By Victoria Wright
Dr. Kristalyn Lee still remembers her undergrad experience. The freedom, meeting new people and participating in the campus community.
It’s also where she learned about her passion for interacting with students. But most importantly, she remembers the encouragement words and safety net of her parents to never give up on her studies.
Lee currently works at the University of Montevallo as Vice President of Administration. Even though the primary focus of her job is to recruit students, she has made it her personal mission to encourage students and provide them with resources to help them complete their college careers.
In her undergrad years, Lee learned she had a passion for helping students in a variety of ways. She was a student tour guide and participated in programs similar to our Minorities Achieving Dreams of Excellence program (M.A.D.E) here on Montevallo’s campus.
After completing her undergrad, Lee was offered a job similar to her current position at her alumna mater. However, she decided to pursue law school. This was the moment Lee learned to trust her gut feeling in life. She says on the first day she realized she had made a bad choice.
Lee finished law school despite the lack of enjoyment she found in it. However, there was still a missing puzzle piece in her life; She missed her interaction with students.
Lee even taught at Jeff State for a while but teaching still didn’t give her the interaction she was searching for.
“I told myself, ok let’s figure out how to get back to what makes me happy,” She said.
Now, working as Vice President of Administration, Lee can recruit students and have the outside of the classroom social development with students she enjoys.
To her, one of the most important part of her job is inspiring students to believe they can do anything they put their minds to.
“No matter what labels, or where you come from, or no matter what your circumstance,” Lee said, “I want students to use that as motivation to prove it to themselves they can do it.”
Lee admits a helpful part of her college career was having the safety net of her parents behind her when she made mistakes. However, she says, working in her current position, Lee has realized many UM students do not have that safety net.
On average about 56% of undergrad students are first-time college students in their families cited the Center for First-Generation Student Success. Lee says first-time students in particular are the students who can’t call home when they make a mistake or have a financial problem.
“I try to be the motivation or encouragement some students many not have,” she said, “The parental figure.”
Even though Lee works to impact students, they often leave a mark or an impact on her life. She discusses how some of the former students she has helped, tell her about their personal development after college.
“Just to know I played a small part in their development and ability to stand on their own,” Lee said, “I love that feeling.”
The largest impact that makes Lee happy is watching students she has helped over the years walk across the stage at commencement. Where all her hard work and encouraging words pay off.
“I cry at every commencement,” Lee said, “It’s a chance to see how my babies have evolved, and it reminds me of why I enjoy the work I do.”
Lee continues to strive to help and encourage students. She mentions she does it for her two daughters, and she hopes during their college experience someone will be the Ms. Krista in their lives. In the same way she strives to be for her students.
In Lee’s opinion, a large part of her own college success was because of her parents not allowing her to give up. She says this is why encouraging and building a foundation with students is important. A teacher, professor, a parent, or a friend, every student needs a Dr. Kristalyn Lee in their academic life.
