About our AES Chapter
The Alpha Epsilon Sigma (AES) Chapter at Western Governors University was installed by Dr. Heather Dodds, our Chapter's Counselor at the time, and Karen DeLawter, KDP's liaison to local chapters, on February 19, 2010. Since that time our chapter has grown to almost 6,000 members nationwide with two inductions each year.
KDP Honor Society was founded in 1911 to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching. For over a century, the Society has consistently grown, starting with a local chapter to become the international organization it is today, with an initiated membership that exceeds 1.5 million!
Chapter Links
- Chapter Website: www.wgukdp.org
- Chapter Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/groups/wgukdp
- Chapter Store: AES-chapter-products.creator-spring.com
- Chapter Instagram Page: @kdp.wgu
Watch our January webinar here!
AES Save the Dates:
January 21, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. MST
March 18, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. MST
May 13, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. MST
Prior Events:
September 24, 2024 Webinar Recording
November 12, 2024 Webinar Recording
November 12 Event - The Science of Writing!
The Science of Writing uses evidence-based instruction to help students express themselves, communicate, explore ideas, and think critically. Since reading and writing share foundational skills and knowledge, effective writing instruction involves explicit teaching of the writing process, providing ample time for independent practice, and offering opportunities for improvement through collaboration and peer feedback.
Meet the Speakers:
Ruby Willey-Rendon
Dr. Ruby Willey-Rendon is the Lead Instructor for Literacy in the WGU School of Education. Additionally, Dr. Willey-Rendon is a member of the Literacy Advisory Council that supports faculty, staff, and students in the Science of Reading. Dr. Willey Rendon has been an Instructor for Elementary Reading Methods and Children’s Literature for the past 12 years. She also participates in course development and faculty support. Prior to WGU, Dr. WilleyRendon taught at other higher education institutions and in the elementary setting. Dr. Willey-Rendon is passionate about literacy education.
Dr. Jerad Crave
Dr. Jerad Crave is a Senior Instructor in the WGU School of Education and a member of the Literacy Advisory Team focused on implementing Science of Reading research into elementary and secondary literacy course re-designs at WGU. He has taught nearly everygrade, but spent much of his K-12 career at the elementary level. Additionally, he was an administrator, instructional coach, and literacy researcher prior to joining the faculty at WGU. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina where he enjoys trail running, cycling, and hiking with his family.
Dr. Shannon Clark
Dr. Shannon Clark is a passionate and dedicated literacy Instructor in the WGU School of Education. As a member of the Literacy Advisory Council, she supports faculty, staff, and students in the Science of Reading. Dr. Clark instructs and supports students in Disciplinary Literacy as well as Elementary Literacy Curriculum. She actively contributes to curriculum and course development. Dr. Clark lives in Southwest Missouri where she enjoys teaching classes at church, singing, and recording Praise and Harmony albums, and spending time with family and friends.
Service Projects
Celebration of Teaching is Kappa Delta Pi’s (KDP) Signature Service Initiative. It encourages KDP members to support current teachers, cultivate future teachers, and advocate for our profession. Each year, we develop projects that help support this initiative. The meetings are held on Wednesdays, approximately every two weeks. This is a joint committee meeting with our Professional Development committee. To join, you can reach out to kdp@wgu.edu, and the email will be forwarded to the representative to put you on the meeting list.
Meet The Board
- Alex Taves - Chapter President
- Rose Saliger - Vice President
- Jennifer Miranda - Secretary
- April Snedeker - Membership Chair
- Jessica Martz - Social Media Coordinator
- Rachael Grillo - Treasurer
- Dr. Terri Brodeur - Faculty Co-Counselor
- Damara Ochal - Faculty Co-Counselor
Alex graduated from WGU in 2023, and has been an active member of KDP since 2021. He has served on the Executive Board previously as Membership Chair, and now as President. Having worked in education as an advisor, tutor, and Program Manager, he currently enjoys working in his 2nd year as a 5th grade teacher at his childhood elementary school. Alex is passionate about closing the achievement gap, as well as access to a quality public education for students from all backgrounds.
In the very little free time he has, Alex enjoys relaxing with his wife, their 2 cats + 1 dog, reading science fiction, watching soccer, and enjoying the company of his friends and family.
Rose graduated from Western Governors University in 2018 with an undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (K-8). She also completed an M.A. in Science Education (Secondary Earth Science) in 2022. Rose has been a member of Kappa Delta Pi since 2018. She has worked in both the Celebration of Teaching committee and the Professional Development Committee.
Rose is currently working as a substitute teacher and lives in Texas. she enjoys reading novels from a variety of different genres.
Jennifer will graduate from WGU in 2025 with a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. While in school full time, Jennifer is also a highly specialized teaching assistant in an inclusive classroom. Her hope is that she will be starting full time as an elementary teacher for the 2024-2025 school year.
Jennifer lives in Rhode Island, as a single parent, with her two daughters, Samantha and Baylee. When she finds the free time, she enjoys reading and watching movies. She also spends a lot of time at school events, as Samantha plays the clarinet in the school band, which she’s very good at. Jogging and enjoying the fresh air is also something she enjoys doing as frequently as she can.
April started attending WGU in November 2022, and graduated from WGU with her dual license in March, 2024. She works full time at the elementary school where she excitedly has been for the past 10 years. Working with students is a passion of hers and she looks forward to having her own classroom in the near future. April has also been a member of KDP since 2023.
April has been married for 15 years and has 3 sons. April's current project with her husband and sons is rebuilding a JEEP on the weekends.
Jess received her Bachelor's degree in secondary education from Penn State in 2009, a Master's in teaching ESL from WGU in 2016, and a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction from WGU in 2021. She has been a member of KDP since 2016, has enjoyed serving on the AES executive board in several different capacities during most of those years, and has also become a member of the national KDP executive board.
Jess currently lives in central Pennsylvania and teaches high school English. She loves animals and currently has a Pomsky named Loki (she's his social media manager, too). In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading, traveling, and photography.
Rachael received her BA in Secondary Education (Chemistry) from WGU in 2009 and her MA in Secondary Education (Physics) from WGU in 2014. She is set to receive her EdS from Kennesaw State University in Secondary Education this summer (summer 2020) and plans to continue through to her EdD and is currently beginning work on her dissertation. Since graduating, she has worked in a Title I district in Metro Atlanta teaching a number of high school subjects including chemistry, physical science, physics, environmental science, AP Environmental science, forensic science, and earth systems. Rachael grew up in Ohio before spending 10 years living in New York City (GO METS). She currently resides outside of Atlanta with her husband, Stephen, and their cat, Boo. A favorite hobby is stamp collecting.
Dr. Terri Brodeur, WGU Senior Manager, Strategic Operations for School of Education, works to help deliver a distinctive student experience across a portfolio of programs so that students have a seamless and integrated high-quality experience. Dr. Brodeur was in business administration/accounting before obtaining her master's degree in Elementary Education. She furthered her education to obtain her doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership. Dr. Brodeur has been in the field of education for over 15 years serving as an educator, literacy coach, STEM Coordinator and then Principal. Her passion for always growing and learning has been her driving force, so she looks to give back to the Educational Community through serving on various boards and outreach groups.
Terri is a military wife whose husband served for over 30 years in the Navy (just retired last year). Along with being married to her high school sweetheart, Terri is the mother of three beautiful children. Her oldest daughter followed in dad's footsteps, joining the military a few years ago. Their middle son is a current student in the College of Business at WGU, and youngest daughter is in high school. Much of their time is spent traveling for softball to watch their youngest daughter, her dream is to play in college being a scholar/ athlete. They recently made their dream a reality moving into a beach house so when not traveling for softball, they can be found relaxing on the sand or kayaking in the ocean. As avid outdoors people, they also love to hike, bike, and go for long walks on the beach.
Dagmara has been in higher education since 2005 in a variety of settings and roles including administration, mentoring, and teaching. Currently, she is a senior mentor at WGU, School of Education where since 2014 she guided over 300 Educational Leadership students to graduation. In addition, Dagmara is a faculty co-counselor for KDP, AES WGU chapter. Dagmara’s passion is helping others to become successful and fulfilled. She especially enjoys supporting peers in recognizing their own leadership potential and becoming effective people leaders.
On a more personal note, Dagmara is fluent in Polish and English and currently in Arizona. Spending free time with family and/or friends, and dog, Maya is extremely rewarding for Dagmara. She cherishes the outdoors and enjoys hiking, backpacking, and skiing. She embraces volunteering opportunities which allow her to connect with local community and pay-it-forward for received blessings. Dagmara volunteers mostly at the local Ski Resort where she serves as AZ Women’s Ski Patrol Program Advisor, Alpine Senior Ski Patroller, Youth Patrol Advisor, OEC Instructor, and Patrol Representative. Overall, whether it is at home or work, Dagmara embraces a growth mindset and never stops evolving.
