Jessica Edwards – Alumni Profile

Jessica Edwards has received two degrees from East Carolina University. She graduated in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences and earned her master’s in career and technical education plus her community college instruction certificate in 2017.

Jessica has used her degrees to pursue her passions in the education field. She currently serves as the family and consumer sciences teacher at South Central High School and as an online instructor for ECU’s Innovations Early College High School. Jessica describes herself as an enthusiastic and motivated educator with a history of leading and succeeding in the profession. Jessica is committed to student performance, student success and working with other professionals to meet the needs of all students in the classroom. With her education and experience, Jessica has the ability to assist students in career planning and preparation.

Jessica tells us, “I knew from a young age in high school that I wanted to go into education. Family and consumer sciences interested me because of the diverse courses I could teach and the real-world applications for them. I was awarded a teaching fellow scholarship in 2010 to attend ECU, and I truly enjoyed my time as an undergraduate on campus. At the College of Health and Human Performance, I was able to take a variety of classes in child development, hospitality management, interior design, merchandising and more. I enjoyed learning and being able to work with people from diverse backgrounds who were planning working in very diverse fields. When I went back to obtain my master’s, I was able to work completely online, but the experiences were very similar. I took classes with many of the same students and was able to work closely with them to finish my degree. I enjoyed the camaraderie I had with my classmates and professors. I felt that my professors truly enjoyed helping us learn.”

Jessica’s advice for students? “If you’re considering a career in education, look into subjects beyond core classes that give you more options to reach a wide variety of students with subjects that appeal to them. I also highly recommend getting your master’s degree to help you become a true master of your craft. The research and data interpretation tools I learned while completing my action research have been invaluable in helping me teach my students to the best of my ability.”