Four Baylor School of Education (SOE) seniors were named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges:

• Ashlyn Cramer, Middle Grades English, Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) major
• Audrey Elledge, Middle Grades English, Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) major
• Amy Holecek, Elementary Education major
• Allie Smith, Secondary Mathematics major

Ashlyn Cramer is from Highland Village, Texas, and is the recipient of the Baylor President’s Gold Scholarship and three other scholarships at Baylor. She has been on the Dean’s Honor Roll and serves as a Student Ambassador for the Baylor School of Education. She also volunteers as a UIL spelling coach for seventh graders at Midway Middle School, where she is a student-teaching intern.

Cramer is a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and the Order of Omega, a national leadership honor society for members of fraternity and sorority organizations. In Alpha Chi Omega, she has been involved with the recruitment information team, serving as Junior Vice President and Vice President Collegiate Recruitment Information Chair.

Cramer said she has wanted to be a teacher since she was a little girl, loves literature and loves working with middle school students. She decided to come to Baylor after meeting SOE dean Dr. Jon Engelhardt on her campus visit. “He took time to sit down with me and explain what set apart Baylor’s School of Education,” she said. “I will never forget how, even though my parents were in the room, Dr. Engelhardt spoke to me and focused his attention on me. I was so impressed by Baylor’s School of Education and so impacted by how kind Dr. Engelhardt was that I knew Baylor was the school for me.”

Audrey Elledge, from Frisco, Texas, has been on the dean’s list in the School of Education and will begin work on a Master’s in Learning and Instruction from Vanderbilt University after she graduates in May.

She is a member of Chi Omega, Baylor’s Student Foundation, Mortar Board and Order of Omega and has volunteered with Baylor’s Steppin’ Out service program.

Elledge wants to teach English, she said, “because I believe words and language carry a powerful magic, and I love seeing it unlock the most inward parts of students.” She loves to see her students “connect deeply to a book, write a poem from their hearts, or learn to communicate effectively and passionately.”

Elledge came to Baylor because she expected superior content knowledge and ample field experience. “I wouldn’t trade this decision for the world,” she said.

Amy Holecek, of West, Texas, has been on the Dean’s Honor Roll for four years in the School of Education and is a recipient of the SOE’s Carpenter Family Endowed Scholarship. She was featured in the SOE’s Impact newsletter in the fall 2014 issue: “West Tragedy Can’t Stop SOE Student Amy Holecek”

Holecek is a member of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education and Pi Lambda Theta. She has been a leader at the SOE’s summer iEngage civics day camp, guiding children to create an advocacy project about their community.

Holecek said she wants to be a teacher because “I love to watch kids learn and grow.” And she chose Baylor for the abundance of classroom field experiences the program offers and because of the faculty, she said.

Allie Smith, of Crawford, Texas, is a recipient of seven scholarships at Baylor and is on the Dean’s Honor Roll. She is a member of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education and serves as a Student Ambassador in the School of Education. She has been involved with Baylor Transfer Living & Learning Center and with the Baylor Fitness Department as a team leader. In the Waco community, she has volunteered for the Heart of Texas Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as a coach for Heart of Texas Volleyball Institute and for Vanguard Preparatory School.

“I do not just think of Education as my major, but also as my calling,” Smith said. “When a student finally understands a topic they have been struggling with, it makes my day. The look of understanding that flashes in their eyes and the smile on their faces is why I want to teach.”

Smith said her Baylor SOE experience has taught her how to be the best teacher she can be. “With its emphasis on teaching us how to be Christian leaders in all that we do, Baylor has helped me find what my mission is and has equipped me with the tools to be successful in this field,” she said.