Vanessa Escalante

I recently achieved ABD status in my PhD program - specializing in Business Administration/HR at Northcentral University, with research focusing on leadership and public policy. I hold an MPA, with extensive research conducted in HR applications and police administration. With over 20 years of combined international law enforcement experience spanning the military, police, and correctional realms and a diverse array of academic and professional training, I have developed a wide array of hard and soft KSAs that I can successfully employ across a variety of domains. My teaching philosophy is constantly evolving. What does not change is my view of teaching as both an honor and a responsibility, with the opportunity to inspire and the duty to empower. I believe teaching needs to be much more than the simple imparting of knowledge, but rather one of guidance on an intellectual journey intended to motivate and empower students to be deep thinkers and ultimately be self reliant, productive, and empathetic members of society. I strongly believe that students experience the greatest success when they become personally engaged with the material, viewing the subject matter as directly relevant to their own lives. I encourage student effort while challenging them to do their very best. I focus on promoting a classroom climate of caring and trust, with challenging but achievable goals, support for student individual growth, and absolute achievement. Active participation and critical thinking are key components in my classroom. Respect for diversity in all its aspects – and the fostering of a nurturing, supportive environment are also critical elements in my classroom. “Diversity is an essential element in all healthy communities. Individual differences must be celebrated, individual strengths honored, and individual needs supported”. My teaching methods challenge students to think critically, get engaged, self-discover, and to “move against and beyond boundaries”.