Her Story
About Kayla
Kayla Dean serves as English faculty at Northwest Arkansas Community College, a role she has held for about six years. Her career in higher education began with her first full-time position in 2011, following time as a student at Arkansas State University Beebe and subsequent completion of her bachelor's and master's degrees at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. Early roles in recruiting and tutoring at the community college level led her to focus on education, where she developed an embedded tutoring program at another Arkansas State University campus to better support anxious students by placing tutors directly in classrooms. Dean also taught English as a second language in China through Fort Hays State University, gaining expertise in scaffolding for diverse learners. She attributes her professional path to a combination of faith, hard work, and practical tools like checklists, while emphasizing integrity, acceptance of diverse perspectives, and ethical use of AI as both a challenge and opportunity in education today.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kayla
01What do you attribute your success to?
My mom used to have this saying, put feet to your prayers. I'm a believer so I think God's got a lot to do with it. He's put me in good places and helped me meet good people, but I've also had to put feet to my prayers, work hard, show up, not procrastinate, and use checklists like Asana.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Make sure you know what you want to do before going into college. Don't change your major every semester. It's okay to change if needed but don't change too much. Be patient with yourself, don't rush through it, enjoy being young, and go abroad at least once to gain perspective on other cultures.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
AI is both a challenge and opportunity in education. Students want to use it to do their work but it should be used ethically like a calculator. Time management is a personal challenge trying to fit everything in for kids, work, and personal joy.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is big - being forthcoming and honest even when scary. Acceptance and embracing diversity and different cultures and perspectives is core. Having an open mind to see things from different viewpoints.
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