100-Plus Students Complete Rio Salado Educator Preparation Programs
A chess tournament director, a retired police officer, and a former advertising and sales representative were among those who received their teacher apple pins during a recent celebration marking the completion of their Rio Salado College program and the new chapter in their professional careers.
The Educator Preparation Program completion ceremony in April recognized more than 30 participants in attendance who finished the college’s Traditional Post-Baccalaureate Program, Teacher in Residence Program, or earned a certificate of completion in Early Childhood Education, associates degree in Elementary or Secondary Education, or a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education. Altogether, more than 100 students are completing an Educator Preparation Program this academic year, including more than 20 bachelor’s degree recipients.
“This is a culmination of many degrees and many certifications. It is the beginning of the next step in your journey,” said Rio Salado College President Dr. Kate Smith.
Many of the graduates are already serving in the classroom; others will use their new degrees to seek entry-level positions within education, and still others will seek their next position after student teaching. Each spent the last few months to a few years on the path to becoming an educator, inspired by family, friends or their own interactions in education.
Making the Move from Chess to the Classroom
Bachelor’s degree recipient Cassandra Tanner spent years honing her chess skills, eventually finding a way to share that passion as a local and national tournament director with the United States Chess Federation. Tanner’s family includes a long line of educators, including her mom (who earned her teaching credential with Rio Salado College), uncle, and two grandfathers. It was a natural fit, she said, to move into K-12 education.
“Chess, I've learned, applies to so many different aspects (of teaching),” she said. “There's math. There's critical thinking because there's so much strategy involved. You get reading as well as elements of writing and comprehension from all of the planning, reflection, and notating your moves."
Being a chess tournament director with a focus on rule review and reflection improved her skills in classroom management, as well.
After finishing her associate degree at Phoenix College, Tanner chose Rio Salado to earn her bachelor’s degree thanks to the affordability and flexibility provided by the online environment.
Tanner said her experience was meaningful, and even a little surprising.
“What surprised me most honestly was how much I loved getting involved with the kids and just developing the different relationships with my students in the classroom,” she said.
Tanner is currently seeking a teaching position with a long-term goal to earn a master’s degree.
School Resource Officer Steps Into Health Instruction Role
Before she retired after 20-plus years with the Tempe Police Department in 2025, Latasha Hampton had already prepared her next move. She saw the impact teachers made at the schools where she served as a school resource officer and set her sights on becoming a teacher, enrolling in Rio Salado’s post baccalaureate program while also earning a master’s degree from Northern Arizona University prior to student teaching.
“I love teaching kids and I just fell in love with it,” she said. “I was most surprised about how everything is on the fly. Luckily for me I was able to have my own classroom so it was being thrown into a fire, but I had wonderful support.”
Hampton was already familiar with Rio Salado College, having earned credits early in her career as part of her police training through the college’s education partnership.
After police retirement, Hampton was hired as a long-term substitute to cover health instruction at Phoenix Union High School District’s South Mountain High School. Now with her professional learning complete, she will continue in that role on a permanent basis.
“I had wonderful support … and I do love the lesson plans. They helped us structure my class a lot.”
Pivotal Moment Creates Opportunity to Shift Career Direction
A time of self-evaluation during the pandemic led Chris Xeller to pivot from online advertising and outside sales to teaching. Starting as a substitute teacher, Xeller gained experience in both the public and private school setting, eventually serving as an instructional aide at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School in Phoenix. It was while there that he started Rio Salado’s Teacher in Residence program, which provides an opportunity for active teachers who hold a bachelor’s degree to complete their education toward teacher certification.
“What appeals to me most about teaching is the opportunity to help students develop, grow and learn in the classroom each and every day,” he said. “From the beginning of a school year until the very last day together, a special bond forms between students and teachers they will carry with them for the rest of their lives, and that’s awesome!”
Xeller was enthusiastic about his Rio Salado journey, embracing each lesson along the way and putting it to use in his second-grade classroom. He noted the “exceptional” guidance of his instructors and program supervisor and their encouragement to “learn, apply, reflect and improve” upon his practice to become an effective teacher.
“Throughout the program, I developed a strong foundation in research-based instructional frameworks that now guide my daily teaching, particularly in the critical K–2 foundational years,” he said.
Rio Salado Educator Prep Program Impact
Rio Salado Educator Prep graduates are making a huge impact in Arizona as demonstrated by the statistics shared during the completion ceremony:
- More than 1,900 Post-Bacc program completers are teaching in Arizona public and charter schools
- Alumni are employed in more than 165 traditional public or public charter schools in Arizona, including:
- 106 currently employed with Chandler Unified School District
- 185 currently employed in Mesa Public Schools
- 126 currently employed in Gilbert Public Schools
- More than 300 students enrolled in bachelor’s degree coursework this year on their way to becoming teachers.
“Just this last year, our completers have reached students from as close as the Tempe Elementary district to as far away as Yuma Unified,” said Janelle Elias, vice president for strategy and academic affairs. “Our candidates have made an impact in public and private preschools and childcare settings, as well as traditional public schools, public charter schools and private schools, highlighting our mission to strengthen all communities and our values of diversifying the workforce and collaborating with our educational partners.”
Celebration Concludes With Reflection
As students walked the stage, they were handed an apple pin. Jennifer Gresko, faculty chair for the Educator Preparation Program, then asked each student’s special guest to place the pin on the program completer or degree candidate.
“The apple has long represented knowledge, gratitude, and the teaching profession, and receiving it signifies not only the completion of an education program but also the trust and support of those who have encouraged you along the way,” Gresko said. “When your guest places the apple pin on you, it reflects the impact of shared relationships, mentors, family, or friends, who have witnessed your growth and dedication.”
Students will next celebrate their accomplishments during the 2026 Rio Salado Commencement being held May 14 at Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix.