TUSCALOOSA, AL, January 14, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Andrea Dobynes-Wagner has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
After working as an educator for many years, Mrs. Dobynes-Wagner recognized the lack of diversity in her classroom's decorations. This inspired her to create her own, which led to colleagues and parents desiring to purchase them to decorate their own dwellings. A short time later, a friend suggested she market her creations; therefore, she established Melanated Mastermindz, where she now serves as chief executive officer. A seasoned educator and advocate for representation, she offers educational resources, office, and school supplies empowering melanated minds everywhere.
Before establishing her own business, Mrs. Dobynes-Wagner gained valuable expertise in the field of education as a sixth grade history teacher at the School of Discovery, a high school English teacher with Greensboro High School and Francis Marion High School, and as an adjunct instructor at the University of Alabama's Honors College. Throughout her career, she has achieved much. However, a standout moment in her career was in 2012 when she competed in the Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha National Tournament, a national speaking competition where she gave a speech on how public schools receive less money than public and private prisons. She won 6th place in persuasive speaking. As a legally blind woman, who is frequently told that her eye contact needs work, winning that award was a poignant moment in her career.
In pursuit of her career, Mrs. Dobynes-Wagner received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and a Master of Arts in Gender & Race Studies from the University of Alabama in 2013 and 2014, respectively. She also aims to complete a Doctor of Jurisprudence at the Southern University Law Center in 2023. Driven to remain aware of ongoing changes in education and rehabilitation, she maintains professional alignment with the National Education Association, the National Council of Black Studies, the National Association of African American Studies, the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services and the Alabama chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.
A devoted advocate of her community, Mrs. Dobynes-Wagner dedicates herself to her local church, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in her spare time. Additionally, she works on voter registration and voter advocacy on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind and is a Board Member for Building Bridges for Racial Reconciliation in Tuscaloosa, AL.
For her outstanding body of work, Mrs. Dobynes-Wagner was named the 2017-2018 Educator of the Year at Francis Marion High School. That same year, she also received a research grant through the Southeastern Women's Studies Association. Within the next five years, Mrs. Dobynes-Wagner aims to open a collective workspace or library with media of all kinds dedicated to individuals of different races, sexual orientations, the historically disenfranchised and more. She also intends to establish a scholarship in her mother's name, the late Vivian Andretta Turner. She was inspired by her father, Rev. Dr. Aaron Dobynes, Sr's lifelong commitment to social justice and education as well as Dr. Robin Michelle Boylorn, Dr. Tyshawn Gardner, Dr. Meredith Bagley, Dr. John Giggie, Dr. Jason E. Black, Mrs. Christine Turner, Mrs. Leola Dobynes, and Mrs. Phyllis Craig Taylor.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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