DETROIT, MI, December 16, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Toya Chandler has been selected for inclusion 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.

Toya Chandler was born on January 9, 1942 in Glen Rogers, West Virginia, located entirely within the Appalachian Mountains in a former coal company town in the County of Wyoming.
Ms. Chandler is a generational lineal descendant of Jacob and Mattie Fullen (maternal grandparents) of the great Mountain State of West Virginia.

Ms. Chandler's distinguished career in education spans more than 35 years, marked by her dedication and commitment to nurturing young minds. Her most notable tenure was at Holbrook Elementary School, where she served as a school teacher from 1978 to 2005. During these years, she was instrumental in shaping the educational experiences of countless students, fostering an environment that encouraged curiosity and learning. Her approach to teaching was deeply influenced by her academic background and her belief in the transformative power of education.

She taught fifth grade. While there she served as an advisor of the school's service squad and safety patrol. She was voted as building union representative for 10 years. She was also chosen as union representative member to be on the team to negotiate the teacher's contract (Hamtramck Federation of Teachers, Local 1052). She was also voted as representative for Hamtramck Federation of Teachers, Local 1052 to attend the American Federation of Teachers Conference in New York, NY and in Los Angeles, CA. Additionally, she was voted as representative for Hamtramck Federation of Teachers, Local 1052 to attend Michigan Federation of Teachers Conferences. In June 1990, she received an Honorary Teachers Award from the Holbrook Parent-Teachers Association. In June 1998 she was presented with a Plaque of Appreciation for 20 years of dedicated service at Holbrook Elementary. Ms. Chandler received a write-up in the Hamtramck Citizen newspaper. Her fifth-grade students won first and second place in the district-wide Hamtramck spelling bee. She contributed as a classroom teacher on Black history. She invited her personal friend, Mrs. Edith Washington Johnson, granddaughter of Dr. Booker T. Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute, in Tuskegee Alabama and the goddaughter of Dr. George Washington Carver, African-American scientist who invented the many uses of the peanut. That visit was an honor and historical. The children learned much and were enthused.

Due to the highly multi-ethnic and bilingual diversity in the school district, Ms. Chandler planned monthly field trips that reflected and honored the interests of all groups. She believes that a lack of knowledge is a captivity of the mind. Still, knowledge brightens the world and a person's mind – the reason anything called education will last because it is an extension of knowledge, which will last forever, and is a key to power that quells the imagination of children. She feels that love was always within her, as she spent years teaching fifth graders at Holbrook Elementary School, where being there with them and monitoring their progress in learning was the highlight of her career.

Prior to her long-standing role at Holbrook Elementary School, Ms. Chandler contributed her expertise as a substitute teacher for Ferndale Public Schools, Grosse Point Academy and the Archdiocese of Detroit from 1964-1965. From 1965 to 1977 she was a regular full-time teacher for the Archdiocese of Detroit, St. Gertrude Elementary (third grade), St. Charles Elementary (fourth grade) St. Charles Elementary Headstart Program (preschool, head teacher in charge of Program), Our Lady Queen of Sorrows (third and fourth grade combined), Eastside Vicariate (fifth grade), Hamtramck Public Schools, Hamtramck High School/history and art classes). These early experiences in her career provided her with a diverse perspective on educational methodologies and student engagement, which she later applied to her full-time teaching role.

Ms. Chandler's own academic journey laid a strong foundation for her professional achievements. She earned a Bachelor of Science in education, with minors in art and history from West Virginia State University in 1964, followed by a Master of Education from Wayne State University in 1969. Her pursuit of knowledge continued when she earned a Master of Education in 1969 and an Educational Specialist degree in educational sociology from Wayne State University in 1975.

Throughout her career, Ms. Chandler has furthered her expertise through membership in several industry-related organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and West Virginia State College Alumni, Detroit Chapter (1965-present), past vice president/secretary and chairperson of the membership committee. She also holds West Virginia State life membership (1984), West Virginia State University (as of 2004). She received the Smiley L. Glover, Jr. 110% Award from the National Alumni Association for outstanding dedicated services. Her Wayne State University memberships include: Women of Wayne (past secretary), Black Alumni Association, United Negro College Fund, ACLU, AARP, St. Patrick's Senior Center, Michigan Federation of Teachers, Hamtramck Federation of Teachers, Local 1052. She has maintained a strong presence in civic work, serving with the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit Opera House, The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Karmanus Cancer Center, Tunnel to Towers, Smithsonian Institution, and Mercy Ships.

Ms. Chandler is an avid reader. She also enjoys poetry, history, oil painting, art museums, galleries, theater, concerts, the zoo, walks in the park, sewing, and traveling both nationally and internationally.

She gives thanks to God for all of our blessings.

Overall, Ms. Chandler attributes much of her success to the unwavering support of her family, who instilled in her the importance of education from an early age. This foundational belief has been a guiding force throughout her life, influencing both her personal and professional choices.

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 of endeavor, 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 around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

# # #