Rider alumna named 2023 Distinguished Clinical Intern by the New Jersey Department of Education

Image

Danielle Spalding ’23 was awarded the Distinguished Clinical Intern Award by the New Jersey Department of Education. The award recognizes the work and mentorship of the top 15 graduates of educator preparation programs in the state's colleges and universities.

Spalding was presented with her award at the 2023 Distinguished Clinical Intern Awards ceremony held on the Rider University campus on June 7. 

“I knew it was extremely competitive,” says Spalding. “There were 62 of us up for it this year, so I went in just grateful for the nomination. Getting there and actually finding out I was one of the top 15 had me over the moon!” 

As an undergraduate, Spalding served as co-president of the Council for Exceptional Children, an Academic Success Center intern and an admissions ambassador for the Department of Psychology as well as the Baccalaureate Honors Program. She was the social chair for Kappa Delta Pi, the national education honor society, and vice president of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society. Prior to graduation, Spalding was invited to present at Rider’s Independent Scholarship & Creative Activities Presentations Day for her work with Dr. Bhesh Mainali, professor in the Department of Teacher Education, on the origins of math anxiety. 

Spalding graduated from Rider as an elementary education and psychology double major, with a double minor in early childhood education and special education. This fall, she will begin her career as a first grade teacher at Dutch Neck Elementary School in West Windsor Township, New Jersey. 

Having worked in daycare centers since she was 16 years old, Spalding is passionate about elementary education. “I am looking forward to shaping young minds in my very own classroom. I always wanted to have an impact, and working with children has always been something that has come very naturally to me,” she says.

Rider's College of Education and Human Services ensures students are prepared to enter the classroom post-graduation through numerous fieldwork experiences beginning students' sophomore year. Spalding completed her student-teaching experience at Cambridge Elementary School in Kendall Park, New Jersey, where she engaged 21 third-grade students in inquiry-based lessons and hands-on learning.

“I worked so hard all throughout college, so receiving the New Jersey Distinguished Clinical Intern Award was such an amazing way to end my Rider experience,” she says.