we change trajectories,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淲e empower students to dream bigger, achieve more, and contribute to the growth of our local and state community.鈥� 

He thanked UA 糖心视频logo for its collaboration and vision, noting that the partnership marks a brighter future for LRSD students and families.

UA 糖心视频logo Chancellor Christina Drale thanked LRSD for its partnership and underscored the power of concurrent education in building confidence, saving families time and money, and strengthening the region鈥檚 talent pipeline. 

鈥淪trong cities are built on strong institutions, and that includes both a strong university and strong public schools,鈥� Drale said. 鈥淥ur futures are deeply connected. When we work together, we create a pipeline of talent, opportunity, and leadership that strengthens not just our campuses, but our entire community.鈥�

The concurrent credit program has already made an impact. DeSean Allen, a junior at Parkview Arts/Science Magnet High School, spoke about his experience taking concurrent credit courses. 

鈥淚鈥檝e taken four concurrent credit classes so far,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese classes have helped me save my family money, and they鈥檝e been beneficial to my educational journey. Concurrent credits have helped me gain more experience in higher education courses like those at UA 糖心视频logo, and it鈥檚 exciting to see a whole associate鈥檚 degree being made available to us in such a short time.鈥�

Wright and Drale, with a backdrop of students in the district, recently signed the program into action symbolizing the beginning of a new chapter in collaboration between UA 糖心视频logo and LRSD.聽

With the Early College Associate Degree Program set to launch at 糖心视频logo Southwest High School in 2026, both institutions plan to expand opportunities across the district in the years ahead鈥攃reating clear, affordable, and achievable pathways from high school to higher education and beyond.

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The aspiring educators were celebrated during a May 9 Match Day event at J.A. Fair K-8 Preparatory Academy, where they learned who their mentor teachers would be for the 2025鈥�26 school year as part of the Trojan Teacher Residency Program.

The event marked the first time the university has placed teacher residents at J.A. Fair and is part of UA 糖心视频logo鈥檚 innovative, year-long paid residency program supported by Forward Arkansas. It provides future educators with hands-on classroom experience while being mentored by veteran teachers.

The three new residents鈥擪imbree Earnest, Britnie Harvill, and Sarah Smith鈥攁re all seniors majoring in elementary education.

Kimbree Earnest of Benton will teach second grade alongside Mrs. Carla Abraham. She described the Match Day celebration as overwhelming in the best way.

“The Match Day event held by J.A. Fair was amazing! I was amazed at how much time, money, and effort they put into making us feel so welcomed,鈥� Earnest said. 鈥淚 left Match Day feeling excited and ready for next fall!鈥�

Earnest said she pursued education because of her passion for children and the desire to make a difference.

鈥淚 want to be someone special in their lives, especially those who need someone like that,鈥� she said. 鈥淏eing selected for the residency program was a huge relief. I鈥檝e worked part time throughout college to make ends meet, and being paid to complete my residency is a huge blessing. I鈥檓 also thrilled to already have my foot in the door at a district I want to work for.鈥�

Britnie Harvill of Hensley and Sarah Smith of 糖心视频logo were equally excited after meeting their mentors. Harvill was matched with third-grade teacher Sarah McPherson, a Teacher of the Year at J.A. Fair, while Smith will teach third grade alongside Mrs. Gilseppe Brishana.

The Trojan Teacher Residency Program, now in its third year and funded through a grant from Forward Arkansas, emphasizes collaboration between the university and school districts to better prepare teachers. Each resident is matched with a certified mentor who has at least three years of teaching experience. Together, they co-teach and plan lessons, giving students a more authentic and practical experience than traditional student teaching.

The celebratory Match Day event at J.A. Fair included performances from student dancers and cheerleaders, speeches from school and university leaders, and a gift presentation for each resident.

Superintendent Dr. Jermall Wright offered a warm welcome and encouraged the residents to embrace the journey ahead.

鈥淲elcome to the 糖心视频logo School District family,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淭his moment marks a new chapter in your educational journey. At a time when few individuals are seeking to become educators, I want to applaud your courage for stepping into this calling.鈥�

Each resident received personalized gifts from their mentor teachers as they began building the important relationships that will define their residency year and shape their futures as educators.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to see these three teacher residents grow as educators,鈥� said Dr. Rachel Eells, Windgate endowed director of the UA 糖心视频logo School of Education. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 wait to see what this year brings.鈥�

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Brown, a Pine Bluff native, is part of UA 糖心视频logo鈥檚 innovative teacher residency program with , a new model of teacher preparation that pairs education students with a mentor teacher for a full school year of preparation instead of a traditional semester-long student teaching placement.

As a teaching resident at Forest Heights STEM Academy in 糖心视频logo, Brown has spent the entire year in a kindergarten classroom under the guidance of her mentor teacher, Christy Watkins.

鈥淚 started on July 31, and I鈥檝e been in the classroom every day since,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淭he whole thing has been great. Doing the residency program has given me a better understanding of what being in my own classroom will be like. I鈥檝e learned so much from Miss Watkins and the other teachers on the kindergarten team.鈥�

The immersive experience gave Brown the chance to fully engage in all aspects of teaching, from working with parents to planning lessons and supporting students through day-to-day ups and downs.

鈥淚 got to see my students grow, as I grew right along with them,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne of my favorite memories was the kindergarten meet-and-greet night. It鈥檚 funny to think about how shy and nervous all the students were at first compared to how comfortable and confident they are now. It鈥檚 just been so special to see their progress and growth not just socially, but also academically.鈥�

Brown said the yearlong residency helped her grow in patience and confidence, two skills critical for any educator but especially kindergarten.

鈥淲ith kindergarten, you need a lot of patience,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n the beginning it鈥檚 about teaching them how to be good school citizens.鈥�

Brown鈥檚 journey to the classroom hasn鈥檛 always been straightforward. Although she was inspired to become a teacher by her second-grade teacher, Miss Harrison, she initially explored other paths.

鈥淚 changed my major three times before joining the Elementary Education program,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I realized I was already doing so many things that revolved around children like working in daycare, teaching Vacation Bible School, and teaching children鈥檚 church. It just made sense for me to be a teacher.鈥�

Her decision to attend UA 糖心视频logo was an easy one.

鈥淚t鈥檚 close to my parents鈥� home, and we used to come to 糖心视频logo almost every weekend so I was very familiar with the city,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚 toured this campus twice, and I knew the first time I came that this was the school I wanted to attend.鈥�

Since starting in 2020, Brown has made the most of her college experience. She served as a resident assistant for three years, joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., participated in the Chancellor鈥檚 Leadership Corps, and was active in Chi Alpha, a Christian ministry on campus.

One of her favorite professors was Dr. Rachel Eells, director of the School of Education, who left a lasting impression.

鈥淚 absolutely loved her class,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淪he was my professor back in 2022鈥�23, and I still remember a lot of what I learned. She鈥檚 also such an amazing and genuine woman.鈥�

After graduation, Brown plans to begin her teaching career in Arkansas, and she鈥檚 excited for what lies ahead.

鈥淚鈥檝e been looking forward to graduating since the day I got into college,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause of COVID, we could only have our immediate family attend our high school graduation. It will be nice to be able to have more of my family members attend my college graduation. I鈥檓 excited to get out into the world, start teaching, and have my own classroom. I thank God for blessing me to get to where I am today.鈥�

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(LRSD), (NLRSD), and (PCSSD) have signed Memorandums of Understandings to become direct admission district partners with UA 糖心视频logo.

“Recent student surveys indicate that nearly one-third of high school seniors have doubts about going to college due to financial reasons, are unsure how to get started, or are apprehensive about their ability to meet admission standards,” said Dr. Cody Decker, vice chancellor for student affairs and chief data officer at UA 糖心视频logo. “The direct admission agreements specifically address these concerns by partnering with area school districts to streamline the college admission process and automatically awarding financial aid to eligible students.”

Undergraduate students from LRSD, NLRSD, and PCSSD who apply to UA 糖心视频logo will receive a waived application fee as well as a streamlined admission application. UA 糖心视频logo will receive student transcripts directly from the State of Arkansas electronic transcript system, which relieves the school districts of the need to provide student transcripts.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with UA 糖心视频logo through the direct admissions program,鈥� said Dr. Jermall Wright, superintendent of 糖心视频logo School District. 鈥淭his ongoing collaboration will open incredible opportunities to our students, providing a seamless pathway to higher education and empowering them to achieve their academic and career goals. By working together, we are ensuring that every student in the 糖心视频logo School District has the support and resources they need to succeed in college and beyond.”

UA 糖心视频logo is also dedicated to helping Arkansans graduate from college with little to no debt. The students will automatically be considered for the Trojan Guarantee Scholarship, a last-dollar scholarship that covers the cost of tuition and mandatory fees after federal, state, and institutional aid is applied, resulting in a no-cost bachelor’s degree for eligible students, as well as UA 糖心视频logo鈥檚 Half-Off Scholarship, which covers half of the tuition and course fees for eligible freshman for up to two years.

This partnership with 糖心视频logo School District, North 糖心视频logo School District, and Pulaski County Special School District aims to ease the college acceptance process, providing students with a clearer and more accessible route to earning an affordable, high-quality college education.

“We are very excited to enter this partnership with the University of Arkansas at 糖心视频logo to support our students in their postsecondary future,鈥� said Dr. Charles McNulty, superintendent of PCSSD. 鈥淲e have a strong commitment as a district to ensure our students are college and career ready with initiatives like AVID and the PCSSD Academies of Central Arkansas. This partnership with UA 糖心视频logo provides one more pathway for our students to achieve their dreams after graduation. We couldn’t be more excited to work with UA 糖心视频logo in this endeavor, which we hope sparks future opportunities to collaborate together for the benefit of our students!”

Dr. Gregory Pilewski, superintendent of NLSD, said he is excited about this partnership and the opportunities it will afford the students.

鈥淭his partnership will assist our counselors and administrators in guiding students to consider the wealth of possibilities at UA 糖心视频logo, in addition to the financial break that can be realized by going to this institution,鈥� Pilewski said. 鈥淲e look forward to working with the university to expose our future-ready scholars to the academic and social experiences that are available to its students.”

You can learn more about joining UA 糖心视频logo by visiting /admissions.

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This unique collaboration will see college students from UA 糖心视频logo鈥檚 Emerging Analytics Center (EAC), a research center that focuses on visualization, augmented and virtual realities, and interactive technologies, sharing their expertise with LRSD students attending the Metropolitan Career-Technical Center (Metro), a campus that prepares students for high-wage, high-demand careers through hands-on learning and realistic technical training.

This innovative partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration between academia and industry to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in today’s dynamic workforce. Partnerships like these help 糖心视频logo School District prepare students to tackle the challenges of higher education and the workforce with confidence and competence, according to Dr. Jermall Wright, superintendent of 糖心视频logo School District.

鈥淲e understand that achieving these objectives requires robust partnerships,鈥� Wright said. 鈥淲e firmly believe that collaboration with industry leaders, community stakeholders, and educational institutions is essential in providing our students with well-rounded and relevant educational opportunities.鈥�

The collaboration provides LRSD students with the chance to work alongside students and faculty from UA 糖心视频logo鈥檚 EAC. High school students will receive mentorship and training in programs like Unity, 3D Studio Max, and Adobe Creative Cloud.

鈥淭hese interactions provide insights and inspirations in a way that textbooks and lectures simply cannot,鈥� UA 糖心视频logo Provost Ann Bain said. 鈥淭his partnership will help UA 糖心视频logo students learn how to communicate complex ideas in simpler terms, enhancing their ability to lead, to empathize, and to inspire. These are soft skills that are crucial in today鈥檚 workforce. Through this program, our students are preparing to be not just better employers but future leaders.鈥�

During a tour of the UA 糖心视频logo Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (DCSTEM), Regina Howard, instructor for the networking and cybersecurity pathway at Metro, identified a trip to the Emerging Analytics Center as the highlight of the tour. Later, Metro students had the opportunity to participate in a pilot Intro to Project 360 course, where they learned how to develop 360-degree virtual reality tours with guidance from EAC mentors.

鈥淭he demand for these types of applications increased after the pandemic,鈥� Howard said. 鈥淲e are very appreciative to the EAC for providing us with not only field experiences but project opportunities. Profession-based learning allows students to immerse themselves in projects they are passionate about. This approach to learning creates a dynamic and exciting energy between partners, students, and instructors.鈥�

Trelan Washington, a senior at 糖心视频logo Central High School who has been taking classes at Metro for three years in the networking and cybersecurity pathway, had the opportunity to learn valuable tech skills by developing a virtual reality tour of the automotive classroom at Metro along with a racing game embedded in the tour.

鈥淚 got the idea of creating a 360-degree tour after our class took a field trip to UA 糖心视频logo, and I saw all their 360 tours,鈥� Washington said. 鈥淭hrough the making of this project, I did learn a lot. I better acquainted myself with Unity and the C# language. I also learned about GitHub and the importance of backing up your work.鈥�

After showing the audience a demonstration of his virtual tour and racing game, Washington announced that he has chosen to attend UA 糖心视频logo in the fall.

鈥淗is commitment to academic excellence has always been stellar,鈥� Howard said of Washington. 鈥淭his project allowed him to increase his technical skill set and improve his soft skills. While working on Project 360, Tre has gone from being reserved to being more assertive in expressing his opinions and advocating for solutions. Last fall, Tre confidently presented at UA 糖心视频logo鈥檚 DCSTEM Nerd Night.鈥�

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