The opportunity to serve as superintendent of Lake Travis ISD has been the most challenging, yet rewarding professional experience of my life. This once, sleepy resort community west of Austin has awakened to find itself in the midst of tremendous growth, and the 5,200 students we now serve will grow in number to 13,000 over the next ten years. Like all superintendents, there are many demands and issues that require attention and energy. There are the obvious challenges of creating conditions for excellence in the core functions of the district-curriculum and instruction, human resources, and finance and support services. Additionally, the collateral, but very important work of addressing the federal and state accountability systems, bond elections, and extra-curricular programs ensures that no two days are alike. So, how important is it to choose wisely when selecting an educational leadership preparation program?

In the late 1980s, I was given a wonderful opportunity to become an assistant principal in Spring ISD and do my masters degree/mid-management certification coursework at the SHSU. During the ensuing years, I was fortunate to move from assistant principal to principal, to assistant superintendent to superintendent-during which time I completed my superintendent certification and doctoral degree at Sam Houston State University. Now, almost 25 years into my career in education, I can clearly see the connection between my own professional fulfillment and the people who influenced me along the way.

At Sam Houston, I found faculty that truly cared about me as an individual. They consistently provided a perfect blend of academic rigor and real world experience that helped establish the foundation for how to assess and address the challenges of my work. I also found classmates that have become professional colleagues and friends for life-regardless of where our work takes us. Twenty-five years from now, when current SHSU College of Education students look back on their careers, it will be what they learned from the examples of wisdom, virtue, professional integrity and intellectual curiosity that the faculty wove into their relationships with them that will have stood the test of time. For me, that is the most honorable definition of individual and institutional success!

Dr. Rockwell "Rocky" Kirk, Ed.D.