I have been a Kappa Delta Pi member since fall 2010, and Kappa Delta Pi has been there for me for every step – from my year as chapter president through student teaching and getting a job and now helping me in my teaching career.

The Kappa Delta Pi Job Search Academy and New Teacher Community were excellent resources for me during my job search. At the beginning of my teaching career, I experienced a job loss and had to search for a new teaching position, which was a very stressful time for me.

My Kappa Delta Pi family was there for me, offering personalized mentoring, support, and encouragement that helped me obtain my current teaching position. Sally Rushmore took time to personally review my resume and do a mock interview over the phone with me. She showed me a different resume format that helped showcase my teaching and leadership skills in a more effective manner than the resume format I had been using.

Participating in the Job Search Academy also taught me to look for teaching opportunities beyond my local school district. My current position is in an elementary charter school, and I believe I would not have found my current position without the guidance and encouragement of the Job Search Academy.

The Job Search Academy took my talents and skills and taught me how to sell myself as an asset to schools. Using that I was able to obtain a wonderful position in which I can use my teaching and leadership skills to make a difference in my students’ lives every day.

Aubrie Simpson was President of the Psi Rho Chapter at Flagler College (St. Augustine, Florida) during the 2011-2012 school year. She wrote “The Main Thing is to Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing: Teacher Leadership Roles Lead to Student Success” in the Winter 2012 issue of the New Teacher Advocate. She is excited to be a kindergarten and ESE teacher at St. Paul School of Excellence in St. Augustine, FL.