The job is what Dr. Rashanda Booker described as “a dream come true,” the chance to come to Fresno State, a university that “already champions diversity” – one that she said is ready at all levels to move forward with a culture of equity and inclusion.
Dr. Rashanda Booker wasn’t necessarily looking for a new career opportunity, especially one that would take her so far from her Southern roots. For Booker, a native of Oxford, Mississippi who was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, California is a long way from “grits and sweet tea,” she said. “I wanted to stay in the Southeast. I wasn’t interested in going so far away.”
But the search firm tasked with finding Fresno State’s inaugural university diversity officer was relentless, Booker said, not to mention passionate about the new role and why they believed she was a once-in-a-lifetime fit. Soon, Booker realized it herself, embracing the opportunity to leave everything she knows for what she described as “a dream come true,” the chance to come to Fresno State, a university that “already champions diversity” – one that she said is ready at all levels to move forward with a culture of equity and inclusion.
“I immediately got excited about the work being done at Fresno State,” Booker said. “I believe my varied experiences have primed me for this position.”
Booker’s first day in her new role is Jan. 3.
Visit FresnoStateNews.com to read more.
|
