Jocelyn Bunster

Jocelyn Bunster

Jocelyn Bunster is a first-year Master’s of Special Education candidate at Vanderbilt University, specializing in High Incidence. Her primary research interests include exploring the role of play in developing problem-solving, critical thinking, and leadership skills in secondary mathematics classrooms and examining how mathematics can help strengthen these skills in students with disabilities.

She works as a Research Assistant for the Barnes Research Lab, supporting the First Grade Working Memory project. Jocelyn assists in implementing a tutoring program designed to support first-grade students in developing arithmetic and word-problem skills, while incorporating working memory training.

Jocelyn earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from SUNY Geneseo and holds New York State Initial Teaching Certification in Mathematics (Grades 7-12). After completing her Bachelor’s, Jocelyn spent 10 months teaching English as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in the Czech Republic. Her experience teaching both mathematics and English has shaped her interest in the intersection of language and mathematical learning. Jocelyn’s long-term goal is to become a math teacher who supports students with diverse learning needs while reshaping how they see mathematics.