{"id":200914,"date":"2019-03-05T13:29:39","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T18:29:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=200914"},"modified":"2023-07-03T13:37:02","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T17:37:02","slug":"neag-school-announces-recipients-of-2019-alumni-board-scholarship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2019\/03\/neag-school-announces-recipients-of-2019-alumni-board-scholarship\/","title":{"rendered":"Neag School Announces Recipients of 2019 Alumni Board Scholarship"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ashley Robinson, a third-year doctoral student studying learning, leadership, and education policy in the Neag School, and Tashua Sotil \u201917 (CAHNR), \u201918 MA, a sixth-year graduate student in its educational psychology program, have been named the recipients of the Neag School of Education Alumni Board Scholarship for 2019.<\/p>\n

The Alumni Board Scholarship provides a $1,000 award annually to students enrolled in a Neag School master\u2019s, doctorate, or sixth-year program who have proven academic excellence or demonstrated financial need.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Neag School Alumni Board Scholarship is an opportunity for alumni who have benefited from the UConn experience to give back to current students who are pursuing advanced educational degrees,\u201d says Neag School Alumni Board President Joseph P. Macary \u201994 (ED), \u201908 ELP, \u201916 Ed.D. \u201cThis scholarship is a financial incentive and professional recognition to encourage students to achieve their next level of education.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEarning my Ph.D. will help me reach my goal of becoming a change agent in higher education, and more importantly, will give me the tools to engage and invite others into similar work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Ashley Robinson, Alumni Board Scholarship Recipient<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2018A Change Agent in Higher Education\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Ashley
Ashley Robinson is a\u00a0doctoral student studying learning, leadership, and education policy in the Neag School. (Photo courtesy of Ashley Robinson)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Robinson received her master of education in student development in higher education, with a concentration in social justice and diversity, and a bachelor of arts in English, both from the University of Maine.<\/p>\n

Robinson\u2019s research agenda focuses on higher education diversity policies and practices, specifically focusing on hate speech and bias incidents in higher educational environments. In addition, she serves as a research assistant with\u00a0Dorothea Anagnostopoulos<\/a>\u00a0on a\u00a0National Science Foundation (NSF) and Spencer Foundation-funded study of ambitious teaching in elementary math and English language arts, as well as a research assistant with\u00a0Suzanne Wilson<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0an NSF-funded project<\/a>\u00a0focused on the professional development of science teachers.<\/p>\n

Since joining UConn Residential Life in 2012 until she started graduate school in 2018, Robinson served as a residence hall director for approximately 1,000 students and most recently served as the assistant director of residence education, where she oversaw the operation, staffing, and educational programming of three residential life areas covering 2,000 students. During her tenure in Residential Life, she also served as the residential life learning committee chair, where she led the development and implementation of a residential curriculum model.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough my graduate studies, I have begun to see the crucial role of inquiry, knowledge creation, and application of research to action,\u201d says Robinson, whose goal as an educator is to change society by challenging colleges and universities to be more \u201cequitable and humanizing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEarning my Ph.D. will help me reach my goal of becoming a change agent in higher education, and more importantly, will give me the tools to engage and invite others into similar work,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Dedication and Diligence<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Tashua
Tashua Sotil \u201917 (CAHNR), \u201918 MA is a sixth-year graduate student in educational psychology. (Shawn Kornegay\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sotil received her master of arts degree in school psychology from the Neag School in 2018 and her bachelor of science in animal science, with a minor in therapeutic horsemanship education and psychological sciences, from UConn\u2019s College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources in 2017. She put herself through college by working numerous jobs, including living in the Kellogg Diary Center for two years, milking the cows at night to pay for her housing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the values of dedication and diligence that were instilled in me by my parents and teachers that led me to success,\u201d says Sotil. \u201cThese values carried me through an intense undergraduate and graduate program and will launch me into a lifelong career that I love. It is my goal to help others do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Sotil says that she has never considered herself \u201cnaturally smart\u201d and has to work hard to \u201ckeep up with the brightest students,\u201d she managed to complete her undergraduate degree in three years by taking on heavy course loads during the semester, and enrolling in classes over the summers and winter breaks.<\/p>\n

As a sixth-year candidate, Sotil is currently taking on a full course load for her school psychology program and graduate certificate in Postsecondary Disability Services. She is also working at the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) as a full-time graduate assistant and as a practicum student for 10 hours a week at Glastonbury (Conn.) Public Schools.\u00a0Next year, she will be interning 40-plus hours,\u00a0splitting her time between East Hartford (Conn.) Middle School and CSD.<\/p>\n

Robinson and Sotil will be formally recognized at the\u00a02019 Neag School Alumni Awards Celebration<\/a>, taking place at the Storrs campus this month. Register online for the event at\u00a0s.uconn.edu\/NeagAlumni2019<\/a>.<\/h3>\n

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