Backed by 27 years of professional experience as a school psychologist for the Bermuda Ministry of Education and 10 years in the United States, Barbara G. Holder has thrived as she dedicated her career to fostering educational excellence. As education officer at the Ministry of Education, her responsibilities included providing psycho-educational services for preschool to high school students and collaborating with school personnel on how to help students achieve academic, social, and emotional success. This included training teachers on various learning and mental health topics like behavior management, referral processes and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Dr. Holder also consulted with students, parents, administrators, and teachers, and produced pyscho-educational reports that included the different types of tests administered, results, and classroom strategies. Over the course of her career, she worked with and counseled students at three pre-schools, five primary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools.
Dr. Holder prepared for her endeavors by earning a bachelor’s degree in speech education from City College of the City University of New York in 1971, a master’s degree in special education with a concentration in social and emotional difficulties affecting children from Fordham University in 1973, and a PhD in educational history from Southeastern University in Florida in 1973. Subsequently, she earned a master’s degree in school psychology from Long Island University in 1991. Notably, Ms. Holder was the recipient of a Harry and Virginia Ritchie Memorial Scholarship from Reynolds Community College in Virginia, and of a fellowship at Fordham University.To ensure that her knowledge of her field remained current, Dr. Holder served as a member of the Council for Exceptional Children for many years. She continues to maintain membership with the National Association of School Psychologists, the International School Psychology Association, Parents Anonymous of Bermuda, and the Organization for Multiple Sclerosis. She is a diamond life member of Delta Sigma Theta.
Now that she is retired, Dr. Holder spends her time enjoying traveling, reading, solving puzzles, writing, and home decorating.