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Ashley Byrd-White received the NACE/ Spelman Johnson Rising Star Award this year. The NACE/ Spelman Johnson Rising Star Award is given to “an individual who demonstrates strong leadership potential, and contributes to the career services profession and the NACE organization” according to the NACE website.
Ashley Byrd-White serves as the Assistant Director for Career Education in the University of South Carolina Career Center. She has been with the Career Center for 4 years initially serving as a Career Development Coach. Prior to her work in the Career Center, Ashley served the University of South Carolina students as a Leadership Coach in the Department of Student Life.
She began her professional career in residence life at the University at Buffalo. Ashley received both her Master of Education in Higher Education Administration and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University at Buffalo. She was a cohort member of 2015 SACSA New Professionals Institute and the 2019 NACE Management Leadership Institute. She presented on the Career Champion program at NACE in 2018 and NCDA in 2019. She also published an article “Creating a Culture of Collaboration with Career Champions” in the 2019 NACE Journal.
As an Assistant Director for Career Education, Ashley works on educational efforts for both students and faculty/staff. She has created, facilitated, and assessed the Career Champion program which educates and empowers campus faculty and staff on having career conversations with students. Since the start of the Career Champion program, nearly 250 faculty/staff have gone through Level I. Ashley has continued the growth of the program by adding in a Level II and a Level III training which covers additional career development topics. In addition, she is leading the efforts on the Carolina Career Ready program that covers the NACE Core Competencies for students. She also serves as a career coach for the UofSC alumni. In addition to her regular duties, Ashley serves on the First-Generation College Student Work Team, is the Career Center liaison EAB Navigate, and routinely supports campus partners in various office initiatives.
In her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time with her husband, Chad, her very busy toddler, Oliver, and her adopted dog Charlie. In addition, she loves to flex her creativity through crafting and baking.
How did you get into the Career Services profession?
My dad went to college for the first time when I was in middle school. He got hurt on the job as a mechanic, had no college degree, but needed to do something to provide for us. He enrolled in college through the GI Bill to become a teacher. I remember typing his handwritten papers for him since I typed faster. I remember going with him to the campus bookstore to pick up his textbooks. I remember doing my homework alongside my dad at our kitchen table. However, what I remember most was who my dad was before college and who he had transformed into upon graduation. Witnessing what higher education did for my dad, for our family, is something I always hold on to.
I was never a good student in school; academic work was very difficult, but I worked hard because I was determined to follow in my dad’s footsteps. I got accepted to my alma mater on a special program because even though my grades and SAT scores were not up to par, the university saw something in me. I really thrived in college because I had so many wonderful faculty and staff there to help me and I am forever grateful for them.
My senior year internship in the University at Buffalo Career Center solidified my passion for working on a college campus and helping students better their lives. Every day is an honor and privilege to help students find where they fit in the world and provide them with guidance and tools to get there. Every day is also an opportunity to think creatively and critically about the challenges facing higher education and be innovative as we move forward. I absolutely love what I do, and I believe wholeheartedly in the power higher education has to transform lives, like it did for my dad and myself.
What advice do you have for new professionals who aspire to get more involved in the profession?
Do not be afraid to try new things and talk to new people. Some of my most memorable and rewarding professional experiences have come by getting out of my comfort zone. It is important to take some time to learn your role, your campus, your organization but then do not be afraid to think outside the box and be creative. The field of Career Services and higher education is changing rapidly, and we must adapt which means new ideas and exciting possibilities! Embrace them!
You can connect with Ashley on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleybyrdwhite/
