Why I Work in Higher Ed: Kayla Patterson, Events & Comms

The “Why I Work in Higher Ed” series features people working in higher education to get an inside perspective of what they do and what inspires them.

Kayla Patterson started as an academic coach and is currently the events and communications coordinator in the Columbus Promise program at Columbus State Community College. She received a bachelor’s degree in adolescent young adult education–integrated language arts from Bowling Green State University in 2015 and a master’s degree in student affairs in higher education administration (SAHE) from Wright State University in 2022. Prior to pursuing her master’s degree, she was a high school English teacher for 7 years.

Can you give an overview of your career path that has led you to where you are today?

I got my undergrad degree in education and taught English as a high school teacher for seven years. Then in 2020, I started the master’s program at Wright State in their student affairs program. During the fall of 2021, I began thinking about whether I wanted to teach another year and start looking for jobs once I finished my program at Wright State or start applying for jobs even though I didn’t have my Master’s in higher education yet.

So I went with the second route. I looked at what was available, and I found out about the Columbus Promise program, where I work now, at a conference that Wright State paid for me to attend since I was part of the graduate association for the student affairs majors.

What initially sparked your interest in pursuing a career in higher education?

I was really involved in undergrad, like in every position – orientation, admissions, athletics, and res life. In between my junior and senior years in college, I talked to someone in career services, and I was like, I really don’t know what to do at this point. I think I’d be an amazing teacher, but I also like working with students on college campuses. And the person in career services said, “Well the good thing is I think you’d be great at both. There’s no rush, you don’t have to decide now.” At that time, some of my friends were shifting into grad school in student affairs.

I didn’t want to give up on teaching, which is something I have wanted to do since third grade. I really liked teaching English at the high school level. But I realized a few years in, I wanted more, and, in my perspective, there didn’t seem like a lot of opportunities for mobility. I didn’t want to be an administrator. I didn’t want to do curriculum. I looked into Wright State’s literacy degree and one of my teacher friends said, “Think about what you want this degree to do for you. A literacy degree, you could do that now by just getting an endorsement. If you want to get out of K12, you’re going to need something else.” I really enjoyed student affairs and I did my research on what programs were available. So really it just started in college, and then I came back to it later.

How would you describe the main responsibilities and challenges you face in your current role?

When I started with Columbus Promise, I was an academic coach and now I’m the events and communications coordinator. We’re a new program, going into our second year, but we didn’t have anyone to manage events. I asked my manager last year if there was anything else I could do because I wanted more responsibilities.  I started helping with scheduling events for Columbus Promise students, and in May of this year, I became the events coordinator. We have various events throughout the year. We have a kickoff event every semester and an event during finals week to give students survival kits. We do a midterms event where we bring in therapy dogs and relaxing music. We’re really trying to create events and opportunities for students to be engaged and have a sense of community.

My communications role is sending out information regarding their scholarship, financial aid deadlines, or if there are details about upcoming opportunities, like additional scholarships or programs, and upcoming general events. I am also the point of contact for the Columbus Promise students in Basic ESL classes. Students in Basic ESL are part of the Columbus Promise program, but they are in a different situation – they’re taking classes through the non-credit institute first before taking classes for college credit.  Their classes operate on a slightly different academic calendar. I handle these students’ registrations and getting their books.

As far as challenges, for events, it’s getting students to come. I went to a 4-year institution and lived on campus for two of those years, so it was very easy to walk across campus for an event. At a community college, that isn’t the case. For the basic English population, trying to manage their registration and textbooks. We’re trying to change it so that they’re put on a sponsorship where they receive a voucher and they can take more initiative. Right now, I order their books and the professor gives the books to them on their first day in class. It’s a lot of organizing. Last year, we had 15 students and now we have about 37 students.

What are the most satisfying and fulfilling aspects of your job?

Columbus State is a community college, so it’s open access. The Columbus Promise program is similar – students just need to graduate from Columbus City high schools, complete their FAFSA if they’re eligible, and have been accepted to Columbus State. There are very few barriers – no citizenship or GPA requirement – which is really cool because there’s a good portion of students who either didn’t think they could go to college because they couldn’t afford it, or they didn’t think their grades were good enough. We take care of tuition for six semesters and provide academic support. They’re here and they’re trying, and seeing them take advantage of this opportunity is fulfilling. We take care of tuition for six semesters.

Some of the basic ESL students know me well. I’m taking a Spanish language class now and many of the students in the Columbus Promise program taking Basic ESL classes are Spanish speakers. I tell them that I used to be an English teacher, so I can help them with that, and the students are like, “Oh we can help each other – try to say something in Spanish!” It’s fun being able to interact with the students.

Is there any advice you received early in your career that has stuck with you and influenced your approach to work?

In one of the internships that I had, my supervisor asked me if there were any offices or departments that I wanted to get involved with. She said, “Pick four and I’ll get you contacts so you can connect and talk to them.” She really wanted me to have an idea of what different offices and departments did. I spoke with a director in admissions, telling her I was thinking long-term about looking for a job after graduating from Wright State’s program.

I worked full-time during my master’s program, and I was worried that I didn’t have an assistantship and didn’t have the experience my classmates did. I was worried there’d be questions about my experience not being up to par with other people. She was like, “I can train you how to use our system and on admissions speak, but there are certain things I can’t train, like being comfortable working with students or being comfortable presenting in front of a classroom.” That was helpful and gave me some insight. Even if I don’t think I’m qualified, I have other relevant skills and experiences that could still very much help me get that job.

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About the Author: Marcia Silva is the director of marketing and communications at the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium. She strives to create engaging, research-informed content that empowers job seekers and employers committed to creating inclusive workplaces. She is passionate about using digital media and technology to encourage participation and strengthen communities.