Dr. Adrienne Grayson entered the field of higher education with a goal of helping students have a positive college experience.
Her interest in student affairs stemmed from being an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) tutor and holding several related jobs during her undergraduate years at the University of California, Irvine (UCI).
“I just wanted to continue to support students and help improve their college experience,” says Grayson, a recent doctoral graduate from San Diego State University (SDSU). “We talk about outcomes a lot. We talk about GPA, number of units, all of that. We also need to be looking at students’ college experiences. What are some meaningful, valuable experiences that they are going to take into the workforce?”
When students reflect on their college experience, Grayson wants them to remember their contributions and accomplishments rather than feeling as though they don’t belong or are just another number in the classroom.
She continued her work at UCI after graduating and eventually became director of the school’s Early Academic Outreach Program. The program aims to increase the number of low-income and first-generation students of color at UCI.
“It was very rewarding work,” says Grayson. “But I realized that no matter what I did, there was still a limited number of spaces at UCI. If I helped a hundred students to become competitively eligible, there would still only be a small percentage of those students who were actually admitted.”
After 14 years and feeling that she could make a “different impact on students entering higher education,” Grayson shifted to community college work. She became the director of Special Populations and Equity Programs at Chaffey College.
