Since becoming the sixth President of 91制片厂 in July 2019, Dr. Avis Proctor has faced unprecedented challenges. A global pandemic, uprooting the lives and operations of our learning community. Social and political unrest, calling to action the role of community college in educating and supporting our community. A change of scenery, having moved her family from sunny Florida to the blustery Midwest 鈥� while adapting to the hurdles of starting a new role. But through it all, her 25-plus years of experience as a leader in higher education and mathematics educator have positioned her to rise to the challenges and lead us with confidence, heart and data. As an introduction, we asked Dr. Proctor 10 questions about her life and experiences.
A perfect day starts with a bike ride and half of my day鈥檚 water intake, followed by something warm like tea or coffee. From there, I鈥檓 catching up on some reading before starting my work day. At the end of the day, because it鈥檚 a perfect day, dinner has been planned and prepared and my family gets to sit down and enjoy it together for a moment of levity and peace. I would cap it off by lighting a candle and watching my favorite news programs.
My grandmother always demonstrated her love for family, valued education and pushed me to be my best self.
My mother stressed the importance of education. She often said, 鈥淕et as much education as you can get because no one can take that from you.鈥�
I love all types of music! Growing up, I was always surrounded by Christian and gospel music which was very formative for me. I learned how to play piano at a young age which developed my love for classical music and led me down a path of learning how to play the violin and clarinet. I鈥檓 also very fond of R&B music.
Singing. And biking uphill!
The perseverance of the human spirit. I would love to look at traumatic and challenging times in history and shine a light on how, even in the worst circumstances, the best of humanity always overcomes the bad; light always overcomes the dark. The times we鈥檙e living in have really brought this idea of perseverance to mind, and I find comfort in the continued push of humans to shape brighter futures for us, for our children and for generations to come.
That I鈥檓 not approachable.
I鈥檓 hopeful that we鈥檒l get on the other side of this pandemic more resilient than ever before. We鈥檝e learned a lot and I鈥檓 confident we鈥檒l emerge renewed and with a new sense of readiness to innovate and inspire.
The people. Everyone is so invested in our community鈥檚 success. From day one on the job, I鈥檝e been impressed by our shared love of learning, desire to grow and eagerness to help others reach their goals. It鈥檚 this pursuit of excellence that sets us apart.