Teaching a Love of Learning

We want to spotlight some of the dedicated students, faculty, and staff who make CSU Global what it is. Sharing their stories is an opportunity to connect our online learning community of peers all around the world. We hope their stories inspire you just as they inspire us. This month’s spotlight is on CSU Global Program Coordinator, Nella Bea Anderson!

Nella Bea has worked at CSU Global since 2012 and serves as Program Coordinator for our Master’s in Teaching and Learning and Licensure Programs. It is her job to ensure that our teaching programs are relevant to industry trends and that our curriculum is preparing our students for success after graduation. Nella Bea has worked in education for the last 30 years, starting her career in K-12 special education and then moving into the higher education space. Finding Her Passion At the beginning of her college career Nella Bea thought she wanted to be a social worker. Later she found her passion in the classroom. She earned her bachelor’s degree in the Teaching of Young Children with a specialization in Child Development and then began her K12 career teaching children with severe disabilities.

She found joy in the classroom and was eager to help her students learn and grow, both emotionally and educationally.

Being a teacher, Nella Bea naturally also valued her own education, so she continued on to earn her Master’s in Childhood Special Education from the University of Texas and then earned her Doctorate in Educational Psychology/Individual differences from the University of Houston. After earning her doctorate she transitioned from K-12 learning to the higher education space. Improving Education in Colorado and Beyond For the past 17 years Nella Bea has been active in reforming K12 education in the state of Colorado; she was appointed by the governor to serve on the Colorado Quality Teachers Commission, has served on the Colorado Literacy Council, and has written and directed two multi-million dollar federal grants to enhance teacher quality partnerships across the state. She has served as a Director of Teacher Education Programs and has started online Teacher Education programs at two universities. Nella Bea has been instrumental in the success of CSU Global’s Master’s in Teaching in learning program and recently helped us launch our lincensure programs in math, science, and principal education leadership. She is passionate about providing learning opportunities for non traditional students and is excited about the programs we are developing and the high quality instruction we are providing. “Learning new career skills can be a big risk, especially as adult learners with other responsibilities. Instructors at CSU Global are committed to making learning relevant to the current demands of the field  – K12 or adult education. You can count on CSU Global’s Teaching & Learning faculty to support you in being successful.” 3 fun facts about Nella Bea:

1. She lives in Texas with her husband of 30 years. They originally met on a blind date set up by one of her first student’s parents.
2. They have adopted four special needs rescue dogs who they take to explore the Texas hill country.
3. She is learning to garden; she has built a keyhole sustainable garden and has planted 10 fruit trees.