Welcome by President Cheryl D. Lovell, Ph.D.
I tell students, “One day, you could be a college president, if that’s what you want.”
Most of the time, they nod politely. Sometimes they roll their eyes. Either way, I know what they’re thinking: “Sure, President Lovell. Whatever you say.”
So, I tell them my story.
I tell them about growing up in subsidized housing, in the projects of Atlanta. I tell them about my mother, who raised and supported four children on her own by working 12-hour shifts at a cotton mill. She had very little formal education, only making it to about the eighth grade, so it was her wish we go to college and expand our own opportunities.
I tell them how I struggled in school, not for lack of trying, but for lack of knowing what was expected of me. When I applied for college, did I know about financial aid? When I enrolled, did I know about prerequisites, majors, credits?
No, I did not. I was a first-generation college student. I knew little to nothing about the norms of navigating college life. But I attended a small regional university, not unlike Adams State, and the support I received from faculty, staff, and alumni helped me succeed. That support literally transformed my life.
By the time I finish telling my story to these students—their eyes have gone wide. It’s a story that sounds so familiar, so very similar to their own stories, but with an ending that maybe they haven’t yet imagined. This is what I love about Adams State. As students come to understand the world around them and their places in it, we set them on paths that sometimes they didn’t know would even exist for them. We take a lot of pride in helping students move through life and preparing them to achieve what they didn’t think they could achieve. It’s a mission that resonates with me on a personal level.
By the way, we’re very good at accomplishing that mission. We are recognized for the impact we have on students’ social mobility. An education from Adams State is an opportunity for students to get ahead economically. It changes the trajectory of their lives and their families’ lives for generations to come.
Most of the students I speak with have no interest in becoming a college president. Their dreams are different from mine. They come to Adams State with their own backgrounds and histories. I know that.
What matters are the meanings and possibilities of their lives change during their time on campus. That’s why I tell my story. I want their hopes, ambitions, and expectations to expand. I want them to rediscover themselves and act on their potential, because that’s what it means to say “Great Stories Begin Here.”
