One of Extension's Rising Stars

Dana Reupert

Have you ever heard people who love their job say, "If you love what you do, it makes all the difference"? Dana Reupert is one of those people. She is the former principal of Taft Elementary School in Riverside. She was named Principal of the Year by the Riverside Unified School District in 2000-2001 and was recently named president of the California Association for the Gifted.

Dana says she sees giftedness in every child. She has been invited to speak at national conferences on the subject of gifted students and has traveled to Washington, D.C. to promote legislation that would benefit at-risk gifted children.

She wasn't always such an expert, however. In the 1970s Dana was assigned to teach gifted students but had no training in the field so she enrolled in UCR Extension's Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Certificate program.

"The courses gave me a much better understanding of who these students were and how to meet their needs, emotionally and socially," she said. "They also gave me strategies to work with all children because it gave me a broader picture of the challenges of teaching students at all levels."

Dana went from the classroom to being named the head of the K-12 Gifted Programs for the Riverside Unified School District and in 1992 became principal at Taft Elementary School. She has kept abreast of the field and shares what she has learned over the years about teaching gifted students as an instructor in the very program that gave Dana her start—UCR Extension's Gifted and Talented Education program. She teaches courses such as "Teaching the Gifted and Talented: Guidance and Goals of the Program," "Enriched Learning Experiences for Gifted Students from Culturally Diverse Backgrounds" and "Gifted Students at Risk."

"I love my job because teaching is so rewarding. It is a great opportunity to share my expertise and knowledge with so many educators who will have a major impact on the lives of children who are our future."

Loving your job may make all the difference, but people like Dana make a difference too, where it counts—with children.

Have you found what you love to do? If not, look through our catalog and you'll see hundreds of options for new directions.

Among the many popular certificate programs and approximately 450 classes we offer, we also have a few new programs and courses debuting Fall 2002 that I'd like to share with you. For example, a three-part series on cutting-edge technologies will look at what scientists and engineers are developing and how these new technologies could affect our future.

Two programs will look at how the events of September 11th have changed our world. On September 11, 2002 Richard Roth, managing partner at Reid & Hellyer in Riverside, will lead "Legal Issues in Human Resources: One Year Later...", which looks at changes in laws, rules, and policies affecting the workplace. On September 14, 2002 join community and state leaders, including California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, in a morning of dialogue and discussion on the local and global effects. Topics include balancing individual rights and freedoms with national security, the role of the media, security measures, immigration, technology and law enforcement.

Our new Certificate in Desert Ecology will develop the skills needed to function as a paid or volunteer naturalist for national, state or county parks; museums; and nature preserves. Other new certificate programs include Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Medical Reimbursement Institute, Information Technology Management, Internet Security and Computer Technician.

As I did last quarter, I'd like to extend my invitation to all former Extension students to share your stories about how your life was enriched by continuing education at UCR Extension. Send an e-mail to studentsuccess@ucx.ucr.edu or call (951) 827-1633.

John F. Azzaretto
Vice Chancellor, Public Service and
International Programs; and
Dean, University Extension and
Summer Sessions, UC Riverside