Sophomore psychology major Tamera Toney came to George Mason University unsure of what to expect. As a freshman, Toney excelled in integrative studies courses and joined SIS professor Pamela Garner as a research assistant, quickly distinguishing herself as a dedicated student eager to learn. In April, Toney’s hard work earned her the Freshman Undergraduate Achievement Award from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Toney continues on this bright trajectory this year, with new research and academic opportunities.
This semester, as part of a psychology class Community Engagement for Social Change, Toney is volunteering at the Friends of Guest House, a re-entry program for formerly incarcerated women. She also continues working with Garner, assisting with research and data entry on projects related to the social and emotional development of children. And, Toney is taking a full slate of classes ranging from statistics to biology to social psychology and jazz in America.
Toney hopes to take advantage of every opportunity to learn and prepare for her chosen career as an educational psychologist. Originally from Norfolk, VA, Toney traces her professional aspirations to her own school experiences, which were not always conducive to learning. She said, “Growing up, we saw a lot of police presence at my school.”
Toney wrote about her experiences in her essay submission for the CHSS award. In the integrative studies class Inquiry to Action, Toney studied different social justice topics, including education in the US and reflected on her own experience as a middle school and high school student.
She said, “I knew I was passionate about school and education, but before taking this class, I didn’t realize how much I had been impacted by the school-to-prison-pipeline.”
The school-to-prison-pipeline refers to the increasingly common trend for students to transition from school and into prisons due, in part, to the enforcement of “zero tolerance” policies in schools. Some schools also rely on police or school resource officers rather than teachers or school administrators to maintain discipline in the schools.
Despite the challenges that Toney faced in her own middle and high schools, she received significant support from her parents and grandparents. Toney said, “I just love school. My family really pushed me to study and work hard at school. My faith has given me so much strength and peace to keep going after my dreams."
Pursuing an undergraduate and potentially graduate degree in educational psychology will help Toney attain her goal of helping students and young adults succeed in school.
Toney said, “I want to be right in there with them, listening to their stories, thoughts, and dreams. I want to help students find enjoyment and fulfilment during their learning experience in their school, and everything I do now, from volunteering, to my classes to my work with Dr. Garner will help me reach that goal.”
September 30, 2016
