By Emily Jenkins, Staff Writer
For some people, education is a way to fulfill God’s purpose in their life, but how do these people know the field of education is right for them?
Craig Hammond, dean of UMHB’s college of education, said. “I really do believe that education provides a pathway for students to live out purpose and to earn an income while they are fulfilling God’s calling on their life.”
Hammonds explained that the College of Education’s recruiting efforts aim to raise awareness of the high need, the high opportunity, and the factual pay for educators to help people make informed decisions when deciding on whether education is the right fit for them.
Hammonds said, “One of the things we try to do in recruitment is not just draw people into education but to help people understand what all the opportunities there are in education.”
Three-time UMHB alumnus Joel Maresh, who has a doctorate in educational leadership and administration, benefited from learning more about the opportunities in the College of Education.
Maresh said, “I always felt called to work with students in kind of that age group, junior high to high school, and I had never really considered education, so I didn’t really know what that would look like…”
Maresh explained that as he pursued his undergraduate degree in Christian studies, he was considering seminary and was working at a church in Jerrell, Texas. During this time, an interim pastor, who recently retired from a private school in Temple, helped him decide to pursue his master's of curriculum and instruction with teaching certification rather than his master's of Christian education.
Maresh’s wife was in the education program at the time, making it easy for Maresh to look into programs at UMHB and consult some of the COE professors. He discovered that he could earn his master's and teaching certification in a year, so he graduated with his bachelor's in the spring of ‘16 and his masters in the spring of ‘17. In addition to earning teaching certification, those in the master's of curriculum and instruction program can also work and earn full teaching income while earning their master's, Hammond explained.
However, one of the biggest things Maresh learned while he prepared to enter into the masters program was having a Christian influence in the classroom.
Maresh said, “One of the biggest positives of joining UMHB’s College of Education is that it wasn’t just going to be that they were going to teach you how to be a great teacher, which certainly is a huge part of it, but we’re going to teach you how to be a strong Christian influence wherever God places you.”
Similarly, Hammonds mentions the great opportunity and high need to influence the next generation is a main point in the COE’s recruiting efforts.
Graduate assistants, as Maresh was during the two years he was earning his doctorate, assist program directors who oversee recruiting for the doctoral and master's programs.
Graduate assistants at the College of Education also recruit for undergraduate programs and will host high school students to come to events such as the Texas Association of Future Educators conference on Dec. 2, 2025. Last year, the College of Education hosted around 700 high school students at the Texas Association of Future Editors conference, where they were able to inform high schoolers about their degree programs.
In addition to the opportunity to influence the younger generation, Hammonds explained that there is also a high need for educators and, therefore, many job openings. “Our students typically have job offers before they even graduate.”
In addition to the opportunity and need for education, Hammonds explained that the starting salary is adequate, especially when considering that it is a 187-day contract rather than a year-round contract. Teachers may also find additional paying opportunities like coaching, tutoring, and teaching summer school.
“Starting salaries are better than most people think about,” said Hammonds. “In our local area just this year, starting salaries for some first-year teachers with a bachelor's degree is right at $60,000.”
In agreement with Hammonds, the median wage for preschool, elementary, middle, secondary, and special education teachers was $61,960 in May 2024, according to the Occupational Handbook published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For more information about UMHB’s education programs, contact the UMHB College of Education at coega@umhb.edu or 254-295-5546. Also, follow them on Instagram @umhb_coe or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UMHBCOE.
