About Tanya

My mission is to provide and create spaces in relationships, conversations, communities for all people to feel seen and appreciated for their authentic selves. I believe that educating and working toward equity, as well as creating spaces of justice and communication all grow out of that desire.
I come to my work from a belief that humans are capable of greatness, that our world is beautiful, and that it can be better for everyone. The work of social justice became part of my DNA through my exposure to faith early in my life – it gave me a clarity about the beauty and possibility of creation. The principles that guide my work include integrity to my values of compassion, a belief that all people have worth, patience, a belief that justice, equity, and love are essential to our survival/success as humans. I see the work that I do as part of a larger plan and I am yet but a contribution, doing what I’ve authentically been given to do, and believing that if we all can live in authenticity, we can live a rich and vibrant life. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, I have found a second home on the East coast currently residing in New York City and previously in Western Massachusetts.
I hold a doctorate (Ed.D) in Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and my dissertation, entitled A Process of Becoming: U.S. Born African American and Black Women in a Process of Liberation from Internalized Racism, focused on internalized oppression and liberation. I also hold an MS in Educational Administration and BA in Journalism and English from Texas A&M University.
I come to my work from a belief that humans are capable of greatness, that our world is beautiful, and that it can be better for everyone. The work of social justice became part of my DNA through my exposure to faith early in my life – it gave me a clarity about the beauty and possibility of creation. The principles that guide my work include integrity to my values of compassion, a belief that all people have worth, patience, a belief that justice, equity, and love are essential to our survival/success as humans. I see the work that I do as part of a larger plan and I am yet but a contribution, doing what I’ve authentically been given to do, and believing that if we all can live in authenticity, we can live a rich and vibrant life. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, I have found a second home on the East coast currently residing in New York City and previously in Western Massachusetts.
I hold a doctorate (Ed.D) in Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and my dissertation, entitled A Process of Becoming: U.S. Born African American and Black Women in a Process of Liberation from Internalized Racism, focused on internalized oppression and liberation. I also hold an MS in Educational Administration and BA in Journalism and English from Texas A&M University.