Charmaine Samaraweera Torma believes that the cycle of poverty can be stopped through education. Every child deserves access to quality learning experiences, both inside and outside the classroom. As a passionate public education ambassador, she is committed to cultivating partnerships that promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and access to quality education for all individuals. Charmaine wants to inspire individuals to invest in equitable education to make our community stronger.
Charmaine’s Educational Journey
Charmaine isn’t shy about sharing her educational experience. Her immigrant parents arrived from Sri Lanka to the United States in the early 70s. Her father worked crazy long hours as a medical doctor and her mother, who was not proficient in English, was a stay-at-home parent. Not understanding the educational system, Charmaine’s parents relied on others to guide them. They were encouraged to enroll Charmaine and her siblings to a private parochial school because the perception was that private schools provided a better education than the “under-resourced” public schools.
A Slow Start
Unfortunately, Charmaine didn’t thrive in the private school environment and she didn’t learn how to read until fourth grade. Charmaine didn’t have a learning disability nor was she uninterested in learning. The sad truth is that she didn’t have people at home who could work with her on reading. Remember, her mother wasn’t strong in speaking or reading in English, and her dad was working 10+ hour days at the hospital. There wasn’t anyone to read to Charmaine nor was there anyone to listen to Charmaine as she read.
Add to that, her parochial school wasn’t equipped to educate students who are above or below grade level. They only knew how to instruct the “average” student. Each year, Charmaine was promoted to the next grade level, even though she wasn’t able to read at the same level as her peers until fourth grade. At the start of her fourth grade year, Charmaine’s teacher, Miss Hoffman, made it her personal mission to teach Charmaine to read. Not only did Miss Hoffman teach Charmaine to read before the end of the first quarter, happily she also created a lover of books. Charmaine can’t imagine not reading for recreation and personal and professional growth.
Reading Unlocked Other Doors
Once Charmaine truly learned to read, she quickly caught up to her classmates. She graduated 8th grade as an honors student and was ready for her next educational challenge, high school. Even though her parents wanted her to continue education in private school, Charmaine begged to go to the public high school because she was tired of being the only person of color.
High School, the Next Chapter
In high school, Charmaine was placed in the honors program and she quickly discovered that her past education didn’t adequately prepare her for the intensity of the honors track. Luckily, she quickly made friends with individuals who modeled how to work smarter, not harder. It was so refreshing for Charmaine to go to a school where she could interact with a diverse student body being taught by a diverse group of teachers. For the first time, Charmaine truly thought she belonged. Unfortunately, that sense of belonging didn’t last long.
The mental strain was high and Charmaine found it difficult to focus on her education. Even though she was in the honors program, she did not excel, and in some classes she barely passed. Her grades began to increase when she developed friendships, but this didn’t happen until halfway through her junior year.
The College Search
During her college search, Charmaine learned about all-women’s institutions. Because her parents wanted her to stay nearby, Charmaine convinced her parents that attending a single-gender college would be a good investment. After visiting Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, everyone agreed that this was the right choice.
Shaping the Person Charmaine is Today
Charmaine’s undergraduate experience had its ups and downs. But, she knows that Saint Mary’s College truly helped to shape the person she is today. Because of its liberal arts curriculum, Charmaine:
- developed her critical thinking skills
- empowered her to find her unique voice, and
- inspired her to make a positive impact on her community
A Life-Changing Experience
During the summer between her junior and senior year of college, Charmaine interned at a small mentoring organization located across from the (then) Cabrini Green public housing in Chicago, Illinois. The original scope of her internship was to work with a high school student suffering from brain trauma. Due to the nature of the trauma, Charmaine could only work with him for about 2-3 hours a day. Since Charmaine was at the organization for 8 hours a day, she was able to assist the Executive Director. That summer, Charmaine learned the importance of giving back to the community and the crucial role philanthropy plays in the not-for-profit sector.
That summer internship changed the course of Charmaine’s life. Rather than becoming a school psychologist, she decided to work in the nonprofit sector. Since 1999, she has helped to secure millions of dollars for organizations of all sizes and operating budgets. Her passion has always been education and has worked with pre K through 12th grade, as well as higher educational institutions, in addition to educational nonprofits.
The Educator Emerges
In 2015, Charmaine decided to embark on an exciting adventure and founded a boutique consulting firm empowering not-for-profits to advance their mission through strategy and innovation. With her consulting firm, Charmaine could teach others how to raise the necessary funds to make a difference. She created workshops and guided individuals on how to be authentic ambassadors for their respective organizations.
Realizing that she is an educator at heart, in 2018 Charmaine earned her Master’s in Education. Equipped with this degree, her mission is to advocate for inclusion, diversity, equity, and access to quality education for all individuals, especially for underserved and underrepresented youth in her community.
Her Personal Life
No doubt about it, Charmaine is a true midwesterner. She loves experiencing all four seasons, even though the fall is by far her favorite. In 2010, her family, her husband, Mark, and their two kids, Matthew and Chiara, moved to Indiana so that she can work for her alma mater. And since moving to Indiana, the family have invested their time and energy in making their community stronger.
Even with their strong work ethic, Charmaine’s family enjoys spending time together by experiencing the performing arts, playing board games, and traveling. Since 2015, they have enjoyed Broadway shows, hiked the Garden of Gods, explored Yellowstone National Park, and tasted ButterBeer at Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter, to name a few.
As an introvert, Charmaine recharges through reading, cooking, and puzzles. Knowing the importance of embracing her health, she reluctantly stays “fit” by jogging.