Returning for Master's: Rumble Award Winners Take Next Step in Education Journey
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – After completing successful senior years at the College of Education (COE), LaNerra Gray and Mekyland Williams are returning to UofM to pursue their master’s.
Gray, who has been a student teacher at Bartlett High School, will return for COE’s
Master of Science in Special Education Program. In between graduation and the next
school year, she plans to rest for a little bit because she has a full schedule ahead
of her. Along with going through the master’s course, she will also be teaching full-time
at BHS as an Algebra II co-teacher.
When asked why she is returning to UofM, Gray said, “Memphis is what I know and love. I appreciate how much this program has given me and the information I have been given since I entered the College of Education.”
For Williams, she aspires to be a school psychologist and has been admitted into the
Master of Arts / Educational Specialist Program in School Psychology within UofM’s
Department of Psychology. She has been teaching at South Elementary in Pinson, Tenn.
and feels strongly that her impact to students will be felt as a school psychologist.
Williams said choosing UofM as her master’s destination was a no-brainer.
“I put all my eggs in one basket and only applied to the UofM because it has granted me opportunities of a lifetime during my undergrad,” Williams said. “To me, I had no other choice but the UofM.”
Gray and Williams both received this year’s Herbert E. Rumble Outstanding Student Teacher Award, one of the highest honors in the COE. We're excited to welcome them both back to the UofM and wish them the best of luck in their studies!