• W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship Recipient •

From Counting Down to Moving Forward: Online Degree Gives Teacher New Path in Educational Leadership

In the principal's role he aspires to, Shawn Daniel looks forward to working with teachers, helping families resolve concerns and supporting students. These are responsibilities he has come to better understand through his graduate studies and internship experience while enrolled in the Master of Education in Educational Leadership program at the University of Arkansas, he said.

Daniel, 41, teaches special education at Pea Ridge Elementary School and expects to graduate with his degree in December.

"A lot of a principal's job is to work with the parents," Daniel stated. "If there's an upset parent, if the parents are unhappy about something that's happening in the building, whether it's with their teachers or one of their children's classmates, the principal can work with them to solve that issue. The principal also works with teachers who might be struggling. Maybe they have a difficult class or they're new to education. The principal mentors them and guides them. That's something I look forward to."

After 15 years in the classroom, Daniel said the program has given him a new direction for his career and a clearer vision of the kind of leader he wants to become. Before entering the U of A program, he was thinking about finishing out his teaching career and eventually retiring. Now, he is looking ahead to a leadership role where he can help reinforce an entire school community.

 

An Unexpected Invitation

Daniel had not initially planned to return to college. A fellow teacher—who had completed the educational leadership program at the U of A—gave Daniel's name to one of her instructors when that faculty member asked his students if they knew anyone who might be interested in the program.

Michael Hensley, assistant professor of practice in educational leadership with the Department of Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods in the College of Education and Health Professions, reached out to Daniel, whose initial response was to say no.

"When my co-teacher gave my name, the professor contacted me," Daniel recalled. "I shut him down immediately, but he was pretty persistent—in a good way. He answered all my concerns and questions. And next thing I knew, I just dove right in."

That persistence ultimately made a difference.

"Dr. Hensley reached out and made me feel wanted and valued," Daniel said.

Hensley also taught Daniel during his first three classes, giving him a familiar connection as he began graduate school after more than a decade away from the student side of a classroom.

 

Flexibility That Fits Real Life

Daniel said the online format has been one of the most important parts of his online student experience. Rather than having to be in Fayetteville for class, he can complete assignments around his work and family responsibilities. His class meets online Wednesday nights, with assignments due the following Wednesday.

"The professor does a great job of explaining when the assignments get posted weekly," he said. "Our class meets every Wednesday night, and we get assignments that are due the following Wednesday. So it's almost kind of at your own pace. I have from Wednesday to Wednesday to do it. I can do it late at night after my daughter goes to bed or I can do it on a Saturday afternoon if I have the time."

The educational leadership program includes some synchronous instruction in which all students meet together online Wednesday nights; many degree programs delivered online by the U of A offer all asynchronous classes, allowing students to view the content individually at any time.

The program's online tools have also made it easier for Daniel to stay connected to his classes and professors.

 

Learning While Working

Daniel's graduate studies also allow him to connect what he learns in class to his work as a special education teacher. At Pea Ridge Elementary, Daniel works in what the district calls a "launch," a resource setting where he assists teachers in their classrooms, works with students in small groups and responds to behavioral concerns.

His graduate coursework has given him new approaches to those responsibilities, he said.

"I go into classrooms and assist some teachers with students, and then I pull some students into my classroom for a small group," Daniel explained. "I deal with some behaviors. If there's a behavior concern in the building, I'll respond to that. My classes have taught me how to manage all of that, how to manage a student who might be a behavior concern, and how to co-teach and work with teachers collaboratively."

His coursework is also preparing him for responsibilities beyond the classroom. As part of the program's internship requirement, Daniel is observing administrators at several schools, including his own. Because he hopes to eventually become a principal then move up to district administration, the experience has included observing secondary school activities, including athletic events, he said.

"I just started my internship," he said. "I hope my next position is as a principal at a secondary school. I'm going to some of the football games and volleyball games to observe sporting events and see how they look from an administrator's point of view. I'm getting to shadow my mentoring principals and follow them around just to see how they work."

The flexibility of the program has allowed Daniel to complete the internship while continuing to work full time.

"Another great thing is I'm able to do my internship at the school that I teach at," he said. "I'm able to get my hours from my principal, from observing him. I've made connections to the high school principal, so I'm able to observe them as well. My school works with me about coming and going if I need to. The U of A has made it possible for me to do the internship while still actively working and teaching a full-time job."

 

Seeing Students Who Are Often Overlooked

Daniel's experience as a special education teacher has also shaped his perspective on leadership and the role educators play in helping students feel seen.

"A teacher's greatest gift is making a child feel seen now more than ever before," Daniel stated.

That concept comes from Daniel's own experiences working with students who are often overlooked, particularly students who have a hard time communicating.

"A book I read when I was younger was from the viewpoint of a nonverbal child with disabilities," he recalled. "She wrote it from her perspective. A lot of students in my building are nonverbal. For me, just getting to spend time with them, work with them, I feel a connection to them they don't get with everybody. They get passed over a lot because they can't communicate their wants and needs. It's really nice to work with them and have my own bond with them."

 

A Scholarship That Made a Difference

As Daniel balanced graduate school with two jobs and family responsibilities, the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship provided financial support along the way. He learned about the scholarship through an email sent to his U of A account and decided to apply.

"An e-mail, just one of those random emails I get to my U of A account," he recalled. "Even working full-time as a teacher on weekdays and part-time at a local gym on weekends, it's expensive to pursue your master's. I was keeping my eye out for any scholarship that was available. When I saw this scholarship, I looked into it and found it wasn't spam, so I followed it through."

Daniel is one of 39 students receiving the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship for online U of A students for the 2026-27 academic year. The scholarship was created in 2018 to provide financial assistance to students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate online degree programs. Recipients receive $1,000 for each upcoming fall and spring semester in which they are enrolled, for a possible total of $2,000.

The application process was straightforward, he said, and receiving the scholarship was a welcome surprise.

"They asked a lot of questions and there was an essay that I had to write," he said. "It had to be so many words and be along a certain topic, but it was very easy to apply and to pursue. I was really shocked when I heard back and very excited to hear I'd received the scholarship for my final semester."

For Daniel, the scholarship's impact was practical.

"Financially it's helped," he said. "A thousand dollars might not seem like a lot, but it definitely goes a long way when you're working two jobs and counting pennies. Any degree costs money and times are tough. It definitely benefited me the most financially."

 

Looking Ahead

Daniel is the first member of his family to attend college, making his return to school particularly meaningful. His father has a saying about making sure the reward is worth the effort. For Daniel, the answer is clear.

"My dad's favorite saying is something like, ‘You gotta make sure the juice is worth the squeeze.' In this case the juice, my master's degree, is definitely worth it."