Student Ambassadors

Have questions about the student experience at the William & Mary School of Education? Reach out to our Student Ambassadors!

Clinical Mental Health

fortin
Heidi Fortin, [[hafortin]]

Hello, My name is Heidi Fortin. I am from Ogunquit, Maine. I graduated from the Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in 2023 with a bachelor's in exercise science and two minors in biology and psychology. I am currently a first-year graduate student at William & Mary in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program military and veterans track. I am a member of William & Mary's cross-country & track team. I am also a graduate assistant at the Learning Resource Center for the 2023-2024 school year.

Joanna Lucky, [[jhlucky]]

Joanna is a graduate of Christopher Newport University and is in the Clincal Mental Health, Military and Veterans Counseling program. She holds a Graduate Assistantship in the Office of Academic Programs.

CJ Roberts, [[cjroberts]]

CJ is a first-year M.Ed. student in the CMHC program with an emphasis on Military and Veterans. She completed her undergraduate in San Diego in Psychology with a minor in Counseling and Social Change. She is a Navy Veteran and found her passion for helping military populations through the people she met during her time in service. Her hobbies include reading and travel as the chance arises.

Counselor Education

Yi-Yun (Minnie) Tsai, [[ytsai02]]

Minnie Tsai is a first year Doctoral student in the Counselor Education and Supervision program. Prior to starting her PhD program Minnie was a school and college counselor in her home country, Taiwan after graduating from Villanova University in May 2022. Her research interests are in school counseling and play therapy. Minnie’s previous jobs include being an elementary school teacher, hall director, resident assistant, and intern mental health therapist. She loves arts and crafts and Disney. Minnie can also speak Mandarin and Thai.

EPPL PhD Programs

Siuyan (Diana) Chen, [[schen52]]

I am pursuing a PhD in Curriculum and Educational Leadership. Prior to W&M, I completed my master's degree in TESOL from USC and my bachelor's degree from Shanghai University. I have taught both English and Chinese during my part-time tutor jobs, so I have been "working" with languages for years.

Amy Wallace, [[aewallace01]]

Amy is a doctoral student in the Educational Policy Planning and Leadership program with a focus on gifted education. She received her master's degree from Western Kentucky University in Gifted Education and Talent Development in 2021. She worked as a middle grades teacher for seven years teaching advanced reading, mathematics, and ancient history as well as teaching gifted enrichment classes for grades K-12. Her research interests include gifted English Learners/Multilingual, LGBTQ+, and Twice-Exceptional students. Amy's favorite part about studying at William & Mary is that the faculty are extremely supportive and knowledgeable, students are encouraged to pursue passions, and it is the highest quality program centered around social justice.

Higher Education, MEd

Albert Yalley, [[ayalley]]

Albert is a 2016 graduate of University of Cape Coast with a Bachelor of Science, Science Education. My decision to work in higher education was motivated by my love for learning, my desire to inspire and support others, and the opportunity for personal growth and research, the sense of community, and the potential to make a meaningful impact on society. I am deeply committed to the field of higher education and consider it a privilege to contribute to the academic and personal development of students.

School Counseling

Lydia Manson, [[lkmanson]]

Lydia is a student in the M.Ed. in School Counseling program. She graduated from James Madison University, where she double majored in Psychology and Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, and going on walks with her dog.

Sina Naeemi, [[sdnaeemi]]

Sina graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Anthropology from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2022. He is in his first year in the Online Counseling Program where his concentration is School Counseling. He currently works as an Instructional Assistant for Fairfax County Public Schools. Sina plans on perusing his LPC and is passionate about diversity and inclusion. Sina also enjoys biking through thoughtfully designed bike lanes and coaching Springboard Diving.

Luis Angel Rojas, [[lrojas]]

Luis has a BA in Psychology (Syracuse University) and MA in International Education (Universidad de Alcalá). He has completed post-graduate specialist degrees in Methodology and Innovative Pedagogical Proposals at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Madrid, Spain). Luis chose the field of counseling because he is passionate about empowering individuals through enlightening knowledge, essential life skills, mental health wellness, and social justice.

School Psychology

Monique Williams, [[mdwilliams]]

Monique Williams is a 3^rd year School Psychology student who has spent many years in the community mental health counseling and education fields. Prior to W&M, Monique completed her undergraduate studies at Virginia Wesleyan University and graduate studies at Norfolk State University and Liberty University. Since being at W&M, Monique has been intentional about applying her newly developed school psychology skills in both K-12 and higher education settings. This has led to her focus on educational interventions, collaboration with schools and the community, and research. She joined the Dean of Students office as a Graduate Assistant in 2021 contributing greatly to undergraduate student success in areas of enrollment management, student support and outreach, and academic intervention programs. Additionally, she was also selected as a School of Education Social Justice Fellow (2021-2022) and served as a graduate research assistant and co-facilitator for Project R.I.S.E. (Resistance in Sisterly Elevation), a modular-based program for early career women of color in school-based mental health fields. Monique is balancing her internship between Williamsburg-James City County Schools and the William and Mary Office of Academic Wellbeing as she hopes to utilize her skills in school psychology to further support postsecondary success for students and to conduct further research in academia. Outside of working, Monique is a member of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she is committed to social action and service in her community. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her son (Jayce), reading, watching local sports, walking or riding nature trails, and making memories with close friends and family.

Teacher Education

Matt Capel, [[mocapel]]

I am pursuing a M.A.Ed. in Secondary Education, Social Studies and an ESL Certificate. I received my undegraduate degree from William & Mary. As a part of the W&M Teacher in Residence program, I am employed full-time at New Kent Middle School. This has been the perfect complement to my graduate studies— not only am I studying the art of education, but I have the chance to put it into practice each and every day. I'm only a few months into my degree program, but the experience I have gained as a resident teacher has helped me become far more confident, creative, and prepared to become an educator.