Katherine Peppers: Building on her undergraduate degree

SOE graduate student impressed with her professors’ caring, concern and “genuine interest in my success.”

Casual headshot of Katherine Peppers, who transitioned from JMU to the VCU School of Education.
Katherine Peppers (Courtesy photo)

By Shania Stevenson

Katherine Peppers received her undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders at James Madison University (JMU) and is currently pursuing her M.Ed in Special Education in the adapted curriculum at the VCU School of Education. Students with a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders often pursue graduate work in fields such as speech language pathology, audiology, or special education.

Peppers said that the unique perspective she gained from her undergraduate degree is helping her to develop into a well-rounded and responsive educator at SOE.

“I feel well-prepared and confident in my current graduate program in special education thanks to the skills and experience I got from JMU,” she said.

Her mentors and professors at VCU also encourage her to persevere through online classes and, Peppers said, they really want her to succeed.

“My professors are caring, they listen to my concerns, and they show a genuine interest in my success,” she said. “The passion that they have toward my field of study has without a doubt helped me on my journey toward achieving my goals.”