For Erin Sanders, the best thing about Northern Kentucky University is the people.

“In my mind, there are no better people than the people at NKU,” she says. “They’re good, kind, big-hearted and accommodating. All the professors have a level of care for their students—and each other—at this university, and that is so evident. That’s why I felt excited to finish my degree here. I want to have that same level of care and consideration with my own students.”

Sanders, a 2025 graduate of NKU’s Master of Education in Educational Leadership-Principal Certification, is a teacher at Blue Ash Elementary.

The South Bend, Indiana native landed her first teaching job in Maryland after graduating from Xavier University with a degree in Montessori education. When she and her husband returned to the region after 9/11, she joined the faculty at Cincinnati Public Schools. For 17 years, she taught first, second and third graders.

In 2018, Sanders left the classroom to pursue other opportunities.

“I really needed a break mentally from being in the classroom every day,” she says. “At that point, I was 40 and thought, ‘Maybe I’ll do something else and start a new career path that’s teaching adjacent.’ I started substitute teaching but also put out resumes to any job that seemed related to teaching and within my skillset but not as a classroom teacher.”

And that’s how she ended up at NKU.

Sanders took on a role in academic advising for the College of Education. She worked with freshman education students, helping them transition to college and navigating their major.

One of the perks, she says, was the employee tuition waiver that allows employees to take classes for free. Sanders still had a passion for education and decided to enroll in NKU’s Educational Leadership program.

However, taking classes and working closely with education students reminded Sanders that she missed working in the classroom.

“As I’m doing that—working with teacher candidates—I realized that I actually wanted to be in the K-12 space,” she says. “Working in advising was a nice break for me, but I knew I wanted to go back.”

Leaving NKU was a difficult decision, but Sanders found a job in the Sycamore Community City School District and took a break from her second master’s to focus on teaching.

It wasn’t until four years later when Sanders was renewing her teaching license and realized how close she was to finishing her degree.

“I realized the program was 30 hours, and I had 24,” she says. “It was ridiculous to not finish this degree.”

After Sanders reenrolled, she was reminded of the level of care that she experienced when she first joined the program.

As a graduate student who works full time, she appreciates the balance that NKU provides for working students.

“NKU has historically catered to nontraditional students—whether it’s a transfer student or a graduate already working a job,” she says. “They’re trying to make it work for you to get your degree and be successful.”

Sanders loves learning new skill sets and being in leadership positions. However, she has no immediate plans to leave Blue Ash Elementary.

“I’m really happy in my teaching job,” she says. “But I definitely see myself in administration at some point. I could see myself doing something that like if the right opportunity comes along.”