MLAW
MLAW Team
Who We Are
Rudy Wilson
Founder & CEO
Founder and CEO Rudy Wilson has been an advocate for high academic performance from the very beginning. Having a mother and grandmother who served as standout educators in Central Florida for over 30 years each, Wilson naturally gravitated towards commitment and excellence in all areas of academia. Wilson’s father and former NFL player, Rufus Wilson, provided him with a unique outlook not only on sports but on self-discipline and structure. This tag team allowed Wilson to have the best of both worlds with a top-notch outlook on both academics and athletics. Wilson went on to graduate from high school as one of the top students in his class and earned a football scholarship to the University of Mississippi. While at Ole Miss, Wilson was a member of back-to-back Cotton Bowl championship teams. While Wilson had limitless collections of being an SEC student-athlete, his most notable accolades were receiving SEC Honor Roll awards for all four years of college. The unique experience of having to balance strict practice schedules, as well as a heavy course load required Wilson to enhance the skill set he already possessed earlier in life by being prepared, strategic and efficient with time management skills on a daily basis. He is now beyond proud and passionate to serve any type of students and learning in their academic endeavors.
Joe Miller
Educational Specialist
Joe Miller has over 10 years of experience working with student-athletes. He served as the assistant director of football academic services at Georgia Tech and previously worked at both NC State University and Grand Valley State University. Joe enjoys building relationships and trust with the students he works with. Joe currently lives in Atlanta and is originally from Michigan.
Lindsay Sundberg
Educational Specialist
Lindsay Sundberg is a native of Mansfield, Connecticut. She received a bachelor’s degree in Special Education from the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) and a master’s degree in Academic Advising at Kansas State University. She was a collegiate basketball player at USCA and was named to the conference all-academic team. She played in the most games in program history, was a team captain and a member of the only PeachBelt Conference Championship
Lindsay has worked in various student services roles in the athletic departments of Kansas State University, North Carolina State University, Stony Brook University and at Georgia Institute of Technology. Lindsay has worked with a wide variety of sports including, but not limited to; football, basketball, equestrian, track and field, volleyball, golf, baseball, wrestling, swimming and diving.
Dr. Deborah Johnson-Blake
Educational Specialist
Dr. Deborah "Dr. DJ" Johnson-Blake is the CEO of The Writing Pad, LLC, a writing, editing, and
consulting firm focusing on helping clients solve their writing and editing challenges. She provides
personal and professional development training and time management coaching.
She is a keynote speaker and a best-selling author. Dr. DJ is an award-winning assistant professor at Liberty University and holds other titles, including research chair and subject matter expert (SME) for servant leadership. She is a servant leader whose life's purpose is simply serving others.
Mia Marshall
Educational Specialist
Mia Marshall is a native of Lilburn, Georgia. She received a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from Appalachian State University and a master's degree in Sports Administration from Arkansas State University. She has also taken graduate coursework in special education. She played collegiate basketball at Appalachian State University where she was a 3 year starter and team captain.
Mia has worked at the intersection of sports and education her entire career. She is passionate about the holistic development of the student athlete. Mia has spent time in various roles in higher education from Tutor Coordinator at the University of Miami to Assistant Learning Specialist at the University of Maryland. Mia also served as a special education teacher and basketball coach in metro Atlanta before joining IMG Academy as a college counselor. Mia has worked with a multitude of sports throughout her career in numerous roles and currently has collegiate athletes competing in multiple sports across the country.
Dr. Denise D. Thames
Educational Specialist
Dr. Denise D. Thames, (ABD) is a native of Daytona Beach, FL. She has resided in the Metro Atlanta area for twenty years. Dr. Thames holds two Master's Degrees; one in teaching students with exceptional needs and the other in literacy and language. She has successfully completed all coursework for her Education Doctorate in Organizational Leadership (all but dissertation). She is the proud mother of twins and a grandmother to her only granddaughter Kaiden. Dr. Thames is a skilled and confident results-oriented professional with over 35 years of experience in operations management, staff development, and educating and supporting the academic success of youth and adult students. Since moving to the Atlanta area, she has intentionally focused on various youth and community literacy initiatives through her work in the public and private sectors. She proudly supports the programmatic endeavors of her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her life’s philosophy embodies the old Southern saying, “when life gives you lemons, make the BEST lemonade.”
Tia Tooles
Educational Specialist
Tia is an experienced finance & data specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the telecommunication & transportation industries. Receiving her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Mississippi and Masters in Business Administration from Clark Atlanta University (emphasis in finance), Tia’s skills include Financial Analysis, Budgeting, Forecasting, & Business Intelligence Analytics. She currently serves as the Senior Financial Analyst for the Department of Aviation for Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. In her role at MLAW, Tia will act as the liaison that supports all business courses, specifying in statistics & finance-based courses.
Kristen Hawkins
Educational Specialist
Kristen is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She received her Bachelors in Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Masters in Sports Administration from Eastern Kentucky University. Kristen has worked in athletics her entire career having stints at the University of Kentucky in the football department as the Assistant Director of On-Campus Recruiting, and with the Cincinnati Bengals as the Director of Community Engagement. Kristen has an undeniable passion for helping student-athletes, and firmly believes their four years in college prepares them for the next 40 years of their lives. Kristen is married to a football coach, Jeremy Hawkins. Together they have a two year old son, Aiden and a four year old daughter, Abigail.