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BETHANY, W.Va. – The Bethany College Department of Education hosted an induction ceremony on Sunday for the new members of the international honor society Kappa Delta Pi.

Dr. Shelby Haines ’96, superintendent of Marshall County (W.Va.) Schools, served as the guest speaker of the ceremony and was among the inductees.

Haines graduated from Bethany with a degree in elementary education, special education, and mathematics and continued her studies at the master’s and doctorate levels. She previously was a classroom teacher, Marshall County Schools’ special education director, and a professor at Bethany and West Liberty University.

“She is sincerely committed to improving not only education but the lives of every child,” said Dr. Christina Sampson, visiting assistant professor of education and faculty adviser of Kappa Delta Pi.

Haines said she entered Bethany with plans of teaching secondary mathematics until she took a special education class taught by Sampson. While completing an assignment that required visiting a high school and evaluating special education situations in the building, Haines said she became outraged.

“It was at that moment that I knew that math might be easy for me, but changing the lives of children is what teaching is all about,” Haines said.

She added: “The mission of Kappa Delta Pi is to advance education by inspiring teachers to prepare all leaders for future challenges. I think that this mission can be summed up by simply saying, ‘Be someone’s Chris Sampson.’ Stand up for kids. Make their lives better in some way. Be an inspiration for students to do better. Be a lifelong support system for others. Hold your head high, stick your chest out, and be proud to be a teacher.”

Haines joined fellow inductees Tatyana Banks, of Resaca, Ga.; Jessie Braddock, of Brownsville, Pa.; Alexia Chavez-Brown, of Frederick, Md.; Natalia Chavez-Brown, Frederick, Md.; Makayla Crownover, of Wintersville, Ohio; Jamie Cunningham, of Canal Fulton, Ohio; Brandon Homrock, of Canonsburg, Pa.; Christian Kampas, of Elizabeth, Pa.; Grace Kusbit, of Sewickley, Pa.; Caitlin Shannon, of Steubenville, Ohio; Sidney Snyder, of Steubenville, Ohio; Lauren Starr, of Venetia, Pa.; Cierra Turner, of Steubenville, Ohio; and Hanna Williams, of Wintersville, Ohio.

Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education was founded in 1911 at the University of Illinois to foster excellence in education and to promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching. Bethany’s Alpha Beta Tau Chapter was chartered in 2004.

For membership, students must be a sophomore or higher, have at least a 3.25 grade point average, and be involved in education-related study.

The initiation ceremony was led by Kappa Delta Pi Alpha Beta Tau Chapter President Taylor Naples. The officers are Vice President Haylie Glass, Secretary-Treasurer Katelin Hart, and Historian Kayla Schultz.

With COVID-19 safety protocols on campus limiting off-campus visitors, the induction ceremony was live-streamed on the Kappa Delta Pi Facebook page to allow family and friends of the inductees to participate.

Kappa Delta Pi last inducted members in 2019.

ABOUT BETHANY COLLEGE

Bethany College, founded in 1840, is the oldest private college in West Virginia. The Bethany experience focuses on academic excellence in the area of liberal arts and prepares students for a lifetime of work and a life of significance.