Ford & Harrison LLP, a national labor and employment law firm, is pleased to announce that Tamara Toussaint, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator for the firm, has recently been appointed to a key Obama Administration post as a Member to the Commission on Presidential Scholars.
Last Tuesday, President Barack Obama made an announcement appointing eight men and women to significant Administration roles. The list included Toussaint, where she will be part of a commission that helps choose 141 high school seniors who will receive the extremely high honor as a Presidential Scholar.
"I am honored to be selected as a member to the Commission on Presidential Scholars," said Toussaint. "I'm very excited about serving in this role and being able to assist the Obama Administration in recognizing and honoring some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors."
Prior to Toussaint's diversity and inclusion role with Ford & Harrison, she worked as the Diversity Coordinator at the University of Miami School of Law, crafting the school's first ever diversity-related programming. Over the course of the last thirteen years she has volunteered with programs that aid at-risk, low income children such as SOS Children's Village, The Urban League of Philadelphia, and Community Action Network. In addition, Toussaint volunteers once a week with Everybody Wins!, a lunch time reading program at an Atlanta inner city elementary school focused on raising the reading levels of children with low reading test scores. Currently, she is a member of the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals and is Co-Chair of the Diversity Section of the National Association for Law Placement (NALP). Toussaint holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.
About The United States Presidential Scholars Program
The United States Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by Executive Order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our Nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the Program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. Each year, up to 141 students are named U.S. Presidential Scholars, one of the Nation's highest honors for high school students. The Scholars represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people. In honoring the U.S. Presidential Scholars, the President of the United States symbolically honors all graduating high school seniors of high potential.