Alicea Wilson (left) and Tennessee Association of School Psychologists President Pam Haggard pose with the William Ballard Award. Photo courtesy of Amanda Hardin.
Alicea Wilson, a Chattanooga native and third-year student in the School Psychology graduate program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, was awarded for her hard work and dedication to school psychology.
Wilson’s efforts to secure paid internships for her peers and her leadership within the community earned her the 2024 William Ballard Award, recognizing her as the Ed.S. School Psychology Student of the Year for Tennessee. The award was presented to Wilson by Tennessee Association of School Psychologists (TASP) President Pam Haggard.
The William Ballard Award was established to honor the memory of Bill Ballard, a school psychologist who worked in Metro-Nashville Schools and played a key role in founding TASP.
In her nomination letter, Dr. Amanda Hardin, assistant professor of school psychology at UTC and the program’s director, said Wilson maintained a 4.0 GPA within her coursework, attended all optional learning opportunities and presentations, served as a full-time graduate assistant and sought out additional opportunities outside the classroom.
Hardin commended Wilson for advocating the need for Hamilton County Schools to offer paid internships as a way for them to help address the severe shortage of school psychologists in the area. She said that Wilson also mentored a first-year student and volunteered as a Child Advocate at Chattanooga Room in the Inn, a shelter for homeless women and children.
“Ally has excelled both in and out of the classroom throughout her time in the School Psychology program,” Hardin said. “She has demonstrated her passion for helping children through her work in her field placements and in her volunteer work within the community.
“She is an excellent representation of our program and the field of school psychology.”
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