Purpose, structure, momentum, and support. These are the four pillars of transformation, ingredients critical to the mission of Complete College America (CCA), the advocacy organization working to improve college graduation rates since 2009.
CCA’s roots began in the state of Indiana, but, by 2018, when Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva became its president, the organization began to spread its work more intentionally across the nation.
Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva
Watson Spiva brought a wealth of knowledge to CCA. Her previous roles included serving as president and CEO of the College Success Foundation in Seattle and Project GRAD Atlanta. She was a former faculty member and attendee of a historically Black college and university (HBCU) and served as a dean at Trinity Washington University, a predominantly Black and Hispanic-serving institution.
Dr. Dhanfu E. Elston, chief of staff and senior vice president for strategy at CCA, says Watson Spiva brings the values of these institutions to her work.
“As an HBCU graduate, I will never forget being in a space where it was clear [the institution] was not just a place to go and survive, it was a place for us to thrive, full of people and communities committed to helping you be successful,” says Elston. “Yolanda went to Spelman. I think the spirit and values of an HBCU education, as far as it being transformative, is something we believe in. No day is ever like work to me, it’s always about making significant movement for our country and our communities.”
Elston is currently the longest serving staff member at CCA, and he says that the organization’s increased focus on minority serving institutions (MSIs), marginalized populations, and first-generation, low-income, and rural community college students began under Watson Spiva’s leadership. These institutions are typically under-resourced and some of the last to access new, innovative technologies and data systems, which is all the more reason he says CCA chooses to partner with them.
“Prior to her joining CCA, we were doing amazing work, but we never had a strategic plan. So, Yolanda came in and talked about the theory of change and intended impact,” says Elston. “Internally and externally, she believes in a culture of completion. She was able to say, ‘CCA has done great work, and at the same time, students got left behind.’”
