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President's Blog: From the Heart

Walking the Walk

By Eric F. Spina

As I listened to our colleague Daria Graham defend her 193-page doctoral dissertation this spring, I couldn’t help but sneak a peek every few minutes at her mother, who beamed with pride and love. I felt a wave of emotion, too, a sense of institutional pride as one of our own demonstrated her scholarly excellence and showed what is possible with single-minded focus and determination.

As Daria spoke about the experiences of African-American women who work in student affairs on college campuses around the country, I reflected on her journey at the University of Dayton, where she worked her way from making housing assignments to leading student leadership programs to now serving as associate dean of students and executive director for the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Her story is one of faith and perseverance, courage and wherewithal. On our campus, she is the quintessential lay Marianist leader who leads with faith in our mission and the courage to navigate difficult conversations, including those that might make us uncomfortable but are focused on making us better. Some might call that speaking truth to power. I call it refreshing candor and believe it reflects a deep love for our Catholic and Marianist University.

I know few who feel more deeply about the values of this place. I *know* she represents the best of who we want to be — a more diverse, inclusive campus community where persons who have historically been underrepresented or marginalized will feel a sense of belonging.

To me, it’s seems patently obvious that Daria would eventually find her vocation at UD. After all, she grew up in a house on Harriett Street with a backyard that connected to the University of Dayton Arena parking lot. She remembers waking up on Saturday morning to the sound of the band playing at Welcome Field. Her mother worked for 40 years at nearby NCR, where, as a child, Daria swam in the pool at Old River Park. Although she was offered scholarships to Case Western University and Kent State, she attended UD only because her father insisted.

As a child, though, she felt like “an observer.” Today, after earning three degrees from UD, she rightfully says she’s “no longer a spectator, but one who belongs in this community.” For nearly 20 years, she has made a real difference in the lives of our students and her colleagues. That’s one reason why she was recently selected as one of 15 Women of UD: Trailblazers.

A proponent of experiential learning, Daria oversaw the creation of the co-curricular transcript that provides graduates with an official record of their learning experiences outside the classroom. Two years ago, after being selected as a UD participant in the Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Leadership Training Institute at Bryn Mawr and studying the Marianist tradition and spirituality as a Chaminade Scholar, she established a women’s leadership immersion for 40 undergraduate women. Earlier this month, she traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a group of students to a national conference, where they examined issues of privilege beyond skin color and learned ways to advance social justice.

 A daughter of a pastor, the wife of a minister, and the mother of two young children (reminder: she just earned her Ph.D.), she is a woman of deeply held faith who lives it every day on our campus. I believe that she defines what it means to work patiently yet persistently for the common good.

But as a champion for diversity and inclusion, she knows we have a long way to go. “Celebrating differences is safe and secure,” she says. “We can become so distracted by the celebration that we forget the work — and the work is the change.”

True words. Thank you, Daria, for leading us by example, and congratulations from your University on earning your Ph.D.

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