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Elisabeth “Baye” Ballew, a native of Mayo, has been promoted to instructor of education for Saint Leo University. In her new position, Ballew will oversee the education programs at Saint Leo’s Lake City, Trenton, and Madison teaching locations. Previously, Ballew served as academic advisor for Saint Leo, and she began as an adjunct instructor in 2013.
Ballew is a 2008 graduate of Saint Leo University’s Lake City Education Center and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education. She earned a Master of Education degree in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in mathematics.
Prior to working at Saint Leo University, Ballew spent 10 years in the Columbia County School District. She worked as a paraprofessional for two years and eight years as a classroom teacher, teaching kindergarten, to second and fifth graders.
She was named Teacher of the Year in 2014-2015 for Melrose Park Elementary School. She served as a mentor teacher for first-year teachers while she was at Melrose. In addition, she was a cooperating teacher for Saint Leo’s Lake City students, who taught lessons in her classroom under her supervision.
Ballew stays involved in the classroom by regularly volunteering to read to classes and teach lessons.
Her community activities include serving on local science, art, literacy committees and mentoring with Take Stock in Children. She serves on the UNISON (Uplifting Non-cognitive Skills and Innovation through Student Opportunity Networks) board and is a member of Altrusa International Inc. and Delta Kappa Gamma, professional honor society of women educators.
For information about the education programs at Saint Leo’s Lake City, Trenton, and Madison locations, contact Ballew at elisabeth.ballew@saintleo.edu or (386) 752-6866, ext. 3574.
Saint Leo University’s Lake City Education Center is at 149 S.E. College Place, Florida Gateway College Campus in Lake City; the Trenton Education Office is at 334 N.W. 11th Ave. in Trenton; and the Madison Education Center is at 126 S.W. Sumatra Ave., Suite A, in Madison.
About Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University (www.saintleo.edu) is a modern Catholic teaching university that is firmly grounded in the liberal arts tradition and the timeless Benedictine wisdom that seeks balanced growth of mind, body, and spirit. The Saint Leo University of today is a private, nonprofit institution that creates hospitable learning communities wherever students want to be or need to be, whether that is a campus classroom, a web-based environment, an employer’s worksite, a military base, or an office park. Saint Leo welcomes people of all faiths and of no religious affiliation, and encourages learners of all generations. The university is committed to providing educational opportunities to the nation’s armed forces, veterans, and their families. Saint Leo is regionally accredited to award degrees ranging from the associate to the doctorate, and the faculty and staff guide all students to develop their capacities for critical thinking, moral reflection, and lifelong learning and leadership.
The university remains the faithful steward of the beautiful lakeside University Campus in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, where its founding monks created the first Catholic college in the state in 1889. Serving nearly 15,000 students, Saint Leo has expanded to downtown Tampa, to other sites in Florida and beyond, and maintains a physical presence in seven states. The university provides highly respected online learning programs to students nationally and internationally. More than 85,000 alumni reside in all 50 states, in Washington, DC, in three U.S. territories, and in 76 countries.