Reich College of Education doctoral student Kimberly Nava Eggett, from Asheville, North Carolina, received the North Carolina Technology in Education Society (NCTIES) 2022 Impact Award at the annual conference held in Raleigh, North Carolina in March 2022.
The Impact Award recognizes a significant positive impact on technology use in the applicant's educational community. The recipient's work reflects the International Society for Technology in Education's mission to empower learners to flourish in a connected world with knowledge and expertise; advocate for strategic policies; and continually improve learning and teaching.
As the digital lead teacher for Claxton Elementary School (Asheville City Schools), Nava Eggett is “passionate about making school equitable, inclusive, and empowering for students that have been historically marginalized, especially in STEM.”
“As a Latina and first-generation student, who didn't often see myself reflected back in public education in Western North Carolina, I hope to be that mirror for others, especially those in my community,” she continued. “I am grateful for the opportunity to represent my school and my community as a leader that has made an impact in instructional technology.”
“As a Latina and first-generation student, who didn't often see myself reflected back in public education in Western North Carolina, I hope to be that mirror for others, especially those in my community. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent my school and my community as a leader that has made an impact in instructional technology.”
Nava Eggett earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and licensure in elementary education and Spanish education from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, during which she was a North Carolina Teaching Fellow. She earned her Master of Arts in instructional technology and a graduate certificate in instructional technology leadership from Appalachian State University.
She is currently completing her doctorate in educational leadership at App State, and she recently defended the college’s first collaborative dissertation with Rebecca Burry entitled “Leveraging Instructional Technology and Asset Based Pedagogy for Equitable Representation in Technology Opportunities”.
For Nava Eggett, continuing her education at the doctoral level would create opportunities for her that are currently unavailable.
“I also knew that I wanted to be able to use my privilege as a leader in order to disrupt inequities that exist in my realm of control,” she added. “The doctoral program in educational leadership has helped me refine my leadership, my values, and how to explore best practices in order to ensure students have the best opportunity to learn and grow in our elementary schools.”
Her areas of research focus on instructional technology, specifically “how an instructional coach's role is utilized in order to shift pedagogy from a deficit to an asset-based lens.”
Kimberly Nava Eggett
