She dreamed of doing the work — a Bulldog education helped turn it into reality

In third grade, Michelle Scribner ’05, ’13, ’16 struggled with reading. Her teacher, Mrs. Wills, refused to give up on her and dedicated extra time to help her catch up. The result wasn’t just Scribner becoming a stronger reader — it was the moment that shaped who she wanted to become.

“Mrs. Wills is the reason I became a teacher, to give back to other kids like me, who struggled,” she said.

Scribner now serves as an elementary and middle school principal for the Colton Joint Unified School District — doing the work she intended to since third grade. Her journey from a struggling reader to an educational leader took her through adulthood, late-night study sessions, and three completed programs at University of Redlands.

Meeting students where they are

After completing her teaching credential in 2005 through the University of Redlands School of Education, Scribner began teaching at Colton Unified. She enrolled in what is now the Master of Arts in Learning and Teaching program in 2011.

“At the time, I was a middle school English teacher trying to figure out how to get my students to listen to me and prepare them for high school and beyond,” she said.

This challenge followed her into the Redlands classroom, where the program’s emphasis was on spatial literacy — using mapping and technology in partnership with neighboring Esri, which was bringing geographic thinking into K-12 classrooms. Even after being equipped with these new skills, Scribner sought to further her career and reach more minds.

“I already had two kids at home, had my own aspirations to move up in education, and wanted to pursue my doctorate at some point,” she said. “My hesitation was always when would be the right time.”

With her husband, family, and close-knit community rallying around her, she decided to keep going — completing an administrative credential and enrolling in the Doctorate in Education in Leadership for Educational Justice program.

“What Redlands had to offer would fit the lifestyle of a new mom, while working in a middle school,” she said. “It didn’t seem overly daunting in taking too much of my time away from my career and my family and still getting to work with great professors. It was the driving force of continuing at U of R for my master’s, credentials, and doctorate.”   

Doing right by her students

Through each program, Scribner says Redlands didn’t change who she was — it strengthened what was already there. The philosophy she absorbed from Teaching and Learning Professor Jose Lalas echoed something she had first experienced years earlier through Mrs. Wills: showing up for students is everything.

“The message that’s come across all these programs is that you always have to show up for the kids,” she said. “As a leader, all the decisions you make are putting kids first — ensuring that our kids are able to walk out of their classrooms with the confidence they need, academically and socially. During the time it took to complete my programs, that message has never wavered: this is the ultimate goal.”

Discover Learning and Teaching and the Doctorate in Education in Leadership for Educational Justice at Redlands.