Sissy Peters

It is no secret that the state of education, especially the field of Special Education, is subject to increasingly more challenges. At this critical time in our nation's history, it is more important than ever before that we have educators who are not only passionate about the field but also extremely well-trained. Peabody continues to hold the No. 1 ranking in the country for Special Education (as well as high rankings in many other programs), and I know with confidence that my impact in the field reflects that ranking. I only know one type of practice: best practice.

Upon graduation, I was the only first-year teacher hired at Rawson Saunders, a highly respected private school designed solely for students with dyslexia, located in Austin, Texas. Such a hiring decision had never been made at that school. The stakes were high but, because of my training, I exceeded all expectations over my three-year career at that innovative school. I returned to Nashville to reconnect with this incredible city, Vanderbilt University and the public school system as a whole.

There is a reason that Vanderbilt, especially Peabody, is known as the "Gold Standard." Because there is truly no place else like it in the country. I feel honored to be a Commodore.