Psychologist Honored for Helping Children Realize Their Own Courage to Create

Dr. Susan McNary, Ph.D. will be honored by the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce as they celebrate women’s history month with a mentoring luncheon on Thursday, March 5, 2009.

[ClickPress, Sat Feb 28 2009] Dr. Susan McNary, Ph.D. will be honored by the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce as they celebrate women’s history month with a mentoring luncheon on Thursday, March 5, 2009. Dr. McNary is an accomplished child psychologist and educator who uses her creative spirit to help create educational opportunities for students, empowering them to realize their potential and follow their dreams.

The mentoring luncheon brings 170 local young women students together with successful community leaders. The theme “The Courage to Create,” was chosen to introduce the students to women who affirm the value of creative spirits in their professional lives by recognizing it in others.

Dr, McNary is a prime example of someone who embraced her own creative spirit and used it to help others. At an early age, she learned to appreciate the value of helping, influenced by the work of her mother and aunt, especially in the area of child psychology. As a psychology major at Stanford, Dr. McNary started working in a school in Palo Alto when she decided to teach. “It wasn’t long, though, before I returned to college to make my dream of becoming a child psychologist a reality,” said Dr. McNary. “I love the challenge of looking beyond children’s learning difficulties to discover their talents and strengths.”

It was through mentorship that Dr. McNary discovered her true calling in the field of educational psychology and the chance to follow her dream to help students with different learning styles. She says that “working with my professional mentor Dr. Janet Switzer, founder and director (emeritus) of the Switzer Center, and colleagues in a monthly neuropsychology study group inspires me still with their knowledge, wisdom and dedication to helping children overcome obstacles and blossom into happy, productive adults.”

She saw the need to stay active with a creative learning environment for the kinds of students she often saw in her practice who “fall between the cracks” in school. She has long been a friend and mentor to the Renaissance School for Arts & Sciences, a sister school to Rolling Hills Preparatory School, both in San Pedro, where her husband Bill Johnson has served on the Board of Trustees for 20 years.

“These students have one or two irregularities in their learning [styles] that trip them up, but they are usually very smart, creative and resourceful,” she said. “Unfortunately they also become confused, discouraged and frustrated in their areas of weakness and often give up in their areas of strength, too. I thought they would recover and thrive in small individualized schools with teachers who individualize their approach to each student in the class.” Dr. McNary’s onsite testing-mobile, the Van Go, is a real testament to her ability to put her dedication into practice. She is the inspirational magic at Susie’s Parade at Renaissance School in the fall and dresses up as Ms. E. Bunnee in the spring at Williard School in Long Beach. “This is fun!”

“I hope to be a constant resource, support and perhaps “imaginer” for Renaissance,” Dr. McNary said. “The mission statement for Renaissance describes our goals to nurture and instruct students in developing into “agile thinkers, active community members and confident, independent life long learners”. Many of our students come to us frustrated and discouraged; our job is to show them how they learn best so they can achieve these mission goals.”

For more about the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce “Honoring the Courage to Create” awards, visit their website at www.sanpedrochamber.com.



For more information contact Ileana International
Mike Mena
310 683-6327
mike@ileanainternational.com

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