W e welcome Anthony Graham as the newly appointed chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
A search committee sifted through 59 applications and winnowed the number to four. Three of those four showed up to meet the public at an event where the applicants could talk about themselves and answer questions. We can only imagine how hard it was for the UA System president and board to pick the next chancellor, so solid were the finalists’ credentials.
In the end, it may have been Graham’s failures that pushed him to the top. That may sound odd, but sometimes, many times, we learn more about others and ourselves when we are knocked to the ground than when the sailing is smooth. Do we stay knocked down or do we get up, dust ourselves off and try again? Such are the defining moments in a life.
For Graham, it was during his early years in college. He said he was determined to tough it out alone because that’s what a person does. No need to ask for help or direction. All the while, his grades were tanking, and then he found himself academically suspended.
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His “this isn’t working” moment pushed him to change gears. He reached out for help from someone who gave him the stern pushes he needed, and Graham responded to the positive. From there, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a master’s degree in education and a doctoral degree from University of North Carolina Greensboro.
His wake-up call was when he realized that no, he wasn’t alone on his journey.
“In many ways I put myself in a box, believing I had to do everything by myself,” he said. “As I was going through these struggles, I didn’t talk about it with my roommate, I didn’t talk about it with my professors. It was this belief that I have to figure this out on my own.” But he found a better way, one that worked for him.
College is difficult in one way or another for most if not every student. At UAPB, many students have the added pressure of being the first from their families to attend college. Does Graham’s experience put him in a unique position to empathize with all students and lift them up to places they didn’t know they were capable of reaching? It certainly doesn’t hurt.
Thank you to the search committee for its diligent work. Thank you to Dr. Andrea Stewart for holding down the fort as interim chancellor. And thank you to the UA System officials for their part in this. Dr. Graham appears to be a stellar pick for the top spot. We all look forward to meeting him and witnessing his impact on not only UAPB but the Pine Bluff community.