Page 28 - Laker Connection Fall 2011

Education is a fundamental build- ing block to Dr. Paddy Sharma’s life. Growing up in a household of educa- tors in South India, education was taken seriously.
Sharma obtained three degrees while in India; a Bachelor of Education; a Master of Arts; and a Master of Edu- cation. She worked as a teacher in India for several years before moving to the United States to pursue a doctor- ate.
“As an avid supporter of quality ed- ucation, Clayton State means a lot to me in several ways. As a local educa- tional institution, Clayton State not only improves the community’s education levels, but bolsters the younger gener- ation’s creative thoughts, ideas and tal- ents in education, sports, arts, etc.,” she says.
Sharma and her husband, Chan- dler, live in Jonesboro, where she en- joys spending time with her family. She has four wonderful children and three grandchildren. She also is extremely active within the community. She holds several significant positions, including serving as a trustee on the board for the Clayton State University Founda- tion where she has been a member for four years.
Beyond serving on the Foundation, she also serves the board of directors of IACA (India America Cultural Asso- ciation) as chairman; a trustee of
By Erin Fender
Sanatan Mandir; chairman of the Fundraising Committee of The Hindu Temple of Atlanta; a member of the SA4U (South Asians for Unity); and has previously served on the Emory University Board of Visitors.
She has also served as the chair- man of the Psychology Department at Tennessee Temple University and vice president of Operations for Global Soft- ware Technology. She also held the position of president and CEO at Data Point Systems, Inc.
In 2009, Data Point Systems, a full service IT staffing firm that specializes in staff augmentation, software devel- opment and software training, was cho- sen as the recipient of the Georgia Minority Business Technology Industry Award. That same year Sharma also received the “Outstanding Georgia Cit- izen Award” presented by then Secre- tary of State Karen Handel.
Currently she is CEO of Global Teachers Research & Resources. Inc., a firm dedicated to providing highly qualified teachers in critical need areas across North America. Her care for ed- ucation extends to the students as well. She is founder of the FI HI (Finish High School) Hope Foundation, a recent project that provided to ninth grade stu- dents in Clayton County. All partici- pants are offered mentoring, tutoring, and a support system that encourages them to stay in high school and achieve
life potential goals.
“I am a firm believer that supporting
a local community will not only improve the community, it in turn helps in the improvement of the state and the coun- try itself. A powerful local community will increase the standard of life and also enhances the economy,” she says.
As an avid supporter at Clayton State, she was obviously very en- thused about the women’s basketball team’s recent national championship.
“I can never forget the evening when the Lakers won the champi- onship. I was in a sports bar with other trustees, staff members and students rooting for the Lakers and the final few moments of the game are something I cherish for life. As a community mem- ber, it was a great feeling to have won the national championship,” expresses Sharma.
Sharma strives to give back to the community and hopes she continues to inspire others to make education the foundation of their existence.
“The fact that I can contribute my eclectic ideas to the Foundation Board and implement them for the future gen- eration is one of the most significant factors that drives me to serve on the foundation,” she says.
26 THE LAKER CONNECTION
trustee profile
Paddy Sharma:
Supporting education and community