Tonyalea serves as the Child Welfare Scholar Coordinator at the LCWTA. She is a former DCFS employee of almost 20 years who worked in foster care, adoption and home development, spending her last 6 years as a program manager in home development/adoption and foster/adoptive parent liaison at the state office building in Baton Rouge. She currently teaches child welfare/social work courses and brings a Real World Ready approach to helping students prepare for a career in child welfare and social work overall.