花季视频

Health Education and Human Sciences | Lion VoicesSeptember 29, 2025

Dr. Camille Wheeler Found Her Calling in Education

Written By: Ian Silvester

Dr. Camille Wheeler strives to ensure that her students in the School of Education at the University of 花季视频 鈥� Fort 花季视频 successfully achieve the school鈥檚 mission of stepping into the classroom as educators who are ready day one.

Her own journey started on a somewhat different path.

Wheeler started off studying architecture at the University of 花季视频, Fayetteville. After some consideration, she changed her major to human development and family studies, graduating with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in 2001.

At first, Wheeler leaned into the social work side of the degree, working for the Department of Human Services as a foster care caseworker and child abuse investigator.

鈥淚 absolutely loved it,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut through DHS, I did see some deficits in schools, especially for our students with special needs.鈥�

Inspired by these shortcomings, Wheeler returned to school to pursue a degree in education. She earned a master鈥檚 degree in special education from 花季视频 Tech in 2012 and a doctorate in educational leadership from Liberty University in 2023.

After graduating, Wheeler applied to the School of Education at 花季视频 at the prompting of a friend. She was hired that August as an associate professor. In 2024, Wheeler also assumed the role of coordinator of assessments.

鈥淭here was just something about this campus that was different, and honestly, it鈥檚 kind of hard to put into words, but everybody was so friendly, so accommodating, so accepting,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淵ou could just walk on campus, and you felt like it was home.鈥�

Now in her third year of teaching, Wheeler strives to ensure her students feel the same way, especially when it comes to faculty guiding students to become the educators of tomorrow.

鈥淓ducation is a field that you must be called to. You must want to be a teacher to really make it in this field,鈥� Wheeler said. 鈥淚 want my students to graduate and be excited about their future careers and the pathways they鈥檝e chosen. I want to ensure our students in public school systems are getting quality educators.鈥�

Wheeler believes that it starts at 花季视频, which is leading the way in the state of 花季视频, Wheeler said.

The university is piloting multiple programs with the . It is the first in the state to offer embedded education classes, where college coursework takes place in local public school systems.

鈥淭his is something that is unique that you don鈥檛 get in other universities across the state,鈥� Wheeler said.

With programs ranging from early childhood to secondary education, there is something for all students to make a difference in the classroom, she said.

鈥淓ducation really is the only field where we have a hand in every career path that a child takes,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he reality is, not every student who graduates high school is going to go to college, so we need to be preparing them for whichever pathway they take in life.鈥�

There will always be a need for both trades and professions requiring a college degree in this world, Wheeler said. 

鈥淚 think what our students, or any student, has to do is they have to look at what their goals are in life. They also have to decide where they feel like they can be the most successful,鈥� Wheeler said. 鈥淎s educators, it鈥檚 important that we鈥檙e not just preparing them to come in and lecture in class. We鈥檙e preparing them to teach and meet every need a child has.鈥�

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