Katie Hickox

Master of Arts in Teaching, 1999
School of Education

June 1, 2010

“UCI made it clear that teaching was the right career for me.”

UCI’s Department of Education has proved to be one of the best professional investments I have ever made. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Katie Hickox, an Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition teacher at Millikan High School in the Long Beach Unified School District. Thanks to UCI, I have earned professional opportunities beyond my highest expectations.

In 1997, I earned a multiple subjects credential through the university’s intern program. I had decided to go into teaching after a rewarding career in newspaper reporting. UCI made it clear that teaching was the right career for me by providing me early opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of students. The intern program put me right into the classroom, where I enjoyed crafting lessons and being part of an instructional team.

During my first year at Tustin Unified School District, I was recognized with the “Sallie Mae” award for new teachers in the district. My elementary career then took me to the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program within the Long Beach Unified School District, which I joined in 2002. When I decided I wanted to experiment with training teachers, it was back to UCI as part of the Orange County Council for Gifted and Talented Education (OCC GATE) conference. More recently, UCI Extension named me as a “Distinguished Instructor” in 2009 for my online courses in differentiated instruction. I genuinely enjoy training teachers as part of UCI Extension’s GATE certification program.

This spring, I have had the chance to expand my possibilities as a high school teacher by upgrading my multiple subject credential through a UCI department of education course.

Truly I have been “gifted” with terrific opportunities in education, with experience teaching grades 2-12 and beyond. I am deeply grateful to UCI for the continued opportunities to learn and grow as a teacher.

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