OAPSA Rising Star Award renamed The Kristina Hulse Rising Star Award
Pickerington North seniors on graduation day
Pickerington Local Schools is home to Kristina Hulse, Executive Director of Student Services, and she has spent her entire 27-year career here. Hulse has been honored by the Ohio Association of Pupil Services Administrators (OAPSA) for her significant contributions to the field of special education.
Kristina Hulse
Formerly known as the Rising Star Awards, the OAPSA award recognizes administrators in their first four years of leadership who demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing the profession.
“Renaming this Rising Star Award is OAPSA’s way of thanking Kristina for her dedication to supporting and mentoring those OAPSA members who are newest to our profession,” says OAPSA President Melinda Vaughn.
Hulse founded the region’s mentoring program in 2019 to connect educators in the special education field and foster a collaborative learning environment.
Initially limited to a small group in the Columbus area, the program quickly expanded to include participants from Mansfield, Ashland, southern Ohio and beyond. Today, the program boasts 114 mentees and eight mentors.
“The open forum meeting concept has had a really positive impact for those who attend,” one mentor says. “Thank you, Kristina, for organizing. Even as a mentor, I learned something with each meeting!”
Pickerington Schools’ reputation for excellence in special education can be attributed in part to Hulse’s leadership. Hulse’s goal was to create a supportive community for special education professionals navigating the ever-changing landscape of the field.
“Besides the resources available now with the advancement of technology,” Hulse says, “there is definitely a broader spectrum of needs, a huge increase in students with autism and being able to identify what their needs are. We don’t pigeon hole any students because their needs are ever changing so our services are fluid and we advocate for each and every student.
“The crazy thing, I think because it was unexpected, it’s the give back,” Hulse says regarding how she felt having an award named after her, and securing her legacy. “In this position I don’t have the constant contact with the kids anymore like the teachers do, and when I was in the classroom 20 plus years ago, that’s what we get in this profession for, is to make a difference in anyway.”
