College of Education graduate students Sheila Moore and Thomandra Sam have been selected as Holmes Scholars for the 2007-2008 academic year.  The Holmes Scholars Program provides Education graduate students from underrepresented ethnic groups or students with disabilities and who have aspirations of higher education careers with enriched academic experiences and professional career training. 

"As a Holmes Scholar, I look forward to benefitting from the mentoring from and collaboration opportunities with other like-minded professionals.  I expect it will enrich my academic career with scholarly experiences," Moore said.

[department's] Master's Educational Leadership Program—her communication and interpersonal skills in the workplace make her an excellent candidate for the Holmes Scholars Program," said Ellen Reames, an assistant professor in the college's Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology.

Sam, a doctoral student in counseling psychology, joined the doctoral program in 2005 after obtaining her undergraduate degrees from Louisiana State University.  She is also the president of the AU Black Graduate and Professional Student Association, which is a campus-wide organization dedicated to graduate and undergraduate students' professional development.  Sam represents the college as second-year member of its Student Ambassadors.  Her goal after obtaining her doctoral degree is to become a university professor.

"I want to stimulate thought in my students and have them so interested and captivated that they are able to share and teach me.  I believe that learning is incremental and ongoing—a journey that both the student and professor embark upon each semester," Sam said.

"Thomandra is the kind of person for whom I believe that the Holmes Scholars Program looks for," said Randolph Pipes, a professor in the college's Department of Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology and School Psychology.  "She has a strong interest in research, commitment to social justice and has a track record in terms of leadership and responsibility,"

Lora Bailey, Auburn's Holmes Scholar advisor and a former AU Holmes Scholar herself, can see the benefits that Moore and Sam will gain from the program.

"As a former scholar of three years, I was able to meet with deans of education nationally who were part of the [Holmes Scholar] partnership.  I was able to interact with other scholars who were able to help me with the dissertation process and my vita," said Bailey, an associate professor in the college's Department of Curriculum and Teaching.  "Sheila and Thomandra embodied what the program looks for in candidates.  They have the experience and display the leadership abilities that make a Holmes Scholar."

The two new Holmes Scholars join Cheron Hunter as the three current scholars in the college.  Hunter, who was named a Holmes Scholar in 2006, was elected as the national Holmes Scholars president in January 2007.