Alabama State University’s Bachelor of Music Education graduate Crystal Hanna King has received the gold standard in the teaching profession.

The Texas native joins a respected community of more than 125,000 teachers across all 50 states who have become National Board Certified Teachers, the highest certification a teacher may obtain.

She becomes one of only 2 percent of music educators in the nation to earn this recognition. She is certified to teach middle school and up.

“I was in disbelief when I received the letter from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards of my certification. This certification enables me to teach anywhere. I’m certified across the United States,” she said.

King pointed out that when teachers obtain their normal certification within the state, they are only licensed to each within the state.

The accomplished educator earned this prestigious achievement through a rigorous, performance-based and peer-review process.

“There are four components applicants must work on. It was a lot of work and I had to overcome some obstacles, but I’m thankful that I did it,” she added. “It teaches you to become a better teacher.”

She credits her late mother for giving her the drive. “My mom didn’t get a chance to go to college and that was one thing she wanted her three girls to do…She believed in me and believed that I could do it (to become a National Board Certified Teacher).”

After receiving her certification, King, who teaches in the Selma City Public School System, said she feels more aware of what is occurring each day in her classroom.

“I’m more aware of what I can change and do differently, what works and what doesn’t,” she said. “The National Board Certification process equipped me with great tools to continue providing exceptional instruction for my students.”

​King is a 2003 ASU graduate who was a member of the Wind Ensemble, the Mighty Marching Hornets band, and earned the honors distinction on her diploma as a student in the W.E.B. DuBois Honors program.