Mitchell returns to Gadsden State Community College as new dean of student services

Gadsden State Community College has a familiar face in a new leadership role at the college.

Dr. Janekia Mitchell has returned to the college as the new dean of student services. She provides leadership, strategic planning and executive oversight of student enrollment, retention and success for credit and non-credit programs and "looks forward" to the influence and leadership she can help provide to GSCC, according to a news release from the college.

“As the dean, I want to be the bridge for our students through the services we offer. I want to be impactful by forming a bridge from high school to the community college. At Gadsden State, we are giving them the skills they need to be productive members of society," she said.

Mitchell cites the year 2000 as when her desire to support the education of the area’s youth was solidified. At that time, she was working as a coordinator at Thirteenth Place, a facility that provided shelter to disadvantaged and at-risk youth.

“I discovered that I had a love for helping students create a different path,” she said. “I want to help them see success beyond their circumstances. I always want to help our youth overcome adversity, and I want to encourage them to press forward in pursuit of a better life.”

Mitchell was hired at Gadsden State two years later as an outreach advisor for Upward Bound, a federal TRIO program that provides fundamental support to high school students in their preparation for college entrance.

In 2007, she was named the outreach advisor for Title III at Gadsden State’s Valley Street Campus, the area’s only campus to have the Historically Black Colleges or Universities designation.

“I am proud of my time at our HBCU campus, not only because of the education and services they provide to students but also because I was a legacy on that campus,” she said. “My grandmother, Claudia King, taught cosmetology on the campus in the 1960s when it was Gadsden Vocational Trade School.”

A year later, Mitchell moved to the counseling and advising area of Student Services as an academic advisor. In 2016, she was named director of residence life at Gadsden State.

“My previous work provided me with experiences in departments that now report to my office,” she said. “I am very familiar with the services we offer our students.”

In 2018, Mitchell transitioned to K-12 education as the student counselor at Emma Sansom Middle School in the Gadsden City school system.

“I’m grateful for the experiences I had at Emma Sansom Middle School, but I’m happy to be returning to Gadsden State,” she said.

Mitchell says assisting students is her passion and wants to see improvement come to their lives.

A native of Atlanta, Mitchell is a first generation college student who considers herself a “lifelong learner" with many educational credentials to prove it.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in exercise science and wellness from Jacksonville State University in 1998, a Master of Science in community agency counseling in 2005 and an Educational Specialist degree in counselor education in 2007.

In 2017, she earned a doctorate in professional counseling and supervision from the University of West Georgia.

She has also been married to Ruben Desmond Mitchell, the band director at Anniston High School, for more than 12 years. They have two children: Adarius, a 22-year-old college student, and Layla, a 10-year-old elementary school student.

Because of her background, Mitchell has a "soft spot" for those in similar situations to her own when she was a student.

“First-generation students can change the course for their entire family just by earning a college credential,” she said. “Education not only opens doors for them but for their entire family.”

GSCC's student population consists of 61.7% first-generation students.

“Many of our students don’t have the tools and skills necessary for college success,” she said. “When there is no one at home or no one who knows how to support them, it’s hard. Our students need to see their potential and beyond the environment in which they’ve been raised.”

Mitchell has many goals in her new role, including increasing enrollment and providing an environment that encourages a diverse student population while forming community partnerships and relationships.

“It’s important to me that we have students at Gadsden State who represent our entire community,” she said. “We want them all to flourish as we provide them with programs that are of interest to them and beneficial to Alabama’s business and industry. We want them all to thrive in a diverse, working community.”

Mitchell believes that enrolling at Gadsden State is a "win-win for everyone."

“Yes, we want to increase enrollment at Gadsden State so that we become a driving force in filling the workforce pipeline as we improve the quality of life in the communities we serve,” she said. “Gadsden State is and always will be a positive place to impact lives.”

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Mitchell returns to Gadsden State Community College