Shenandoah’s Profound Influence
First-Gen Alumni Shares How Her Shenandoah Experience Transformed Her
LaVonda Taylor ’13, credits Shenandoah University with providing the support she needed to push past challenges and build a career dedicated to empowering the next generation of students.
Taylor, who is an entry point adjunct professor and an employer relations specialist in student affairs for University of Arizona Global Campus, transferred to Shenandoah after earning an associate’s degree at Lord Fairfax (now Laurel Ridge) Community College. At the time, she was the sole provider for her two young daughters.
She maintained a delicate balance between her and her daughters’ schedules, and as she juggled both, she learned resilience and effective time management. “I seized every moment, studying during their soccer and basketball practices or attending classes while they were in school. My children not only depended on me but also found inspiration in my determination, pushing me to excel,” she said. “I fondly remember countless nights when the three of us sat at the kitchen table, each immersed in our homework. The support I received from both my family and Shenandoah’s community was invaluable, teaching me the importance of perseverance. As a first-generation student, I was determined to prove that success was achievable.” Her eldest daughter graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2022, and her youngest is a high school sophomore.
Shenandoah’s impact on my family is profound, reinforcing the immense value of education in our lives.”
– LaVonda Taylor ’13
She said her experiences in her majors – sociology and mass communications – transformed her. While at Shenandoah she also had a work-study job in the university’s Office of Marketing & Communications, and traveled abroad for the first time through the Global Citizenship Project.
After Shenandoah, she returned to Lord Fairfax/Laurel Ridge, working as an adviser and transition specialist over the course of seven years. During that time, she also earned her master’s degree in corporate and organizational communications from West Virginia University in 2019, which she said deepened her expertise.
Now, in her role at the University of Arizona Global Campus, she uses her Shenandoah education daily, guiding students and offering them the same support that she said she once received. She’s still an active part of the Shenandoah community, as well. “I stay connected to Shenandoah as a part of the Black Alumni Network, alongside my amazing wife who is also an SU graduate,” she said.
My Shenandoah experience resonates through my family and community, underscoring the impact of higher education and the opportunities it brings.”
– LaVonda Taylor ’13
