Ambah Kioko, Ed.D., a school psychologist originally from Trinidad and Tobago, is set to graduate from Georgia Southern University’s Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies program in fall 2025. Her work focuses on reducing the stigma associated with children’s mental health issues in Caribbean communities.
Kioko credits her experience at Georgia Southern for encouraging innovative thinking. “I love Georgia Southern because the University makes you think outside the box,” she said. “Professors challenge students to face the question, ‘Whose knowledge is it?,’ which refers to the ownership and distribution of knowledge.”
Reflecting on her background, Kioko noted that mental health carries significant stigma among Caribbean families. This observation led her to explore how cultural practices like storytelling have historically been used to bring about change in the region. “It made me look into Caribbean history and how change has historically come about there,” she said. “Growing up in the Caribbean, everyone knew about folklore and storytelling. But, I didn’t realize the extent to which communities had utilized storytelling as a method of driving change,” Kioko explained. “When enslaved Africans came to the Caribbean, they were able to send messages and drive change through storytelling, which provided hope for a better future.”
Her dissertation introduces a methodology based on these historic and cultural methods of information sharing. By analyzing data through traditional storytelling techniques, Kioko aims to offer new ways for researchers to address mental health stigma in the Caribbean.
“I want to help others think outside the box. How can we reach that next level of understanding through traditional storytelling? The future of research is limitless,” she said.
With support from faculty at Georgia Southern, Kioko hopes to publish her methodology so other scholars can use it as well. She sees this as an opportunity to contribute toward improving mental health systems for children in Caribbean communities.
Kioko emphasized that earning her Ed.D. has opened new possibilities for her career as both an educator and researcher. She praised Georgia Southern’s flexible program structure for allowing her to balance full-time work with doctoral studies: “I ultimately chose Georgia Southern because the program was able to work with my schedule,” she said. “They had classes when I was off in the summertime during one weekend a month, so I was able to keep working full-time while pursuing my Ed.D.”
She also highlighted how the hybrid model—combining online and in-person learning—was particularly suited for working professionals: “I tell some of my psychologists that, if they’re looking for a good, helpful program, they should consider going to Georgia Southern,” Kioko said. “I wanted to be able to have my experience be both online and in-person, and the program allows a good combination of both.”
After several years of study and dedication, Kioko will officially graduate this December from Georgia Southern’s Doctor of Education program.
