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Dr. Sheri Hardee knows firsthand the challenges first-generation college students and low-income students face. She ran into those obstacles when she began college at the University of South Carolina.

The dean of the University of North Georgia's (¹û¶³´«Ã½) College of Education is determined to help others in the same way certain programs and her mentors aided her.

A particularly helpful opportunity for Hardee was the , one of the federal programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

"That was the program that got me thinking about grad school because when I was in college, I didn't know what grad school was," Hardee said. "I had never thought about it, so it wasn't something I ever pictured myself doing."

Hardee went on to receive a doctoral degree in social foundations in education from the University of South Carolina, where she previously had earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in English.

In addition to her passion to help first-generation and low-income students, Hardee wants to help diversify the P-12 teaching core to better reflect their students' demographics. The National Center for Education Statistics, she said, indicates about 80 percent of teachers are white females.

This focus is vital in Gainesville City School System and Hall County Schools, where ¹û¶³´«Ã½ has partnerships to provide field training for students in the teacher certification programs. In the city schools, 60 percent of students are people of color while the county demographic is 42 percent.

"It's important for students to be able to see themselves reflected in their teachers," Hardee said. "And thus it is vital that we work to change the demographics of teacher certification in our region."

Building on her degrees from the University of South Carolina, Hardee started her tenure at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ in 2009 as an assistant professor of social foundations in education. She later served as associate dean of the College of Education before taking on the position of dean Jan. 2, 2019.

One of her favorite programs while at ¹û¶³´«Ã½ has been the Realizing Inspiring Successful Educators (RISE) partnership with Hall County Schools, spearheaded by Hardee and assistant professor Dr. Lauren Johnson.

Through RISE, Hall County Schools pays the tuition of heritage Spanish-speaking graduates who enroll in ¹û¶³´«Ã½'s teacher certification programs. Students work as paraprofessionals with English learners in Hall County elementary schools during their time at ¹û¶³´«Ã½. Upon graduation, the new teachers receive a job offer from Hall County Schools. ¹û¶³´«Ã½'s College of Education covers expenses such as books and Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE).

"We're hoping we can continue to expand that so we can kind of change the face of education, at least in Hall County," Hardee said.

A similar partnership with the Gainesville school system is seeking to attract more black, Asian and Hispanic teachers.

Hardee is also energized by the growth of ¹û¶³´«Ã½'s kinesiology department, which now has almost as many students as teacher certification programs. She is proud to see her two departments improve their communities through engagement.

"We have the potential to make a lot of impact," Hardee said.