“The minute I stepped on campus, I knew this was where I was supposed to be – it always felt like home.”
Dr. Ashley Causey (’06) has been a leader in Education for nearly 20 years. She has served and given to so many as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach, and a district administrator. Today, she serves as the National Academic Advisor for Nearpod, a Renaissance company. She admits this “has been a huge transition, but such a blessing to be able to collaborate with educators all over the world as we work together to truly see every student.”
During her time on the hill, Dr. Causey says that many individuals in the Math and Education departments left impressions on her life. “Dr. Capehart is the one who helped me realize my calling as a math teacher, while Dr. Nichols and Dr. Sargent challenged me, and they are the reason why I pursued my master's and doctoral degrees. I often think of them now as I am teaching classes to educators at the University of Houston.” She also credits ETBU for helping her prepare for life after the Hill and says that “ETBU helped me develop the skills necessary to step right into the classroom … and know how to work with others from a variety of different backgrounds in order to achieve a common goal.”
Reflecting on her years here, she shares, “ETBU is a special place that focuses on developing you as a person and not just the scholar. I am grateful for the friendships I made and the experiences I was able to participate in – having traveled with a group to China while in school and to India with two other alum after we graduated. ETBU was a place where I discovered my passions, and they nurtured those in me.”
Growing up and hearing ETBC stories from her mother, Brenda (Bumstead) Causey (’69), Ashley now has fond memories of her own. “The friendships made at ETBU are definitely lifelong, and anytime I am able to connect with the friends I made there, it definitely does not feel like it has been years since we were all together. Another special part about ETBU is the connections you have with people you may not have known while you were there, or those that went at other times than you, but you still connect with them and share some of the special traditions and memories.”