Meriden resident Tawana Preston, LMSW, is not only a dedicated care specialist at CT State Middlesex but is an award-winning social worker and best-selling book author.

In 2023, while seeking career coaching to establish herself in the profession, Tawana joined the Ultimate Therapists Mastermind Group, led by Tangie R. McDougald, a licensed professional counselor in East Hartford.

“I attended a conference with the group that fall and made many connections with others for the same comfort. I had spent so much time reaching down to help others up—I want to be reaching up to inspire me,” said Tawana.

But even before that, Tawana wrote a note to herself in January that said: “I’m going to become an author.”

One of the Mastermind group’s projects was to create an anthology about life beyond the diagnosis, sharing personal stories of resilience. Many counselors, including Tawana, have personally lived through these experiences, and this book became a platform to express them. In doing so, it also fulfilled her earlier prediction of becoming an author.

The book, Therapists Unmasked: True Stories of Resilience, Transformation, and Breaking Barriers Beyond a Diagnosis, was published in January 2025. According to Amazon, Therapists Unmasked “offers an intimate look at the lives of mental health professionals who step out from behind their roles as healers to reveal their own struggles with anxiety, grief, trauma and identity.”

As a person of faith, Tawana titled her chapter “The Power of a Motivated Mindset: Turning Struggles into Success,” opening with a biblical quote from Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Instilled in her by her grandmother, this belief became her motivation: “I can do all things.” She also draws strength from Revelation 3:8, which affirms that when God opens a door, no one can close it.

“Once I believed I can do all things, everyone else could, too, and that’s what also led to doors opening for me,” Tawana said.

Long before her time at Middlesex, Tawana graduated from Orville H. Platt High School in 1997 and attended Hampton University, a HBCU institution in Virginia. She earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and returned to Meriden to pursue a corporate career at Verizon.

After 10 years, Tawana enrolled in cosmetology school. Her mother has a salon, and she partnered with her to run the business for eight years. This setup allowed her to style hair while maintaining the flexibility to raise her young daughter.

One of Tawana’s salon clients, Angela Washington, a professor at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) in Hartford, encouraged her to become a social worker after noticing the salon’s advocacy efforts. Through their program, Beyond Hair, they engaged with schools, city hall events and elections.

Tawana took her professor’s advice, applied, and was accepted to USJ. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic closed the salon in 2020, she faced the challenge of returning to college after 19 years and adapting to virtual learning. She took classes part-time and completed the master’s program in three years.

As part of the USJ master’s in social work program, students are required to complete a clinical internship. Tawana interned at Middlesex, where Jennifer Hernandez, EdD, who oversaw the Listening Lounge, used MSW interns for mental health counseling.

“As an intern, Dr. Hernandez gave me a lot of encouragement. I felt like more than an intern. Every day I went around campus to say ‘hello’ to everyone and see how they are doing,” Tawana said.

“Tawana’s enthusiasm for learning was truly inspiring. She approached every task with genuine curiosity and desire to understand the heart of our work. Her dedication went beyond merely fulfilling her duties as an intern. Her exceptional ability to engage with those around her, combined with her unwavering commitment to Middlesex, made her an invaluable member of our team. Encouraging her every day was a joy, as her passion and positive energy were contagious,” said Dr. Hernandez.

This ultimately led to Tawana’s part-time employment as a care specialist advocating for students’ well-being at CT State Middlesex beginning in October 2022.

“Dr. Sara Hansen [Associate Dean of Student Affairs] saw the students’ positive reaction for the support I provided while visiting classrooms, so I started the ‘Did You Know’ series with student affairs. Now I advocate with students to use the TimelyCare app as part of the campus CARE Team,” said Tawana. TimelyCare is a free virtual health and well-being platform available 24/7 for CT State Community College students.

Tawana said she’s also very involved with bringing the community to the campus for the Resource Fair held during Welcome Week. She is thankful her part-time role evolved into a full-time position when she took on the additional job of SNAP coordinator in April 2024.

“I’m glad for all the support I get from all levels at Middlesex—staff and students,” said Tawana. “It’s the place to be supported and to be your best self. Now I inspire students through any situation and tell them they can be successful.”

“Sometimes there aren’t resources due to budget cuts, such as for housing. I try to connect students for placement even when there are not many options and a long wait, but this can also motivate and encourage them to graduate and transfer to a four-year school where there are dorms,” she added.

Tawana, who was president of her class at USJ, was named the National Association of Social Workers Connecticut Chapter Student of the Year in 2022 and earned the Rising Star Ultimate Therapist Award in 2024. The book is well received, and she looks forward to doing more public speaking.

“I enjoy being here and seeing students graduate and move on. I’m glad to be a part of their journey, which is so rewarding for me,” said Tawana.

March 2025