Taja Young

Taja Young is a full-time Lecturer at WCI and a doctoral candidate in the Division of Educational Psychology & Methodology.  Her dissertation examines the role of empowerment strategies in the educational outcomes of Black, male college students in the United States. She has also taught courses in the Human Development major at SUNY at Albany and has a keen interest in promoting equity, justice, and the empowerment of all students, especially those from marginalized backgrounds. Her goal as a teacher is to empower students to think deeply and critically and to become self-regulated, life-long learners.

Research Interests: student empowerment; reflective practice; teacher-student relationships; self-regulated learning

Course Description: In this course, we will examine themes and life lessons from the inspirational autobiographical book by Trevor Noah. Examples of these themes are resilience, sense of belonging, and identity. You will find that these are relatable and relevant to your own development and experiences both personally and academically. With the theme of your choice, you will engage in inquiry,  formulate research questions, explore relevant scholarly and non-scholarly sources, and contribute to the ongoing conversation surrounding your specific theme. I utilize a facilitator style of teaching and strongly value collaborative and team-based pedological approaches. My goal is to create a safe learning environment for all students and offer the support and guidance you need as individuals. My hope is that, by the end of the semester, you leave my course feeling more empowered as a writer and life-long learner.