Influential Woman · Higher education administration
Tinie Solomon
Administrative Assistant, Luther Rice College & Seminary
Lithonia, GA 30038
Her Story
About Tinie
Tinie Solomon is an Administrative Assistant for Academic Affairs at Luther Rice College & Seminary, where her connection to the institution spans nearly 23 years. Her path began as a student who took on part-time work in the campus library, a role that grew into a full-time position and later an invitation to the front desk, where she served as an Information Desk Assistant for roughly eleven years. Throughout that time, she continued her studies, ultimately earning a Master of Leadership and a Master of Divinity in 2012. Two years ago, her experience and academic background led her into her current role, where she now brings decades of institutional knowledge to her work in academic administration.
Behind her professional accomplishments lies a story marked by extraordinary resilience. In 2020, Tinie lost her son after a long illness, and just seventeen months later, she lost Cornelius, her husband of 38 years. In the aftermath, she faced the difficult task of discovering who she was beyond the roles of wife and mother she had held for so long. Rather than allowing grief to define her, she chose to keep growing, and at 65 she enrolled in a PhD program in organizational leadership, a challenge that has become an unexpected source of strength and purpose. She has since faced a cancer diagnosis as well, completing chemotherapy treatment while continuing her doctoral coursework and remaining grateful to now be cancer-free as she moves into the radiation phase of her care.
Rooted in her Christian faith, Tinie has spent much of her life outside the classroom in ministry, serving as a praise and worship leader for churches across Georgia and traveling the eastern United States to encourage others in their walk with Christ. She credits much of her strength to the people who have surrounded her, particularly her close friend Lizzie Thompson and her daughter, both of whom helped her learn that receiving support is not a burden but an opportunity for connection. Today, Tinie continues to serve her institution, pursue her doctorate, and live out her belief that reinvention has no expiration date and that it is never too late to pursue a new dream.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tinie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to perseverance, education, service, and my faith. I began my journey here as a student, working part-time in the library before moving into full-time roles, including nearly eleven years at the front desk. I never stopped pursuing my education, earning a Master of Leadership and later a Master of Divinity, and that commitment to growth eventually led me into my current role. Even after profound personal loss, I chose not to let grief define me. At sixty-five, I entered a PhD program, and every assignment I complete reminds me that I'm still capable of reaching new heights. My success is proof that life can keep producing accomplishment, even after seasons of deep loss.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received has come from the people closest to me. My dear friend Lizzie Thompson, who I consider both a sister and a mother figure, has walked through her own losses and always reminds me that I'm strong enough to keep going. Recently, when I told her I was tired and thinking about retirement, she reminded me that there is still purpose and destiny ahead of me, and that encouraged me to keep looking forward. My daughter has also taught me something invaluable: that allowing someone to help you also gives them the opportunity to be a blessing. That shifted how I see support altogether. Together, their wisdom has taught me that I don't have to walk through life alone.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them that you really can't set things in stone. It's good to plan and set goals, but stay open and don't fear change. If you're seeking or planning something, don't let it become the entirety of your focus. Keep your eyes open. If you find a passion or something you truly desire, go after it with everything you have, but always stay open, because you never know what path may unfold. Life doesn't always follow the plans we make, and sometimes the path that appears is far different from the one we imagined, but it can still lead somewhere meaningful.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The greatest challenges I've faced haven't been professional so much as personal, and they've shaped how I show up in my work. Losing my son in 2020 and my husband just seventeen months later forced me to rebuild who I was outside of the roles I'd carried for decades. Facing cancer while pursuing my PhD has also meant adjusting my expectations, including taking an incomplete in one course, and learning to give myself grace rather than giving up. But these same challenges have opened real opportunities. Entering a doctoral program at sixty-five gave me a renewed sense of purpose, and stepping into my current position let me keep contributing to an institution that has shaped over two decades of my life. My biggest opportunity now is redefining my purpose and becoming a source of encouragement for others walking through their own difficult seasons.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My most important value is that I'm a Christian, and my life is devoted to pleasing my Father. My core values are really my faith in God, loving people, and wanting to help others. So many people are isolated and just need someone to talk to or encourage them, and treating people right matters deeply to me. For thirty-eight years, my husband and I built our life as a team, and after losing him, I had to learn that his passing didn't mean my own life had ended. That understanding gave me the freedom to pursue dreams that are uniquely mine, including my PhD. At the center of everything I do is faith, compassion, service, and purpose.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.