Deeply grounded in and appreciative of the identities she holds, one employee passionately shares her gift with others through her role at Elon University.
Artwork fills the doorway and walls of Simone Royal’s office, from paintings of Black youth proudly naming their future professions to pieces she brought back from Tanzania while working at Elon. Funko Pops of her favorite music artists line one bookshelf. Underneath, Royal displays a black belt with photos from her childhood. On the wall are dozens of photos of students and colleagues.
Royal’s office is warm and welcoming and offers a window into her past, present and future. Her space honors the values she carries and the people and milestones that have shaped her journey.
Royal serves as Elon’s associate director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity, & Diversity Education, where she brings faculty, staff and students of all backgrounds together through workshop facilitation and mentorship.
After graduating from Elon in 2017 with a psychology degree, Royal taught fourth and fifth grade at a charter school in Washington, D.C., where she discovered her favorite part of teaching was building trust with students and their families and supporting their academic, social and emotional growth. In 2021, she returned to Alamance County and reconnected with Elon staff she had worked with as a student.
As an undergraduate, Royal worked four years with the dean of students and three years with CREDE, sung in the Elon Gospel Choir and served as an executive intern in admissions. She proudly displays her Elon graduation cap framed in her office next to one she wore from her master’s graduation at George Washington University.
These experiences, along with others in childhood, shaped Royal’s understanding of self and built her confidence. At age nine, she became the youngest person in North Carolina to earn a black belt in karate and later won national championships in sparring. Royal’s mother enrolled her in the sport when she was only four years old and it proved to be an outlet for her to develop and grow when her mother tragically passed when Royal was only five.
Royal’s formative years instilled in her a dynamic understanding of relationships, families and identity, all of which she leverages in her work today.
Royal offers members of Elon’s community workshops, mentorships and events that help others grow their self-confidence and understand their values. She offers a variety of workshops to help students, faculty and staff identify and understand the core and unique identities each participant holds.
“Participants are offered an hour in their day to think about who they are and how they show up in spaces,” she said. “These moments are hard to come by and are so rewarding.”
Royal is also a passionate mentor and a champion of student success, as evidenced by her collection of photos in her office.
One student she is currently working with is Madison McCrainey ’26, a cinema and television arts major.
“Throughout every interaction, Simone has been someone who has encouraged me to be more involved within the Black community and pushed for me to become more confident,” McCrainey said.
Royal said that many of her connections with students have extended past their graduation. “I love continuing relationships with students from undergrad to postgrad. I think it shows how strong the relationships are and how mentorship can be carried over through the years.”
Blake Mobley ’27, a sports management major, is appreciative that Royal is someone he can confide in and who can keep him grounded. Royal is someone he could look up to as a professor in the 1010 class, an Elon alumna and a former member of Greek life.
“Simone has helped and guided me and was one of the first people to really listen to how I was feeling and what I had to say,” he said. “She will never truly know the positive impact that she has had on my college experience and on my life.”
Royal says that people are more similar than different and that it is her mission to open the door for everyone to feel comfortable sharing their heritage, culture and personal self.
“We all are here to help each other in some way or format,” she said. “I want to contribute to making the world a greater place to live in.”
Black History Month
As part of Black History Month, Elon University is sharing stories through Today at Elon that highlight Black students, faculty and staff who actively contribute to a campus environment where cultural histories and identities are celebrated year-round. In February, Elon is also recognizing the month through a series of events and programming.