UNIONDALE, NY / ACCESS Newswire / January 7, 2026 / Marquis Who's Who honors Tandria Callins, PhD, as a top educator. Dr. Callins is the founder, chief executive officer and principal of Language & Literacy Academy for Learning.

About Dr. Callins

Dr. Callins was born and raised in Plant City, Florida, and is the first member of her family to graduate from college. Originally, she had signed up for the military and secured a top clearance job in the Army. However, her fear was so overwhelming that her Army recruiter was able to release her from her assignment before swearing her in. She then planned to become a pharmacist following her father's wishes and started her academic career at Florida A&M University. However, after three years in Tallahassee, Dr. Callins transferred to the University of South Florida to pursue a degree in communication sciences and disorders.

Building on an Educational Foundation

Dr. Callins changed her major and completed her program, much to her mother's delight. However, to become a practicing therapist, she had to pursue a master's degree. In 2001, Dr. Callins earned a master's degree in speech and language pathology from the University of South Florida, an especially impressive accomplishment since she had given birth to her son and daughter while attending school.

Later, Dr. Callins took a professional development course taught by Black doctoral students, an experience that ignited her desire to pursue a terminal degree. A professor knew of a grant that provided assistance to students of color who desired to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy, and Dr. Callins seized the opportunity.

In 2005, Dr. Callins received a Doctor of Philosophy in curriculum and instruction in special education from the University of South Florida. She then accepted a position as a speech and language pathologist in a nursing home and continued working in health care for a decade.

"I worked my way up through being a speech and language pathologist all the way up to a therapy operations manager. I started managing the rehab departments of nursing homes in Florida and Alabama. I absolutely loved it," Dr. Callins says.

A Successful Career in Education

An injury sidelined Dr. Callins' career for six months, after which she returned to the workforce as a speech therapist in a private school. This transition marked the beginning of a successful career in education.

Dr. Callins emphasizes the importance of her work with students with disabilities, which is guided by her mission to ensure they graduate from high school so they can enter the workforce and pursue higher education. She has witnessed firsthand the life-changing impact of her work, as many of her students have excelled despite facing severe obstacles. She attributes her success to her God-given drive and determination to pursue her goals and make a difference.

"I use every experience in the past to help me run this school. I never had any formal training in operating a charter school, but I used my business acumen from the medical world to help me operate this charter school," Dr. Callins says. "No matter where you end up, just use your experience from your entire life."

Dr. Callins was honored with inclusion into Marquis Who's Who in March of this year and is acknowledged as a Marquis Who's Who Top Educator.

About Marquis Who's Who^®:
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, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America^® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis^® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who^® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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SOURCE: Marquis Who's Who