November 2, 2022
Fall 2022 Newsletter
Staff Spotlight
STEPP would like to welcome our two newest members to the team Brooke
Taunton and Ashley Cooper. Brooke is responsible for administrative work
supporting the STEPP Program and College STAR initiatives. She manages
budgets and purchasing related to the program, working closely with individuals
across campus for tasks related to event planning, administrative support,
inventory, and many other critical factors that help the program run smoothly
day to day. Brooke is also a Pirate! She received her Bachelor of Science in
Nursing from East Carolina University.
Ashley, our Transition Specialist, is an experienced educator with a passion
for making a difference in the lives of her scholars. She received a Bachelor of
Arts from UNC at Chapel Hill and a Graduate Certificate from East Carolina
University. Ashley earned her teaching credentials and a master’s degree in
teaching from Western Carolina University. Before joining the STEPP team,
Ashley worked as a teacher at Rocky Mount Preparatory School.
Ashley will be building on the strong foundation of transition support
established by Emily Johnson. As a part of the STEPP team almost from the
beginning of the program, Emily helped shape, design, and build a transition
support model focused clearly on student success! Moreover, her work at ECU
positively impacted the lives of so many students and families. We remain
thankful for the time spent with STEPP and wish her well in her new journey.
STEPP Website Update: STEPP is excited to unveil our updated “Giving” priorities website. Allowing donors to know exactly where their support has the most impact and how they can give, ensures our mission of supporting student success remains intact for the future of the STEPP Program. Thank you to all of our donors for their continued support! https://stepp.ecu.edu/give/ If you are interested in discussing any giving options, please contact Adam Denney, Director, at denneya15@ecu.edu or 252-737-2661.
Alumni Highlight
During the Fall 2022 semester, STEPP welcomed two alumni for our virtual STEPPing Into Success: Personalizing the Journey series. Joy Seward (14) and Max Stein-Seroussi (15) connected with students during an hourlong discussion about their professional & personal transitions after graduation. The series is designed to engage our alumni in future-focused conversations with currently enrolled students. If you are an alumnus of the STEPP program and interested in participating (or know someone who is), please contact Adam Denney (Email:denneya15@ecu.edu, Phone: 252-737-2661).
Student Highlight
Generous support to the STEPP Program has provided internships to two of our students during the 2022/2023 Academic Year. As STEPP continues to embed a Career Readiness emphasis throughout all aspects of our program, creating meaningful opportunities for students to participate in high-impact practices is a focal point. One of the key transitions of the STEPP Program is preparing students for life beyond their time at ECU. Sam Huffman became an ECU Pirate in 2020 and is studying Communication with a concentration in Journalism. In his role as our Social Media & Marketing Intern, Sam has transformed our social media platforms to align our messaging to better represent the audience we are seeking to engage. Mark Windham, who will graduate in the Spring of 2023, has been employed with STEPP as our Videographer/Photographer Intern for over a year. During his time as a STEPP Intern, Mark has led initiatives focused on donor engagement, creating marketing materials, and developing videos that are shared both internally and externally for the program.
“This internship has
Sam Huffman
helped me grow in making
new connections with the
university and programs
across the globe that assist
and promote those with
learning disabilities through
the power of social media.”
“Having this experience
Mark Windham
on my resume will show
potential employers that
I have had valuable work
experience in college”
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