Scholars Around the World
Two JKCF Scholars organize a 15-day study tour to Bolivia to explore the country’s political economy, peoples and rural development
Chandeerah S Davis
“I would like to help children who suffer from a wide spectrum of socio-economic, psychological, and developmental disorders. I want to be a defining factor in the elimination of disparities in available options for special needs children.”
- Program: 2010 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Recipient
- Hometown: Far Rockaway, NY
- Community College: Nassau Community College
- Four-year College or University: Cornell University
Biography
PROFILE: During the past few years there wasn’t much downtime for Chandeerah Davis. Between work and school, it was a seven day a week proposition . . . a challenge Chandeerah embraced enthusiastically. From Monday through Friday the Queens resident did what she always loved doing, working with pre-school children. On Saturdays and Sundays she was enrolled in the weekend program at Nassau Community College and graduated in May of 2010 with honors. That hard work in the classroom was preparation for the next adventure in her life, a bachelor’s degree in human development with the ultimate goal of becoming a clinical child psychologist. Chandeerah’s academic pursuits fueled her career goals. Through various volunteer opportunities and employment experiences, Chandeerah was able to work with all kinds of children; even marginalized New York City children who often slip through society’s cracks. This was not the case with an ever-vigilant watchdog like Chandeerah, who while working as a teacher, counselor, or mentor, protected the children she taught as a lioness protects her cubs.
INSPIRATION: Always concerned about being fair, Chandeerah said she has had so many terrific mentors and teachers over the years, it would be unfair to name just one. But her real inspiration, she said, comes from every single child she’s ever worked with. “The greatest teacher I have had thus far would have to be the children I have worked with through the years. I learned so much from each child. Working with children gave me a unique insight into the struggles they face. I came to realize that as much as their future depends on us, so too does our future depend on them.”
ASPIRATION: Chandeerah wants to one day revolutionize the way that children are helped through the field of psychology. “I embrace the possibility of collaborating with others to create new ways of reaching children who might otherwise face very bleak outcomes.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: By comforting a child crying out for help she is able to make a difference in their life. By successfully balancing school, her personal life, full-time employment, and extracurricular college activities, she has also made a difference in her own life.
ACCOLADES: She was chosen as a recipient of the Nassau Community College Foundation of Teachers Carlino Scholarship for Excellence in Academics and Service and also won six NCC Presidential Awards. In addition, Chandeerah was chosen as a recipient of the Barnes and Noble Scholarship for Academic Excellence and the New York State Transfer Articulation Award.
INTERESTING FACT: She has always secretly wanted to be a stand-up comedian.
Other Scholars Like Chandeerah
Victoria Spears
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
Emory University
Matthew Cornett
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Cynthia Morales
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
New York University
Lisa Watanabe
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of California, Berkeley