HPU’s Stout School of Education Hosts Career Fair
Pictured are HPU education students talking with recruiters from local K-12 school districts.
HIGH POINT, N.C., May 4, 2026 – High Point University’s Stout School of Education welcomed 18 school districts from across North Carolina and 16 area principals to engage with senior education majors who wanted to make a good impression while interviewing for teaching positions after graduation.
Students dressed professionally on April 16 for the Stout School of Education Career Fair and Principal Panel, which gave them an opportunity to network with district officials from across the region and learn about open teaching positions. Mock interviews and a principal panel helped students prepare for more formal job interviews. The principals interviewed 30 education majors, most of whom will launch their teaching careers after HPU’s Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on May 2.
Jessie Taylor, a senior special education adaptive curriculum major, felt excited for the opportunity to talk with recruiters from so many school districts. Because of her student teaching experience, she also felt confident and curious to see which district she might align with to teach in North Carolina.
“Honestly, for the last four years at High Point University, I feel like they prepared us for this moment, specifically with all the classes we have taken but also with pushing us out into the classrooms every semester, every year,” said Taylor, who is from Mooresville, North Carolina. “We have seen four different schools and four different districts. That’s one thing that’s been very helpful for me because I’ve seen four different classrooms, four different teachers, four different ways they either use their teaching style or adapt to the curriculum of the school district.”
The career fair and principal panel allowed education students to learn more about many schools within North Carolina, said Crystal Miller, a senior middle grades education major with minors in special education and history.
“It’s interesting to see what they’re looking for because not every school district that you apply to is looking for the same exact thing,” said Miller, who is from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “Seeing the different populations in school districts and allowing them to also see you as the person you are helps to build rapport, so if you were to apply, they know who you are and what to expect of you.”
Teresa Owens, clinical instructor of HPU’s Education Preparation Program, launched the annual career fair and principal panel event in 2016.
“It’s good practice for students to learn how to speak with and respond to a recruiter,” Owens said. “Our education majors and minors can discover job opportunities they may not have considered through these events. There are many different paths available. For example, a student who aspires to be a school psychologist might connect with a district recruiter looking to fill that role. In some cases, after speaking with recruiters from North Carolina, students might choose to stay in the state.”
Bruce Carroll, executive director of human resources at Lexington City Schools and an HPU Class of 2013 Master of Educational Leadership alumnus, said he enjoys returning to campus to talk with education majors.
“It’s always one of the things I look forward to in my job, just sharing everything about our district but also talking with prospective educators and trying to connect them to jobs and opportunities,” Carroll said. “I love the recruiting piece of it, and I feel like it’s a pay-it-forward opportunity. We’re looking for first-year teachers, and we’re mainly looking to fill our teacher pool. For us, special education teachers are always an area of need, so that’s something I have my eye on. But generally, we’re looking for good people to fill in and make a difference in our students’ lives.”
“We want to get the best of the best,” said Angela Bostic-Phelps, employee recruitment coordinator at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. “We get out there and meet High Point University students. We host them from time to time as student teachers, so it’s important to us to get to know them and retain them. I always enjoy it because you get someone who is bright, fresh and getting ready to start their career.”
In addition to local school district officials, Amergis Educational Staffing was looking to connect prospective special education teachers with districts not only across the state but nationwide.
“We need them desperately in North Carolina schools,” said Hannah Slattery, a recruiter for Amergis Educational Staffing. “School districts across the nation are struggling to find special education teachers.”
Emily Grove, business development manager for Amergis Educational Staffing, said special education teachers are extremely important now for North Carolina K-12 classrooms along with schools nationwide. She talked with education students about how they can learn more about contracts to work with schools across the country.