Darris Means '05, associate director of the Elon Academy, received the Bobby E. Leach Award from the Southern Association for College Student Affairs, an honor that recognizes a student affairs or higher education professional who has significantly contributed to the development of multicultural relations on a college or university campus.
Since 2007 Means has worked with the Elon Academy, a college access and success program for academically promising students with a financial need and/or no family history of college. Means coordinates several Elon Academy programs, such as the summer mentor program, the LabCorp-Elon Academy internship partnership, the transition to college program, the college success programs, and the alumni programs. Means also travels to visit the Academy’s 39 college students on 18 campuses to provide academic and social support.
Means has shared his experiences and research with colleagues in more than 27 presentations at the local, state, and national levels. Additionally, he is heavily involved with the North Carolina College Personnel Association (NCCPA), served on the board as the Member-At-Large for Diversity and Social Justice for four years, and was recognized by the American College Personnel Association this past spring as the State/International Division Leader of the Year for his diversity and social justice work with NCCPA.
Means is currently a student at North Carolina State University pursuing his Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis with a concentration in Higher Education.
To learn more about the Elon Academy, visit www.elon.edu/elonacademy. To learn more about SACSA, visit www.sacsa.org.