Recently, one of our Albright School of Education alumni, Nick Hedman, became the Principal of Wilkeson Elementary School in the White River School District.

We reached out to Nick to congratulate him on his huge success and to catch up.

We sent Nick a series of questions, asking him about this recent success and his time in education. Here is what we found out:

City University of Seattle (CU): Why did you become an educator?

Nick Hedman (NH): I became a teacher because I enjoyed working with kids and learning. I found that I had a knack for helping kids learn new skills and remembered how much of a positive influence teachers had in my life in helping me succeed. As a principal I partner not only with the kids and their families, but staff, district administration, and community leaders to create an optimal environment for success.

CU: Why are you proud to work at Wilkeson Elementary School?

NH: Wilkeson Elementary, established in 1913 in the town of Wilkeson, has a distinguished history and a community that is very proud of their school. The structure itself was fashioned from the sandstone quarry a mile up the road and is a gem. The students enjoy coming to school because their teachers care for them and engage in rich learning opportunities. Parent involvement is wonderful and takes the time to serve in the classroom and/or in PTA.

CU: What program did you go through at CityU of Seattle?

NH: I completed my professional certification for principals in 2010 and found it to be a valuable experience. It caused me to reflect on how to better monitor and nurture the vision and learning initiatives that we had previously launched.

CU: If you could give one piece of advice to other educators what would it be?

NH: I would advise those who are interested in pursuing education that teaching is a life’s calling that requires not only a dynamic set of skills and knowledge, but a tireless and passionate disposition focused on helping each child overcome multiple barriers to achieve success.

Thanks Nick for your time, we know it is limited! To all of you CityU educators out there, we want to hear your story and catch up with you. Please contact our alumni office at alumni@cityu.edu.