Each Tuesday during the fall semester, we’ll bring you feature stories on Slippery Rock athletics alumni that have gone on to interesting, unique or exceptional careers since departing The Rock. For our next feature, we check in on 2014 SRU alumna Caroline Houston, who is currently a school psychologist for both the Isham Elementary School and Central Intermediate School of the Wadsworth City School District in Wadsworth, Ohio. 

Caroline Houston, a 2014 SRU graduate with a degree in psychology, knew early on in life that the career path she’d pursue would revolve around two things, education and psychology. Houston found a passion for both areas during her upbringing surrounded by members of her family who’d found success in both fields. 

Another area that Houston found a passion for was the sport of volleyball while attending Jackson High School in Canton, Ohio. The combination of her passions led her to Slippery Rock University, where she spent the next four years leading The Rock volleyball program on the court while also preparing for a career in school psychology.

VOLLEYBALL SETS THE STAGE

Houston remembers her first experience with volleyball being in elementary school, which she credits with building a strong base for eventually playing the sport at the collegiate level. 

“I started playing volleyball in early elementary school and then got into camps and leagues once I got to high school,” said Houston. “Our school district put a focus on building the volleyball program at an early age, which led to Jackson having a strong volleyball team as a whole.” 

Houston excelled on the court during her time as a member of the Jackson High School volleyball program, lettering four times along with receiving All-Federal League honors during her senior season. She was named Jackson’s team MVP as a junior. 

After years on the youth and high school circuit, Houston became a skilled outside hitter who garnered attention from coaches at the collegiate level with Rock volleyball coach Laurie Lokash and assistant coach Erin Street showing the most interest in recruiting the senior. 

“After playing volleyball at a more competitive level through tournaments, Laurie and Erin began to recruit me,” said Houston. “I’ve always enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the sport, so I knew I wanted to play at the next level, which led me to Slippery Rock.” 

Houston became a mainstay as an outside hitter for The Rock over the next four seasons. She appeared in 117 matches while tallying 684 kills and 112 aces, which still ranks 19th and 16th, respectively, in career history at SRU. 

The highlight of Houston’s career at Slippery Rock came during the 2011 season when SRU opened the year with 14-straight victories and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. 

“The 2011 season is an experience that I’ll never forget,” said Houston. “It meant so much to get Slippery Rock back to the postseason for the first time since 2008. I’ll never forget that season and the type of competitive volleyball that we played as a team.”

As Houston’s playing career came to an end following the 2013 season, the next steps in her postgraduate career would be equally as challenging and rewarding and would take Houston to even greater heights. 

LENDING A HELPING HAND

After graduating from Slippery Rock with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in exceptionalities, Houston furthered her education at Miami University (Ohio), where she earned a master’s degree and an education specialist degree in school psychology. 

The drive to pursue higher education and a career in the school psychology profession was inspired by Houston’s immediate family, who had followed the path before her. 

“My mother has been a math teacher for over 20 years and I also have cousins, an aunt and a grandmother who were or are employed by school districts,” said Houston. “My brother is also currently a psychology professor at Middle Tennessee State University.” 

During her tenure as a graduate student, Houston began to lay the foundation of her professional career as a counselor for the Victim Outreach Intervention Center (VOICe) of the greater Pittsburgh area, where she provided care to survivors of domestic violence. 

Following her time with VOICe, Houston furthered her professional experience as a school psychology intern with the Oak Hills Local School District before finally settling into her first full-time position as a school psychologist for the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio. This was where she began to face head-on the responsibilities she would encounter as a school psychologist. 

“As a school psychologist, I work as part of a team to determine eligibility for special education and related services,” said Houston. “Through this process we identify students who are struggling either academically, behaviorally or emotionally and create a formal plan on how we can address the student’s areas of need.

“I also participate in response to intervention meetings where we address the needs of our students who are struggling. Through the RTI process, we identify interventions that could benefit our students, including counseling, academic assistance and behavior incentive plans. This allows us to monitor their progress and determine the success of the interventions we choose.”

As Houston began her professional career, she experienced the daily grind of managing special education cases and evaluations for her students, but also the rewards that came with her work. 

“The most rewarding part of my job is being able to see the progress students make over time,” said Houston. “I frequently see my student’s confidence grow in the areas they were struggling in and that truly is so rewarding to see.”

After leaving the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, Houston accepted a position with the Vandalia-Butler City School District in Dayton, Ohio, where she was able to work with fellow Rock volleyball alumna Lisa Hildebrand.

Houston worked under Hildebrand for two years before accepting a school psychologist position with the Wadsworth City School District in August. She remembers being welcomed with open arms by Hildebrand the first time they met.

“I remember the first day I met Lisa at one of my school placements. She greeted me with a hug and a Slippery Rock volleyball shirt from one of the recent alumni events she attended,” said Houston. “I truly enjoyed her humor and working with her as one of my supervisors. Her love for her work and advocacy for students with disabilities were always apparent every time I interacted with her.”

With her professional career reaching new heights, Houston still takes the time to think back to her tenure at Slippery Rock and the impact it made on her both as a professional and an individual. 

REFLECTING BACK

With a litany of lofty goals already accomplished and many still lying ahead, Houston remembers her time at The Rock with gratitude and many fond memories. 

“I really appreciate my time at Slippery Rock and all the coaches and professors that attributed to my growth as a person and a young professional,” said Houston. “The knowledge I gained at SRU allowed me to get accepted into a highly respected graduate school and advance my knowledge when it comes to working in the field of special education and being an advocate for students with disabilities.”

Houston also cherishes the relationships she was able to form as a student-athlete at The Rock and the friendships she cultivated, which will last a lifetime. 

“Through my experience with Slippery Rock volleyball I met one of my best friends, Alissa Kelty, who was one of my teammates our freshman year at SRU,” said Houston. “We lived together for three years and have continued to remain good friends despite living several hours away from each other.”

Through all of Houston’s stops in her postgraduate career, she credits the experience of being a student-athlete at Slippery Rock for helping build the foundation that has allowed her to collaborate with other professionals for the betterment of her students. 

“Being a student-athlete taught me to manage my time and priorities, along with teaching me how to work with people from different backgrounds to achieve a common goal,” said Houston. “I truly could not be more appreciative of what Slippery Rock helped me accomplish.”

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