Adding Up Degrees

When Alisha Dunkle learned that Hood College had created a Master of Science in Mathematics Instructional Leadership, she knew that she was coming back! She graduated from Hood in 2015 with a degree in early childhood education and a minor in mathematics education.

After teaching in Frederick County Public Schools for several years, Dunkle knew she need to get her master’s degree. With a goal of becoming an elementary school math specialist, she searched for a program that fit. With classes that focus on both math content skills and how to teach them, and course scheduling in the evenings and summer, the instructional leadership program meets the needs of working teachers. Dunkle chose the PreK-6th grade concentration. A 4th-9th grade concentration is also available.

She started the program in January 2017 and is enjoying both the classes and the people she met. Talking about her professors and classes, she says “I’ve been very lucky to have great professors who are respectful, funny, and passionate about what they’re teaching. Being at Hood has given me the tools I need to take my career in a new direction.”

Dunkle loves being a student and being in school—probably why she became a teacher—and explains that while working full time and being in grad school is exhausting, she still loves to learn and knows that it is absolutely worth it!