The Grad Post Fall 2019, Double Eagle Spotlight, Kathleen “Kitty” Crawford, Ed.D.

November 12, 2019

Double Eagle

Where are you from?

Originally from Columbia, Maryland, I moved to Jacksonville, Florida during my middle and high school years. After high school, I moved to Statesboro to complete my Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees.  From there, I returned to Jacksonville to teach at an elementary school for five years then served as a Literacy Coach for two years.  In 2005, I applied to become a Clinical Instructor of Elementary Education at Georgia Southern.  Back to the ‘Boro we moved, and I haven’t looked back since!

What brought you to Southern for your first degree?

I knew I wanted to become an elementary teacher, so my high school counselor recommended Georgia Southern to me.  My parents brought me to campus for a tour, and it instantly felt like home.  The campus was beautiful, the student population was still small at the time, and, of course, the appeal of the original Teacher’s College helped to guide my decision to choose Southern for my first degree.  I was also allured to this quaint, little town of Statesboro because, geographically, Georgia Southern was close enough to home in Jacksonville, yet, far enough away to let me soar on my own.

Why did you choose to stay at Southern?

I chose to stay at Southern because I knew the undergraduate degree I earned fully prepared me to become an elementary teacher, and I was confident that an advanced degree would make me an even better, more reflective teacher to best support my diverse students.  The relationships I built with my professors at the undergraduate level were incredible, and I was confident that by pursuing my master’s degree, those very same professors could take me to the next level in my educational career.  Then, in the whirlwind of life in 2011, I applied and was accepted into the doctoral program in the College of Education at Southern.  I was confident that this education would make me the best mentor and teacher for undergraduate students of my own.  It was time for me to give back to my teacher candidates the very same way my own professors gave of themselves, and a doctoral degree was the next logical step in this pursuit.

Which degrees have you earned?

I am a Triple Eagle proudly earning both  B.S.Ed. (1997) and M.Ed. (1998) degrees in elementary education, and an Ed.D. (2016) in Curriculum Studies with a concentration in Teaching and Learning. 

Where are you now, and how has your education at southern helped you get there?

I recently accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of Elementary Literacy in the Department of Elementary and Special Education here at Georgia Southern.  The education I have received, in conjunction with my years spent in elementary school and as a Clinical Instructor at Southern, have brought me to the roots of where I first started my career.  Without these degrees earned, there’s no telling where I would be, but, for now, I’m home.

What does it mean to you to be a Double Eagle?

When people ask where I obtained my education, I am honored to say Southern (and no place else!) – being a Triple Eagle is one of my proudest educational accomplishments. 

What’s next for you?

Life’s what you make it – who knows?!  For now, I plan to continue working at Southern as an Assistant Professor and initiate new literacy research and service projects that will positively impact not only my teacher candidates and their work with children in elementary classrooms, but also our local schools and community.