Finding a path to student affairs is an interesting one, according to Glen Edward — something attested by himself and anyone who works in student affairs. Edward, like so many others, had an interesting start to higher education — one that has continued to impact his career.
For Edward, inclusion on campus is personal, which is why he strives to do his best to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment here at Pitt. When he started his first year of college, he was at the University of Arkansas, which he ended up transferring from as he struggled to find people he could connect with and, as a queer Black man, struggled to find people who looked like him. As one can imagine, this was a hard experience for him and led him to transfer to Arkansas Tech University (ATU).
When Edward got to ATU for undergrad, he saw how his small institution had individuals who were fitting into this environment and were working to have a normal campus experience. Edward’s had a supervisor and mentor, he looked up to at ATU, Jenny Butler and Kara Smith, and reached out for advice on how to pursue a career in Higher education and student affairs.
They told him the steps he needed to take, and ever since that conversation in 2014, he knew he found his mission. However, Edward’s major in college was Theater Communications, and many people outside of ATU told him he was not suited for a career in Higher education.
“I figured if I leaned into my strengths and skills that I have gained in from ATU and from my lived experience such as–creative thinking, event planning, and problem solving– I could carve out a unique path into student affairs. ,” Edward explained. “At the time, I was told that approach wouldn’t work, that I wasn’t ‘education-focused’ enough. but I’m proud to say that I proved them wrong.”
Edward’s passion for students comes from a deep sense of genuine care. He talks admirably about his work and how he does it all for our students. Edward also knows what it’s like to not have a place on campus or feel included.
“It’s really important for me to do this work because I didn’t have this experience at the university of Arkansas, but when I transferred to Arkansas Tech, I finally found a community through Spectrum. That space gave me the affirmation I had been searching for. ” Edward explained. “Even then, it was an uphill battle. We weren’t given the opportunity to host drag events like drag brunches or shows, and we tried we were met with a lot of push back. At one point, lawmakers even proposed defunding the university’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion to Support these efforts. That kind of resistance made everything feel uncertain–like visibility always came at a coat.” ”
After graduating from Arkansas Tech University, Edward went on to teach at two high schools in California, one of them being West Hollywood High School. These were great experiences for him and helped solidify his decision to go into higher education.
Now, in his current role, Edward emphasizes, “I’m going to make sure that no one experiences what I experienced and that has always been my mission. And as time has gone by that has never changed.”
Edward is a staff member in the Office of New Student Programs as the Program Coordinator. He’s in charge of planning social events for Welcome Week, where they put on about 80 programs each year. Welcome Week is filled with social programming events, focused on first-year students and helping them to feel acclimated and make connections during their first week on campus.
Edward also manages New Student Ambassadors, who are undergraduate student leaders in the New Student Programs office and support push new students in making Pitt feel like home. They interact with first year students with the goal of helping them feel welcomed and aid them in any challenges they may be having.
Glen came to Pitt 4 ½ years ago as a graduate student pursuing his masters in higher education. He started off as a graduate student assistant in the Career Center and then worked full-time after earning his masters becoming the Experiential Learning Consultant. Then, Edward moved to New Student Programs, the place he believes he was always meant to be because of his love for programming. Even when he worked at the Career Center, he was putting on events for queer and Black populations when he saw the disparity in these students’ use of the Career Center.
As Edward continues to work with more students, including New Student Ambassadors, graduate assistants, Dietrich Arts and Sciences students and masters students in the Higher Education program, he continues to enjoy connecting with them and making an impact. When working with New Student Ambassadors, the dichotomy of needing to get serious and knowing when they can have fun with each other is something he appreciates. They understand there is a time and place when they can relax and have fun with one another and when they need to act professionally.
He bases this off of the connections he made as a graduate student with his supervisor and his relationship with his advisor when he was a student leader at ATU. Edward wants to be that person for his students, as these experiences have stayed with him, and he wants to keep replicating as he progresses in his career.
“I feel like that’s embedded in my own pedagogy of practice,” Edward said.
Edward finds it explicitly important to have a relationship with students. He works to be that person for his students to come to with any issues or concerns. He works his best to make sure he is doing what is best for his student workers and all Pitt students.
“Being able to have that connection, have that working connection, with my student leaders and graduate students is really important to me,” Edward said. “If my students were here, I think they would mention that being able to be as real as possible with them is something that I really cherish the most.”
Edward’s graduate students he works closely with reiterate his thoughts in how he connects with students. His graduate assistants help him to plan and run Welcome Week, manage New Student Ambassadors, and learn the ropes of Student Affairs with him.
Matt Whaley, his graduate assistant last year, said, “[Edward]’s very supportive of his undergraduate students that he has that are student leaders on campus, always helping them look for other opportunities whether it’s to grow in their current role or to look for other opportunities and encouraging them to take up other leadership positions.”
Edward understands the importance and impact of creating welcoming, inclusive environments on campus. Unfortunately, a lot of college campuses have become predominantly white — Pitt included.
“For any student of color or any queer student attending a college or university, it can be incredibly difficult to find people who look like them or share similar lived experiences.,” Edward said.
Edward works extremely hard to ensure students have events they can go to, enjoy, and find community at. He understands the necessity for students to feel at home, find community, and feel welcomed at the institution they attend.
“It’s not about doing it for the broader community, it’s for the students who are walking through our campus and our doors. Whether it’s five, ten, twenty, or a hundred students showing up and enjoying themselves, that experience is for them. ,” Edward explains.
Edward works to make sure spaces and communities exist on campus for all students. He wants to ensure all students have a place to call home and understands the meaning, impact and importance of his work. Not only does his own experience drive him, but seeing Pitt students find their place and give him positive feedback is what he strives to accomplish.
His current graduate assistant, Angel Sarmiento said, “A lot of people look at it a ‘it’s just my job, it’s just my career,’ but you can tell he really cares for the work he does, and it’s very meaningful to him, and his work with students is very meaningful, which stands out in comparison to other people.”
Edward’s is passionate about student affairs and is currently working on receiving his PhD in higher education. His research is focusing on the intersectionality of higher education and political science, explicitly focusing on how we can provide resources for equity-seeking students.
Edward says it’s important for him to do this work because it’s necessary for the students and the Pitt community. It’s his goal to make sure students feel seen and heard and have spaces where they can go. As the educational landscape changes, it becomes harder for people to understand how to take care of one another, but most importantly Edward points out, our students.
“I’ve made it my mission to endure every student feels heard, seen, and valued–because I know what it’s like not to have that,” Edward said. “That’s always been the passion–the driving force behind every step I’ve taken in this career. It’s what continues to push me forward in higher education: the belief that I can help create the kind of experience I never had..”