Slocum graduate honored by Baylor University
Jun. 1—Sara Easley, a 2019 graduate of Slocum Independent School District and resident of Grapeland, is the 2023 recipient of the Delores Coker Phi Delta Kappa Award for Outstanding Student in Education from the Baylor School of Education.
Phi Delta Kappa is professional education association for educators around the world and Coker was a longtime faculty member in Baylor SOE.
Easley graduated cum laude from Baylor University with a BSEd in elementary education. She is the daughter of Jesse and Amy Easley of Grapeland.
During her senior year at Baylor, Easley was a student teaching intern in fourth grade at Hewitt Elementary School in Midway ISD in the classrooms of mentor teachers Valerie Taylor and Ginger Rhodes. Barbara Purdum Cassidy, Baylor clinical associate professor, was her intern supervisor.
"Sara is one of the most caring individuals I have ever known," Taylor said. "She brings such a deep love for students to her classroom and a commitment to serving them well. I know she will have such a tremendous impact on the many students she will serve in the years to come because her heart is literally Texas-sized."
"Sara has built great relationships with her students," Rhodes said. "They trust her and respect what she has to say."
Easley said her goal as an educator is to offer a safe and positive environment for every student.
"I believe education to be the most powerful tool any person can have, and I am honored to get to provide that to my students," she said.
As a student at Baylor, Easley was a member of the School of Education's Student Advisory Council, serving as a student ambassador to represent Baylor at student recruitment events.
