Shawnte Wilson, MSW is a Buffalo native and graduate of the University of Buffalo’s School of Social Work. She initially began her post graduate career in health care, where she became passionate about the wellbeing and development of direct care staff. In this setting she noticed that the average employee was of college age and in a very critical decision-making period of their life. Ms. Wilson professionally entered higher education 11 years ago as a recruiter for her former graduate program. She has since occupied a variety of student success leadership roles. Most of these roles challenged her to identify success barriers of specified student groups and develop the needed supports and services to increase retention and graduation. Ms. Wilson currently serves in the capacity as the Director of Student Success and Retention Initiatives at SUNY Buffalo State University.
In this role, Ms. Wilson leads a team of professional staff known as success navigators. These professionals act as personal success advocates for first year students. As the Director, Ms. Wilson is charged with making data informed decisions that further develop wrap around supports and services aimed at improving the overall retention of first year students.
Ms. Wilson believes that individualized holistic support services can make all the difference in a student’s life. She has watched educational attainment change the generational trajectory of many of her current and former students. Additionally, she insists that higher education is the key to a future filled with new possibilities. Furthermore, she believes that identity-based support programs are more than accolades for a college, but when executed properly such programs help students to build community, sense of belonging, and a lifelong support network.
Her past work in health care allowed her to greater understand the importance of timely response, systems development, and quality oversight of programming. As a result, she has taken this insight into her higher education career and often can be seen infusing systemic health care approaches with that of educational holistic support development.
Ms. Wilson has recently resumed her education as a Doctoral Student focused on educational policy and leadership.
Ms. Wilson hopes that inspired graduates, shaping the current workforce, will ultimately be the footprint of her life’s work.