2012-2013 ACED Graduate and Student Assistants of the Year Nominees

The ACED Department chose two recipients, Jeanevra Pearson (Graduate Assistant) and Devin Burton (Student Assistant), to be nominated for 2012 - 2013 Graduate Assistant and Student Assistant of the Year. On April 11, 2013 at 12pm in the VSU's University Center ballroom, a luncheon was held in honor and appreciation of all of the nominees.

Pictured from Left to Right: Dr. Reynaldo Martinez, Devin Burton, Jeanevra Pearson, and Mrs. Wendy Miller. 

Graduate Assistant of the Year Nominee

My name is Jeanevra Lanise Pearson, and I'm a full-time master's level student in the Marriage and Family Therapy program who is scheduled to graduate on July 27, 2013. Before applying, I had never heard of Valdosta State University, but the beautiful campus and outstanding MFT faculty and program could no longer maintain its secret and keep me away. From the moment of visiting VSU, I knew that this was exactly where I wanted to be and could grow.

I'm currently a graduate assistant in the Department of Adult and Career Education which is located in the Dewar's College of Education Building on VSU's campus. My departmental duties are as follows: I assist an department head, 10 instructors, and a departmental secretary with all duties assigned, in charge of Web Design and updates to our department's website through the Cascade server, teaching assistant to an adjunct professor, makes revisions of any departmental promotional display boards and brochures, inputs any Live Text Assessment Data, provides research assistant for my instructors, and assist with any prepartations or arrangements of the annual Adult and Career Education Gulf South Professional Development Education Conferences that are held here at VSU.

My graduate assistant experience has been amazing, because I was able to work for the best department on campus! My department faculty has just welcomed me with open arms into the ACED family. Just like any family, we have had some stressful moments, but far more laughter and good times than I could have ever expected. Graduate assistantships are valuable because I was introduced to new tasks such as assistant teaching a course, web design, and new programs that otherwise were foreign to me before working for the ACED department. I was challenged but most importantly I learned, therefore, the limits of my abilities are now truly endless.

As for my future plans, I have applied and recently had an interview for a doctoral program in Counseling Education with a Specialization in Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy at Barry University located in Miami, Florida to continue my education and training in the world of therapy. If accepted into the program, I will be the first person ever in my family to potentially recieve a doctoral degree. My ultimate goals are to start a non-profit organization for girls ages 10 to 18 who are adopted to teach them the value of self-esteem, professional development, and provide therapy for them in their journey called life. I also want to open, brand, and market my own private practice within the next 10 years. While a graduate assistant, I work and intern for Pathway to Hope Counseling Services, a home-based therapy company, here in Valdosta as a supervised student therapist 40 to 55 hours each week.

I am honored to have been nominated for this award by my supervisors and faculty and thus forever grateful for the love and support they have shown and continue to show me.

  Student Assistant of the Year Nominee

My name is Devin Cherise Burton. I am a pre-nursing major here at VSU. I work in the Adult Career and Education department as a lab assistant. My major responsibilities are supervising the computer labs in the Education building and lending a helping hand where ever needed in the Education building. I expect to graduate May 2015. What brought me to VSU was the beautiful campus and the enviorment. It was what attracted me the most to the school and made me want to become a Blazer. My interests are reading and writing poetry, listening to music, and spending countless hours on twitter and instagram. My future plans after I get my degree are to travel as a nurse to various countries that need medical assistance. Some things I would like for people to know about me are that I love to meet people, I have an unbreakable faith in God, my mother is my inspiration and my little sisters are my motivation.