Transition & Success Initiatives
When Hard Work is Heart Work
By: Teagan Welch, Assistant Director of Communications for Student Affairs
From a first-generation graduate to now leading first-generation students to success, Shayauna Newsom has a personal connection to the program they’ve piloted, and is now being acknowledged for it.
“It’s so beautiful to be recognized for hard work that is simultaneously heart work,” Newsom said. “It makes me so excited because this is a passion project for me … and for people to see what I see in [the program] is such a great feeling.”
Newsom, program director for transition and belonging for Transition & Success Initiatives, received a 2024 Vice Chancellor Student Affairs (VCSA) Award last spring. For them, it was a full circle moment.
“I met Dr. Bailey in my first week as an intern and I remember saying to him, ‘remember this face, because I will be back,” they recalled. “I felt an immediate connection to campus.”
And that’s exactly what happened. Newsom started as a Charlotte summer intern and knew the second after setting foot on campus they wanted to come back.
After the internship, Newsom quickly landed a job as assistant director for student transitions. From there, they were promoted to Program Director, with an opportunity to focus on what they were passionate about: initiatives for first-generation college students.
“The role was curated into something I really love,” they said. “Even when we are busy and we have a lot going on, I feel super grateful to be able to do the work because I know it’s meaningful.”
Newsom takes on many responsibilities. They coordinate Gold Rush events in the fall and spring semesters, plan and host monthly meetups for first-generation students and lead multiple programs centered around student success.
One of those programs is called the First-Generation Graduation Celebration. It’s a program Newsom piloted and has since taken off.
[It’s] something I look forward to every semester. I brought the idea to my supervisor and he agreed I could run the program and see how it goes,” they said. “That’s one of the things I love about my job. I have a lot of autonomy and ability to flex my creative muscles because of the support from leadership.”
Newsom describes the First-Gen Grad Celebration event as a simple event with a big impact.
“The energy in the room is filled with so much love and pride,” they said. “As a first-generation college student myself, getting to watch students celebrate that accomplishment with their loved ones is super special. It’s an accomplishment for the students, but also for their families.”
The impact of the event is clear even from an assessment standpoint. Approximately 98 percent of attendees at last year’s grad celebration said they would recommend the event to another student.
“I hope even after I’m gone, [the program] continues,” Newsom said. “It’s a real gift to be seen … and to be seen out loud is very humbling. ”