News from the Zucker Family School of Education

On Sept. 12, Education Professor Guy Ilagan, Ph.D.; Genelle Sawyer, Ph.D., director of the Master’s in Clinical Counseling program; Kristi Galloway, CGC ’18, program director of Charleston DBT Associates; and Caroline Flowers, a graduate student in the counselor education program, conducted a five-hour experiential workshop on suicide assessment and safety planning for local mental health clinicians.

Held at the Francis Marion Hotel, the session guided participants through interactive training on assessing suicide risk and helping clients develop individualized safety plans.

As part of their ongoing field experience, cadets from the Zucker Family School of Education visited Simmons Pinckney Middle School for an immersive morning coordinated by Sean Keiper, student services manager. Cadets met with the school’s principal and assistant principal to gain valuable perspectives on school leadership, then visited classrooms to observe teaching practices and interact with students and faculty.

The experience deepened their understanding of educational environments and strengthened their commitment to becoming future leaders in education. Ongoing partnerships with local school districts and schools such as Simmons Pinckney Middle provide valuable field experiences that help prepare future educators.