Student Affairs Employee of the Month
Ella Portwood
Every month, the Division of Student Affairs at UAB recognizes an employee who stands out for their commitment, compassion, and integrity, chosen from a pool of nominations reviewed by the Professional Development Committee. Recent Employee of the Month Ella Portwood is the UAB Career Center Coordinator of Alumni and Employer Relations.
What nominators said about Ella Portwood: Ella has been instrumental in forging new strategic partnerships with some of Birmingham's top employers, specifically highlighting companies that are of top interest to students. Her diligent and innovative efforts have opened new avenues for students, providing increased access to internships, career opportunities, work-based learning, and professional development. Ella's commitment to collaboration and inclusivity has created a talent pipeline that makes these opportunities accessible to all students. Her dedication and hard work have made a lasting impact, further positioning the UAB Career Center as a pivotal link between students and employers.
Theater Teacher Makes for Hall of Fame
Jamie Stephenson, theater director at Vestavia Hills High School, was recently selected for induction into the national Educational Theatre Association Hall of Fame. She will receive the award this month at the Theatre Education Conference in Minneapolis. She is one of two teachers being inducted and the third from Alabama since the beginning of the Hall of Fame in 1990.
Stephenson has taught at Vestavia Hills High School seven years. Prior to VHHS, she taught at Pelham High School a Catholic school in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been a theater educator for more than 20 years. She is a part of the Alabama Educational Theatre Association, where she currently serves as director.
New Teacher Institute
Over a four-day stretch in late July, Mountain Brook Schools welcomed 48 new teachers to the district with the annual New Teacher Institute. The institute allows all new teachers to come together and learn about the district’s purpose statement, “providing an effective, challenging, and engaging education for every one of our students.”
Beyond just the purpose statement, school Assistant Principals lead new teachers in discussion and activities to take a deeper dive into the meaning of effective, challenging and engaging plus studying the importance of every one of our students.
“The experience has been absolutely phenomenal,” said Tommy Guinn, an incoming coach at Mountain Brook Junior High. “This has been by far the best (professional development) I have ever attended in my 18 years of education.” While lots of the time is spent in the district’s Professional Learning Center in the Charles Mason Board of Education, one of the highlights new teachers experienced was the ‘Amazing Race’ themed scavenger hunt, where groups of teachers visited every school campus and completed tasks that covered everything from calculating stocks to reciting the purpose statement while keeping a pickleball rally alive. The week came to a close with the annual New Teacher Breakfast at the Country Club of Birmingham. Just like the week began, it closed with a message from the school district’s Superintendent, Dr. Dicky Barlow.
“We emphasize to each of our new employees that they were chosen to be here,” Barlow said. “They did not get here by accident, and we have high expectations for them. We know they each bring something unique to our district and their school, and we are eager to see how they use their gifts to positively impact the lives of our students and our community.”
“I’m feeling really loved leaving at the end of the week,” Grace Mae Carroll, a third-grade teacher at Crestline Elementary said. “I’m really excited to learn from the people around me and I know that I’m surrounded by the best.”
Senior Receives Global Scholarship
Katie Carlton, a rising senior at Samford University’s Brock School of Business, has been selected as a scholarship recipient from the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network Foundation, a global organization that promotes business networking, industry research, leadership development and career outreach initiatives among women in commercial real estate. Katie is among only 40 women in the United States and Canada to be awarded this scholarship.
In addition to receiving scholarship dollars, Katie will benefit from CREW’s professional network and career-building opportunities. She will partner with a CREW Visionary mentor, receive a two-year CREW Network student membership, and have the chance to attend the fall 2024 CREW Network Convention in Vancouver, British Columbia. She also will be guaranteed a paid summer internship opportunity.
“I am honored to be a recipient of the 2024-25 CREW Network Foundation Scholarship,” Katie said. “This scholarship will provide connections to real estate professionals globally, leadership opportunities, and access to potential mentors, and I’m excited for the opportunity to attend the CREW Network Convention this fall. I am looking forward to diving into all the unique opportunities CREW has to offer and expanding my knowledge in the commercial real estate field.”
In fall 2023, Brock School of Business launched its new real estate concentration for business majors and opened a data lab focused on industry-related projects. The Fairway Commercial Real Estate Lab grand opening in September featured Katie as the selected student speaker. A marketing major, Katie is part of the first cohort of Samford business students participating in the new concentration, and she is concentrating in professional sales to complement her academic endeavors and support her career goals.
Katie currently holds real estate licenses in Georgia and Alabama and is pursuing her Alabama broker's license. She has completed a student internship at Hydinger Stewart & Chew Commercial Properties and aspires to work in brokerage upon graduation.