Faith Dearman is a member of the North Carolina School Psychology Association (NCPSA), and a school psychologist within the Wake County Public School System. Through her career as a student at Appalachian State University, Dearman was able to prepare for her current roles.
Faith Dearman graduated from App State in 2013, receiving a B.A in psychology. She was a part of the Student Association of Social Workers (SASW), where she learned more about equality and social justice, a passion she wanted to pursue.
“My experiences with organizations on campus definitely increased my ability to think on my feet, build relationships and understand the importance of support systems,” commented Dearman.
After graduating and attending a job fair, Dearman would become a middle school world history teacher for Cap Cana Heritage School in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The skills she learned while teaching in the Dominican Republic would later prepare her for her career as a graduate teaching assistant working with undergraduate psychology students.
After returning from the Dominican Republic, Dearman came back to App State to pursue her master’s and completed an M.A. in school psychology in 2021. She also worked as a graduate teaching assistant, applying the skills she had learned from her time as a middle school teacher, helping her fellow students.
“As a teaching assistant, I applied those learned skills of grading formative and summative assessments, coaching and teaching in my work with undergraduate psychology students and Psy D students,” said Dearman.
During her second year of graduate school, Dearman began working as the professional learning chair for the NCPSA. During this time, she collaborated with a variety of professionals to develop consistent, high-quality professional development events. She also worked closely with Dr. James Deni, professor in the Department of Psychology, during her time in graduate school. Together they presented research at both state and national conferences and worked on the NCPSA board.
“He taught me about research processes, implementation science, state-wide organizational policies, and leadership styles. Dr. D helped to build my confidence as a professional and gave me the opportunity to grow and learn from others in the field. He's served as my mentor as a student and also serves as a trusted guide and support for me as an early career professional,” said Dearman.
Dearman was awarded the 2021 Special Presidential Award for her work in expanding the NCPSA’s Professional Learning Committee. The Professional Learning Committee’s focus is to provide professional learning opportunities for those within the NCPSA by collaborating with regional representatives and other agencies.
“I am learning a lot every day and building up my skill-set to be the best school psychologist I can be and to facilitate positive impacts at my schools.”
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About the Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology
Appalachian’s Dr. Wiley F. Smith Department of Psychology serves more than 1,000 undergraduate majors seeking the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, as well as 80 graduate students in three master’s programs (experimental psychology, school psychology, and industrial-organizational psychology and human resource management) and the clinical psychology (Psy.D.) doctoral program. Learn more at https://psych.appstate.edu.
Alumni Faith Dearman Photo submitted.
Alumni Faith Dearman '13, '21