Tonya Simone Ingram
MFA Public Practice Candidate Class of 2015, Otis College of Art and Design
BA Social Justice Education Through Performance Poetry, NYU
Tonya Simone Ingram graduated New York University with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Justice Education Through Performance Poetry. She has been fortunate to perform at the New Amsterdam Theater on Broadway, the Cutler Majestic Theater in Boston, MA, the Apollo Theater, San Francisco Opera House, and Harvey Theater at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She is the recipient of the 2009-2010 President’s Service Award, the Lorraine Hansberry Arts, Performance, and Media Award, the 2010 New York Cares Volunteer Extraordinaire Award and the BBVA Leader of Tomorrow Award. She is also the 2011 recipient of the Cora Craig Author Award for Young Women and is working on her first book of poetry. She has represented NYU at the 2010, 2011 and 2013 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational, representing as the NYU Grand Slam Champ 2010 and 2013, where the team placed first. In addition she has represented herself at the New York Knicks Poetry Slam during 2010 and 2011. In 2011, she placed 1st winning a $10,000 scholarship and is also a member of the 2011 Urban Word -NYC poetry slam team that placed 2nd in the nation at the Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam Festival in San Francisco, CA. She is a Penmanship Books intern and has volunteered with NY Cares. She is currently working on her first book and after spending four months in Ghana, she is ready to continue to travel the world, believing that, "every breath is a second chance".