Adele Lassiter

Lateral Entry Candidate: Social Studies, English, Marketing

Career Objective:
To teach students core fundamentals and promote critical thinking in a creative and interactive
learning environment. I believe in the value of every student and want to stimulate learning in a
socially nurturing environment. I am transitioning into the field of education because I have a
passion for learning and helping share my knowledge with others. My goal is to help students
achieve their academic and extracurricular and career goals.
Lateral Entry Candidate:
I am transitioning from a career in business management to a career in education. I am
seeking certification in the disciplines of Social Studies, English (Secondary) and
Marketing CTE.
I attended Belmont University in Nashville TN. I have spent the past decade working in
business and marketing. I can apply my diverse professional background into the
classroom, by integrating creativity, organization, administration, planning and
communication.
PRAXIS II: I passed the Social Studies Praxis 5081 with a score of 193. I will be taking
the Principles of Learning and Teaching, Marketing and English (Secondary) Exams in
May, June and July respectively.
Public Speaking: I am a dynamic public speaker. I have extensive experience
participating in drama and debate teams. While at Belmont University, I was appointed
to work as a Speech Mentor where I coached fellow students in improving their verbal
communication skills.
Teaching Philosophy and Goals:
It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.
Albert Einstein
The greatest service we can endow is sharing our experiences, while the greatest gift we can
receive is learning from others. I am transitioning into the field of education because I want to
be an advocate for students, fostering a nurturing learning environment. Students are diverse
learners with unique talents, personalities, skills, aptitudes and backgrounds. Diversity makes
the culture of a student population flourish. I believe that every student has value. Each student
is an individual with the ability to learn and grow in spite of adversity. I am choosing education
as my career because I want to ignite a spark of discovery in students, and inspire them to grow
in knowledge and character.
My High School English and History Teachers dared me to see the adventure in learning,
helping me to become a critical thinker. They taught me to apply creativity and reason in
comprehension and retention of course material. My teachers encouraged me to stand up for

myself and to be willing to fail and try and try again, learning from mistakes. They cheered me
on when I passed an Algebra test and stayed after school to sponsor an extracurricular activities.
Teachers serve as a beacon of light with skies are dark, helping guide students through trials.
Teaching is about service. I moved back 2300 miles from Bozeman Montana to my home state of
North Carolina because I want to invest in our educational system. I believe in our public
schools. I know there are challenges, but challenges build endurance.
I am pursuing Lateral Entry certification in the disciplines of Social Studies, English and
Marketing. I have expertise in each of these subjects from collegiate coursework to independent
study and professional experience.

Adele Lassiter
2600 Oberlin Road H3
Raleigh NC 27608
615-829-3303
adelelassiter@gmail.com

Education________________________________________
Needham Broughton High School, Raleigh North Carolina
High School Diploma, Class of 2002
Belmont University, Nashville TN
Music Business, Audio/Video Production; 2004-2009, 2015*
Activities and Societies: Grammy U, Speech Lab Mentor, ASCAP I Create Music Expo (2006 I
received a scholarship to attend the convention in Los Angeles CA); Music Industry Shadow Day
I have also studied at Montana State University Bozeman (2002-2003); Wake Technical College
(2004); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (15 credit hours, 2006 Summer Session)
Experience_______________________________________
Belk- Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh NC
April 2014-present
Position: Tommy Bahama Specialist Mens Store
Job duties: I serve as the lead selling specialist for the Tommy Bahama brand in the Belk
Crabtree store. Belk is an industry leader in retail and fashion, with a mission to provide
shoppers with 'modern.southern.style.' As a Belk Associate it is my duty to uphold the
quality standard of customer service and knowledge of product. Tommy Bahama is a
lifestyle brand dedicated to modern, classic clothing that is targeted under the motto:

Make Life One Long Weekend. This position requires me to be a flexible problem
solver. I am constantly on the move, faced with challenges and opportunities to
strengthen business and seek creative solutions in advancing Tommy Bahama at Belk.
Under my leadership, sales have increased by 25% through clientele networking, cross
promotional targeting and visual presentation. Core tasks include: Customer Service,
Goal Setting, Product Knowledge, Product Promotions and Branding, Merchandising,
Selling, Inventory Assessment, Visual Support, Communication, Client Relations,
Conflict Resolution
Firehole Productions, Bozeman Montana
December 2010-February 2014
http://fireholeproductions.webs.com/
Position: Owner, Manager, and Lead Agent of a premier booking and music agency,
dedicated to tour coordination of innovative independent music acts. The Firehole
Productions Roster included: Montana Skies-cello.guitar.fusion, Jeanne JollyAmericana/Folk, Ben Bullington-Montana Folk, Victor & Penny-Antique Pop, Little Jane &
the Pistol Whips-Montana Country/New Grass.
Job duties: I was tasked with promoting the artistic interests of my roster of international
touring artists through booking, tour support, management, contract negotiation, media
relations, publicity and artist development. This dynamic and demanding position required
innovation, creativity, conflict resolution, effective communication skills and razor sharp
organization techniques. In a given year I submitted to over 8,000 performing arts venues
and festivals, wrote and distributed press releases, coordinated tour dates and routing. Tour
support included arranging back line, accommodations and publicity pertinent to the tour
including, but not limited to radio and television appearances, print media interviews and
local outreach and school residencies.
My job required communication with all facets of the Entertainment Industry, Client
Relations, Office Organization, Word Process, Customer Service and Initiative.
Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts, Bozeman Montana
November 2010-November 2013
Position: Music Chair: The Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts works to promote and cultivate
the arts in Southwestern Montana. The eclectic festival attracts upwards of 13,000 people a
year.
Job Duties: As Music Chair, I was charged with researching, coordinating and booking the
musical acts for the Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts. In this capacity I acted as contract
negotiator and arbitrator. I coordinated music publicity with the marketing team, speaking
with regional news outlets and participating in on the ground marketing campaigns. On the
festival weekend I acted as a festival liaison for touring acts, providing them with craft
services, coordinating sound checks and setting up backline. During my three year tenure, I
contributed 2,500 volunteer hours to the non-profit organization. Performing groups that I
booked: Jerry Douglas, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Hot Club of Cowtown and more.

Frist Center for the Arts, Nashville TN

January 2009-August 2009
Position: Volunteer Administrative Assistant for the FRISTs Membership Department.
Job Duties: As a membership volunteer I worked to recruit and raise awareness about
Nashvilles hub for creative arts exhibitions. I worked twenty hours per week in the office,
managing files, organizing and processing memberships, mailings and phone recruitment; I
also volunteered for Member Events, including preview shows (Medieval Art Exhibition
and American Masters were two of my favorite events); I also helmed the membership
booth for the FRIST Friday Summer Concert & Art series. As a Membership Volunteer I
utilized communication skills, office administration and a passion for art and community to
foster membership growth.

Big Loud Shirt Industries, Nashville TN

August 2007-December 2007
Position: Administrative Office Intern for Nashvilles Leading Independent Music Publisher.
Duties: As an Administrative Assistant to Amy Allmand, Creative Coordinator, I facilitated
in organization of key office responsibilities, including: filing, cataloging publishing
records, assisting in licensing, answering phones, running errands, setting up appointments,
preparing and submitting music demos, publicity and creative campaign assistance. I was
instrumental in launching a Facebook and Myspace marketing campaign for Big Loud Shirt,
and coordinating innovative integrated marketing concepts to build on the Big Loud Shirt
brand and publicize their GAC TV show Hit Men of Music Row, which was launching at
the time.
Nashville Humane Association, Nashville TN
December 2007-August 2009
Position: Cat Socialization Volunteer
Job Duties: I worked twenty hours a week volunteering in the Cat Wing. As a Cat
Socialization Volunteer I interacted with the shelter cats and worked to find these amazing
furry friends forever homes. I cleaned their cages and provided them love and care. I was
asked to contribute my time in the Comcast Pet of the Week video segment. I think this is
one of the most important jobs I have done because I was able to make the lives of hundreds
of cats better assisting in finding the animals forever homes.
Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful WY
May 2004-August 2004
Position: Server/Busser at the Old Faithful Snow Lodges Dining Room
Duties: I worked in a fast-paced environment serving guests from around the world.
Passionate about Yellowstone National Park, I worked to provide Home on the Range
hospitality, providing guests with excellent service and information about the worlds oldest
park.

Qualifications:
Administrative Coordinator: I have a track record of organizational leadership in diverse
office settings.
o Big Loud Shirt: I actively assisted management in executing day-to-day tasks
from filing, clerical work, communications and data processing of song catalog
and licenses, organization of files. I played an instrumental role in brainstorming
and implementing the firms social media campaign.
o FRIST Center for the Visual Arts: I processed membership applications and
performed support tasks to the membership office. As administer of records, I
assisted the coordinators in membership renewal and recruitment.
How I plan to apply my administrative skills to teaching:
o Administrative Coordination requires many of the qualities critical to teaching,
including strong organizational skills, effective communication and interpersonal
skills, planning, task oriented goals, thinking outside the box and tackling
challenging tasks. My background in administration can be applied to the
classroom in transferring my organizational skills to planning lessons, setting
objectives, communicating and assigning student tasks and coordinating class
projects. My greatest asset is an administrator is my ability to navigate challenges
and seek solutions. Having an organized classroom with clear objectives will help
keep me on track as a teacher in following the curriculum, while making each unit
more interesting and exciting for the student.
Management
Firehole Productions: As Owner and Booking Agent for an elite booking agency,
Firehole Productions, I built a firm dedicated to promoting independent artists in
achieving their career goals. I implemented creative solutions to promote my multigenre roster. I supervised eight acts in coordinating their tour dates, routing, contract
negotiations, on the ground logistics, publicity, A&R, marketing and more. This
position required maintaining a finely-tuned organized office. My responsibilities
included a dynamic mix of clerical and administrative tasks, streamlined scheduling,
prioritized tasks, incorporated new technologies and ideas, relationship building,
identified problems and formulated solutions, marketing solutions (effective creation
and presentation of electronic press kits, press release, designing One Sheets and
social media networking), attending conferences and connecting with talent buyers,
research, negotiation and more.
How I plan to apply my management skills to teaching:
In addition to the strong administrative skills I acquired through
management, my role as owner and manager of a booking agency demanded
quality leadership, interpersonal skills, patience, creativity, organization,
developing relationships (with presenters and my acts), a balance of
adaptability and structure, educating clients on product, learning about new
methods of promotionthe diverse qualifications required in managing a

small business can readily be integrating into teaching and instituting a

fulfilling classroom educational experience.
Owning my own business instilled in me a strong character of leadership and
communication that is vital to teaching. My goal in managing a classroom is
to ensure that students receive the curriculum in a creative, organized and
effective way; inspiring analytical and critical thought processes. Leadership
demands selflessness and assertiveness. You are able to organize and
implement objectives, and respond to variables. As a teacher you need to be
focused and flexible, able to keep students on target, while also adjusting
lesson plans to the diverse needs of learners. As a booking agent I managed
eight unique acts ranging in genres from classical to folk to Americana to
jazz and bluegrass and beyond. Each act required a diverse marketing and
promotional platform to ensure their music was heard by the right audience.
It was my job as an agent to educate presenters about each act and advocate
why the act should perform in the venue. I had a core business plan, with
stratified layers of implementation to ensure each act received the proper
support and consideration they needed to fulfill their goals. I scheduled
weekly Skype and e-chats to discuss their tour schedule and promotional
plan. I recognized the various needs of each act (preference of email over
phone; club or performing arts center, travel requirements, etc) and set up
an individualized management plan for each act. My skills as a small
business owner and booking agent readily transfer to the classroom in lesson
planning, communication, targeting individual student needs and helping
create a plan of action to ensure their academic potential is realized (ex:
recognizing if they are an auditory or visual learner and supplying
supplemental materials.)
As a booking agent, I had the distinct honor of working with talented
individuals and assisting them in promoting their product music. I acted as
a mentor and manager, guiding them through the business process to ensure
they achieved their artistic goals. As a teacher I can mentor students and
educate them in creative and analytical methods of learning. A primary
responsibility as a manager is acting as a trusted advisor. Being a trusted
advisor requires listening, understanding and offering thoughtful wellresearched advice. I can apply my role as a business advisor to assisting
students as they navigate the challenges of coursework, providing support
and my expertise to scaffold them in their academic journey.
Flexibility: As owner of Firehole Productions I learned how to be flexible while
remaining task oriented. A touring musicians life is nothing but chaotic. While on
the road anything can happen to interrupt a chartered itinerary from car problems, to
audio malfunctions, venue-relations (i.e. a venue not following the terms of a
contract), band conflicts, etcas a manager it was my duty to seek solutions when
unexpected obstacles popped up. You quickly analyze the problem, brainstorm a
solution and resolve the problem to the best of your ability at that juncture. In a

classroom the unexpected is going to happen, whether the power goes out in the
middle of a Power Point lecture, to student behavior issues or a fruitful discussion
prevents you from covering all points of the lesson plan in the period you
allocatedI know how to be flexible while staying on target and accommodating the
unforeseen to ensure the students learning experience is not compromised.
Sales & Marketing: Over a decade of experience in results based selling and implementation
of project planning
Belk Crabtree: As the Tommy Bahama Selling Specialist it is my job to convey
product knowledge to the customer, promote our brand and achieve selling goals. In
my first eight months working as the department specialist I have increased Tommy
Bahama sales by 25% and sold over $350,000 in merchandise. My success is
attributed to exceptional customer service, brand knowledge, client relations and
marketing of our sales and merchandise through email, telephone, mailings and instore communication
Firehole Productions: My primary job was to sell my artists to venues, market their
unique style and sound to new audiences and maintain communication with fans.
Firehole Productions marketing strategy demanded innovation from utilizing cutting
edge promotional tactics, including social media apps for touring bands, developing
and producing eye-catching visual promotional materials including One Sheets, web
flyers, emails, posters and more. I also was tasked with drafting and submitting
press releases to news outlets and coordinating interviews to promote my artists.
How I plan to apply my Sales and Marketing skills to teaching:
Sales and Marketing are two principles that make the world go round.
Selling is more than an exchange of material goods, selling and marketing
are about educating consumers on the best products to serve their unique
needs and what product is the best value for the money. As a Sales Specialist
I follow an ethical standard of providing quality and professional customer
service to my clients. When submitting Montana Skies for a classical music
festival, I sold their talents and marketing their abilities, educating the
festival presenters on the benefits of having this dynamic high energy
classical fusion duo perform at their event. I informed the presenters about
Montana Skies outreach in schools and duos willingness to perform gratis
for the local childrens hospital if contracted for the festival.
As a teacher you are selling and marketing the curriculum so students will
eagerly participate as learners. As a teacher you need to devise methods of
instruction that make the curriculum fun while also accomplishing the core
objective of providing the student with adequate knowledge of the source
material via state and national standards. Marketing can be applied to
teaching by using ingenuity and planning to create vibrant well-organized
lesson plans that speak to the core of the curriculum while exciting students
willingness to learn. An example of this might be doing a contemporary
version of Romeo & Juliet, while still using Shakespeares language and
plot. The students are able to move past the barrier of entry Elizabethan

language and customs, while engaging in the universal themes and superior
language of Shakespeare. Marketing Roman garb for the 1st Century is
another exercise where you make learning about foreign historical customs
and culture interesting by adding a student focused twist.
As a marketing instructor I will provide students with a working knowledge
of the tenets of marketing, while also incorporating my professional
experiences as a booking agent/marketer, selling specialist to understand the
economic and real world challenges and issues involved in the aspects of
marketing as a career.
Customer Service
I have a track record of providing exceptional customer service in my professional
career. I am empathetic to the customers needs and strive to provide solutions in the
marketplace. My outgoing personality allows me to connect with consumers, while
product expertise provides me the wherewithal to give them service they can count
on. I have won several awards for customer service, mostly recently I was presented
with an RCC Certificate for Exceptional Service at Belk.
How I plan to apply my customer service skills to Teaching?
Positivity, communication, conscientiousness, empathy, knowledge and hard
work are the guiding principles of my customer service philosophy.
Customer Service is an industry that requires constant communication,
knowledge of product and a positive attitude. At Belk, I have acquired a
strong reputation for quality customer service by listening to the needs of my
clients. I educate them on our product and work to find solutions to their
needs as a consumer. I take time to know them and their personal style
preferences, so I can ensure their needs are being met. An example of this is
when I had a customer who recently moved to Raleigh and was unaware of
Belk and our brands. I took time to inform him about our store, our various
departments and listened to his needs as he required a new wardrobe for a job
in IT. I spent three hours helping him pull together a functional wardrobe
that was affordable and stylish.
So how does customer service apply to teaching? What does retail have to
do with education? I think customer service is a vital skill to every industry,
and it is tantamount to teaching. Customer Service in teaching is the ability
to listen to your students, to address their needs, to use patience,
understanding and action to resolve problems. Customer Service is about
respect. I will respect my students as individuals. I will listen to my students
and guide them through their academic journey. I can use Customer Service
to balance communication in parent-teacher conferences, applying ideas to
the classroom, serving the needs of the student body and more.
Volunteer Coordination: I have a passion for volunteering. I am active community projects
including my position as volunteer Music Chair for the Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts. In
the capacity of Music Chair I dedicated over 1000 hours to researching musical acts,

negotiating contracts, marketing the event and educating the public, recruiting volunteers
and being in charge of on the ground logistics.
How I plan to apply Volunteer Coordination to Teaching?
Volunteering is about service and compassion. Volunteering is action without
expectation of reciprocity. In volunteering I give myself for the good of the
other, but in the end it is I who receives a reward of understanding, social
awareness and empathy. Volunteerism is the heart of my desire to teach.
Through volunteering I have met extraordinary kids who have dreams and
face adversity. It is my goal to apply may skills as a volunteer coordinator to
enacting a classroom driven by social awareness and understanding. My
roles as a volunteer coordinator demanded organization, flexibility,
communication and being open minded to new thought processes and ideas. I
will apply my volunteerism to ensuring that each student has self-respect and
understand each students worth and merits. Together we are stronger and can
lift one another up in the classroom.
Public Speaking: I am a dynamic public speaker. I have extensive experience participating
in drama and debate teams. While at Belmont University, I was appointed to work as a
Speech Mentor where I coached fellow students in improving their verbal communication
skills.
How I plan to apply this to teaching:
My training in public speaking and communication will infuse my teaching
style with a dynamic approach that will engage students in lectures. I will
interact with the class in ways that speak to the heart of the material and
make it come alive in the classroom. Good teachers are excellent
communicators, able to implement course plans in auditory, visual and
tactile/kinesthetic approaches that convey source material in a meaningful
way. Communication is an exchange of information and ideas. As a
communicator I can address the needs of students as diverse learners. My
lectures will be thought-provoking, interactive and full of life. At times I will
use role playing to bring historical characters to life. In communicating the
curriculum I will set the direction for the learning (goal setting and lesson
planning), provide relevance for the learning (connecting the lesson to
students), guide the learning activity, assessing and evaluating the
communication structure and making necessary accommodations based on
student needs, manage the classroom environment and engage in social
activity. As a communicator I can develop interpersonal relationships with
students to discuss their academic and social concerns. Communication
builds a bond of trust and helps facilitate a stimulating learning environment.
As a public speaker I organize my points to stay on target without allowing
lectures to be dry or boring. Lectures will be interspersed with visual and
tactile methods of learning as well as group projects.

References:

(Letters of Recommendation included in this portfolio)

Andria Huntsinger, Executive Director of the Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts
Bozeman MT
406-586-4003
ed@sweetpeafestival.org
Robert J. Komorowski, M.Ed.
Special Education Teacher Davis Drive Elementary School
Cary NC
robbykomorowski@gmail.com
Joanne Gardner
Former colleague, Manager for Grammy-award winner Rodney Crowell
joannegardnermt@gmail.com
Amy Allmand
Big Loud Shirt Industries
Nashville TN
amy@bigloudshirt.com
Clark Sherman
Rector at Saint James Episcopal Church
Bozeman MT
406-586-9093
Mary Louise Talley Wright
Personal Reference, Former teacher at Root Elementary
Raleigh NC

February 2015

Robert J. Komorowski, M.Ed.

Davis Drive Elementary Schools
2151 Davis Drive
Cary, North Carolina 275119

This letter offers my complete support of Adele Lassiter as she applies for a teaching
position. Ive known Adele for two years now, since she was a co-worker of mine at a fine
mens clothing store in Raleigh, North Carolina. As a part time employee, I observed how
she showed tremendous amount of energy, and terrific sales knowledge in her role as Sales
Specialist. Her clientele have shared many stories of how Adele goes above and beyond to
assist them in any way so they are pleased with their experience at the store. I also have
supported Adele as she wrote three pieces of short fiction for me which I presented as
examples to a class that I teach at a local community college and I recall that in one of them
in particular her revisions after a brief discussion of her work were substantial and wellfocused. I also recall that Adele was one of those few I could turn to when I needed to spark
discussion; she was never lethargic, uninterested, or unprepared, but always willingly
thoughtful and articulate. Based on these interactions, over the last two years I have come
to see Adele as a bright, personable, energetic, and mature person with a concrete,
ongoing, well-rooted interest in teaching. As I glance over her credentials that she gave me
when she asked me to write her a letter of reference, I am struck by just how much she has
already done in various positionswhether volunteer or paidand what this reflects about
her work ethic. It truly shows Adeles unfailing commitment to achieving her goals while
developing herself as a personeven in the careful wording of her career objective on her
resume, where she speaks of helping students achieve their academic and social
potential. In short, it is clear to me that Adele is and will continue to be devoted to
becoming the best kind of educator. Her college background and work ethic remind me very
much of my own, and I respect what she has done as a co-worker and will do as a teacher.
Thus, I recommend her highly.
If I could be of any further assistance to questions please feel free to contact me via my
email:
robbykomorowski@gmail.com
Sincerely,
Robert Komorowski
Elementary Teacher

Letter of Reference from Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts

October 5, 2011
To Whom It May Concern:
Adele Lassiter was elected to the Sweet Pea Board of Directors in November of 2010 as the festivals
Music Chair. Adele quickly embraced the responsibilities of her position and has proven herself to be a
very valuable volunteer.
Adele is organized, efficient, extremely competent and accountable, and has an excellent rapport with her
fellow board members and the performing groups and agents she has to work with on Sweet Peas behalf.
Her communication skills, both written and verbal, are excellent.
This past season, when a chair position could not be filled that directly affected Adeles performing
groups, she immediately stepped up and took care of all the hospitality details necessary to accommodate
our musicians. She also played a key role in recruiting a new board member when another unexpectedly
had to leave her position. With this kind of commitment and dedication to a volunteer position, I can only
imagine what a valuable asset she will be to a graduate program or employer.
In summary, I highly recommend Adele for any position or endeavor that she may seek to pursue. If you
have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Andria Huntsinger
Executive Director 406. 586. 4003 ed@sweetpeafestival.org