Year of Graduation: 2021
Degree: Ed.D. in Educational Leadership
Job Title: Special Education Middle School Math Teacher, Math Teacher Leader
Katie M. Sorochka completed her bachelor of science in Health and Exercise Science from Skidmore College in May 2014. Following that she worked as a softball coach for Middlebury College, conducted private pitching lessons, and worked within different travel organizations. Having recognized a passion for teaching through coaching she pursued her teaching certification in 2017 and an M.A. from Georgian Court University in May 2018. As she was completing her second year teaching, she investigated and reached out to Monmouth University’s School of Education to learn more about the Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership. After meeting with the program director she decided to apply, was accepted, and enrolled for the Fall of 2019. Katie also applied to work as a graduate assistant during this time, and was awarded a graduate research assistantship (GRA) in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction with Vecihi Serbay Zambak, Ph.D.
Katie selected Monmouth because from her initial informational meeting she was able to see that the faculty would be supportive and that the program would help her continue to grow as an educator. Being a doctoral student while teaching full time, completing a graduate research assistantship, and continuing to coach (all during a global pandemic) was not easy, but Katie felt it was possible because of the tremendous support from everyone in the school of education. While in the program she was able to gain more experience in research through the GRA, including being the lead presenter for a poster presentation and participating in a brief report session for AMTE 2021, and being the lead presenter for a poster in Monmouth’s virtual scholarship week in 2020.
Katie began to teach ED360 at Monmouth in the Fall 2020 for the first time while completing her final fall semester of the Ed.D. program, and now continues to enjoy being an adjunct professor in the department of curriculum and instruction. She is passionate about mathematics education, having also focused her dissertation within this topic, and loves to share that passion with other educators and community members.
Since graduating, Katie has presented at Monmouth’s Interdisciplinary Conference on Race in Fall 2021 with her Ed.D. program peer Ryan Eckert, Ed.D. She finished her fifth year teaching, passed the praxis 6990 to finish the requirements for her principal certification, and became a Teacher Leader for the mathematics department at the Goetz Middle School. She will continue to teach Special Education Mathematics this year. Her goals are to continue exploring her passions, learning, and have a positive impact on those around her.