Let’s get to know each other
“I love this part of getting to know someone. How every piece of new information, every new expression seems magical.” — Nicola Yoon
Who am I?
My name is Shea Charles. I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii.
I previously attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa. There, I worked for the Kokua Disabilities Service office and the ACE First-year Mentor program, where I began developing an interest in mentorship and disability. I am now a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology working with college students. I manage the NSF TAPDINTO STEM program at the University of Connecticut.
My research interests surround postsecondary education, answering the question, “How do we improve college student’s transition to college, success in college, and their career transition experiences?” for multiple student populations.
An essential aspect of my work is mentorship and working with students. Throughout my academic career, I have had amazing mentors and the privilege to mentor students across different college contexts.
I am a big sports person—from the NHL to the WNBA, College athletics to international athletics, I’ll always have some game running in the background. My current favorite teams are the Connecticut Sun, Chicago Sky, Boston Celtics, UConn Huskies (Roll ‘Skies), Vancouver Canucks, Boston Fleet, Montreal Victoire, and Opals, just to name a few.
It's no surprise that if we meet at a conference, I’ll probably be looking for a sporting event to attend before I leave the city.
Watching sports just isn’t enough! — I’m working on getting better at golfing and skating as we speak.
Outside of academics
I also love working with my hands — painting, ceramics, and fiber arts are my current favorite ways to keep my hands busy.
In the spring, summer, and fall, I like exploring new trails in New England, looking at the foliage, and trying my best to avoid spiders or slimy critters on the path.
Lastly, you’ll always hear me talking about the next international trip. I love to travel, see new places, and meet new people. I’ve had amazing opportunities to travel across the world. I’m hoping to hit all seven continents before I turn 30 fingers crossed
Future Aspirations
In the short term, I want to continue working on my dissertation and research projects. Through these projects, I would like to implement institutional policies to support students with disabilities or, in a bigger arena, inform public policy to improve the experiences of students with disabilities in accessing higher education and succeeding in their educational endeavors. In the long term, I would like to pursue a tenure-track professor position and continue to work on research and public policy to improve the experiences of students with disabilities in higher education. Another long-term goal of mine is to be a stakeholder in a sports team and work to provide mentorship and athletic strategies for athletes with disabilities. My short- and long-term goals are to support students with disabilities in higher education and beyond in their careers, both traditional and sports.