For Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard, college represents one of the last places where the American dream can truly be manifested. Growing up in a low-income household on the South Side of Chicago, attending public schools and nearly flunking out of college, she has seen the value of persevering in education.
“I am now a college president and I don’t know any other place my story could have been possible if not for this country and the immense opportunities that a higher education has presented to me,” says Pollard.
When she entered Iowa State University to pursue political science and economics, Pollard did not perform at her greatest potential.
“I was really struggling in a lot of ways. I didn’t know how to ask for help, and I didn’t know how to navigate the system very effectively,” she recalls.
Fortunately, Pollard was surrounded by individuals who guided her in the right direction. “[I had] a professor who had substantive conversations with me — someone who saw my work and said, ‘How about you pursue this idea’ or ‘Here’s an opportunity that I’d like you to take advantage of’ and [that helped me to] really hone a skill set that I didn’t even know that I possessed,” she says.
Pollard received her undergraduate degree in English, with a minor in religious studies in 1993. While pursuing a master’s degree at Iowa, she completed an assistantship in the Women’s Center conducting educational programming. It was then Pollard found her calling in student services.
“I loved that interaction with students. I loved going into the residence halls and doing programs. I loved working with community groups to bring awareness to certain issues,” she says.
