Author Archives: cnsolomo@illinois.edu

BFAPA Faculty Feature – Stephanie Toliver

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What do you do? 

I’m faculty in the College of Education’s Curriculum & Instruction Department. In my role, I teach two kinds of classes: methods classes for undergraduate English majors and master’s students who want to become teachers & qualitative methods, critical theory, and literacy content classes for graduate students. Teachers are a vital part of our community, and my job is to support these teachers to engage in the profession equitably.

What led you to this career? 

I think the career found me. I never wanted to be a professor. In fact, I didn’t know how one became a professor. But, after teaching high school English for several years, I decided to go back to school and learn how to be a more effective educator. My goal was to go back to the classroom after I graduated, and I did in a way. It’s just that the classroom environment changed from a high school to a college-level space.

What interests do you enjoy doing outside of work that might surprise your colleagues?

I love watching anime. It’s one of my favorite pastimes, and I’ve watched it since I was in fourth grade. My favorite genre is shōnen, and my favorite older anime is Yu Yu Hakusho, but I also love Fairy Tail (I have a tattoo of the symbol on my arm), Death Note, and, more recently, Demon Slayer and Attack on Titan.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment so far?

My greatest accomplishment is getting my mama to read my work. As part of my job, I write journal articles and books. Often, it’s difficult to get my family members to read my journal articles because, to be honest, they’re usually pretty boring. But, I’ve been transforming some of my research into science fiction stories, and that’s enabled my mom to enjoy the work a bit more. That is a huge accomplishment for me.

BFAPA Staff Spotlight – Elizabeth Mason

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What do you do? 

I am the director of the Mannie L. Jackson Illinois Academic Enrichment and Leadership Program (I-LEAP). My team and I help student athletes, first-gen, URM, and EOP students in the College of Applied Health Sciences develop their leadership, academic and personal skills in order to navigate the University and attain their postgraduation goals. There’s a lot of programming, advocating, and educating in my role, but the most important aspect is building a community for my students. They know that they have peers and staff that are looking out for their success. I-LEAP has promoted the retention and graduation of participating students at a higher rate than their peers who do not.

What led you to this career? 

I decided to pursue a career in higher education after being a 6th grade teacher for a year because I knew that the academic knowledge wouldn’t be the hardest part of college for my students. I wanted to help students like my 6th graders make it through higher education. Last year was a full circle moment for me as two of my former 6th grade students graduated from AHS in May 2024. 

Why are you involved with BFAPA?

I’m involved with BFAPA in order to connect with my peers and learn from their experiences on campus. There’s not as much diversity in my unit as I’d like, so I joined BFAPA to meet other professionals from other units. And honestly, in general, BFAPA are a fun group of people that I enjoy communing with.

What would you do if you had the whole day to do anything you wanted? I would take a day trip to a nearby city and just see somewhere new. I love trying out restaurants, so I would check out the local cuisine and some landmarks. 

BFAPA Staff Spotlight – Kellie Blanden

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What do you do? 

I’m the Director of Diversity & Social Justice Education (DSJE). Our office is under Student Affairs, in the Student Success Inclusion and Belonging unit. We offer courses, programs, trainings, and workshops that are designed to expand students’ capacity to effectively engage in dialogue and perspective-taking through creating transformative learning spaces that encourage critical self-reflection and intersectional solidarity, advocacy, and action. One of our main goals is to empower our students with the knowledge and skills to become social justice leaders and positive community change agents. I also facilitate PSYC 496, Intro. to Facilitating Group Dialogue, a course offered under our office that is designed to give students a general overview of the skills needed to facilitate culturally diverse group interactions. Some of our regular programs offered through our office are: Friday Forum +Conversation Café, where we partner with the YMCA to host weekly lunch talks with guest speakers and these are open to everyone both campus and community, our I-Journey and I-Connect programs are both workshops for students on campus, and Racial Justice Ally & Advocate Training that is offered to both students and faculty & staff.

What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why? 

The personality or behavior traits that I attribute to my success would be my communication skills and having an empathetic heart. I laugh to myself because I remember getting in trouble in school for talking to my friends. As I got older, I realized that talking to my friends was a great skill to have. It helped me be more comfortable in new spaces and I can honestly talk to anyone-I never met a stranger! Having strong verbal communication skills also aided in public speaking and my background in teaching/facilitating. An empathetic heart is important in my daily life. My mother raised us to think about others and how things may impact them. This foundation led to me being able to listen to other’s points of view, even if I do not necessarily agree. Having this skill set also helps me lead and guide difficult conversations around topics that are not always comfortable for everyone.

What’s a song or type of music you listen to puts you in the best mood and why?

I listen to all genres of music and have my go-to’s for different things. If I need some motivation, I’ll put on my gospel playlists. Having grown up and singing in the church choir, that is my foundation and anchoring when times get tough. If I want to enjoy myself and turn up a little, then some 90s-early 00s hip-hop or even some recent artists like GloRilla would be on my playlist. My ultimate favorite would be 80’s and 90’s R&B/Soul music. I really do love all kinds of music!

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment so far?

One of my greatest accomplishments thus far has been to parent two wonderful children who are kindhearted, respectful, hardworking, and both love to give back to their community. It excites me to see where their future will take them.