Mary Riepenhoff ’00, superintendent of St. Mary's City School since last year, knows more than a little about school administration.

Riepenhoff earned a principal's license from UF in 2000 and was principal at Van Wert Middle School until 2008.  During her eight years there, Riepenhoff led the school to become an Ohio and national School to Watch, which means it was a positive model for other schools to follow.  In 2007, Riepenhoff earned a superintendent's license from UF, and in 2008, she was named the OASSA (Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators) Ohio Middle School Principal of the year.

Riepenhoff chose to pursue her licenses at Findlay for a variety of reasons.  "As I got into the Findlay program, there was a lot of support.  It was easy to continue in the program with the support I received from professors," she said.  She also mentioned that she was able to complete her course work while maintaining a full-time job and a family.  “Professors would bring practitioners —principals or superintendents — to class to give you real-life situations and scenarios.  I always appreciated that. .. It’s so practical because that’s what you need,” she said.

As a graduate of the programs, Riepenhoff shares her own experiences as an administrator with other professionals taking classes at UF.  Riepenhoff regularly speaks to students in classes taught by Rahman “Buzz” Dyer, Ph.D. She brings in items she’s confiscated over the years and talks about controversial discipline issues. She continues to appreciate feedback from Dyer, who offers suggestions from his own adminstration experiences. “It's timeless information you don't necessarily think about,” said Riepenhoff. 

Riepenhoff appreciates all of the professors she interacted with at UF and credits Dyer for helping move her forward in her career. “I never felt like there was a time I couldn’t call and ask him a question about administration,” she said.