From Student to Staff: When the GBC Story Comes Full Circle

Sometimes the people who know a college best are the ones who choose to come back.

Across Goldey-Beacom College, some familiar faces have experienced GBC from both sides: first as students finding their way, and now as staff members helping others find theirs. These GBC alumni returned to work at the same college where they earned their degrees, built relationships, discovered new interests, and began figuring out what would come next.

Their paths from student to staff are anything but identical. Some arrived at GBC knowing exactly what brought them here. Others changed direction along the way. Some found their future careers through a campus job, leadership role, athletics, or simply a connection with the right person at the right time. Years later, those experiences still influence how they approach their work.

Today, they’re drawing on what it was like to be a GBC student as they support the next generation of Bolts. And while their job titles and stories may be different, there’s a common thread running through them: their connection to GBC didn’t end when they graduated. In some ways, it was just getting started.

Coming for Soccer, Staying for the Community

For Assistant Director for Student Engagement Tatiana Marshall, soccer was what first brought her to GBC. But it didn’t take long for the community beyond the field to become just as important.

“I liked being at a smaller college where I could build real relationships with my teammates, professors, and staff while also getting involved in campus life,” Marshall said.

As a student-athlete and later a Graduate Assistant in Student Affairs, Marshall developed her leadership skills and discovered a career path she hadn’t originally considered. Today, she helps GBC students get involved, find their people, and create meaningful college experiences of their own.

Her GBC story became personal, too. While working as a Graduate Assistant, the Dean of Students introduced her to fellow Graduate Assistant Eric. They eventually married.

Finding Her Place, Then Helping Others Find Theirs

Bernadine Griffin, Assistant Director of Residence Life, chose GBC because its smaller classes and close-knit environment felt comfortable and welcoming.

It took some time to find her place, but once she did, Griffin jumped into campus life. She became involved in Student Government Association, worked at the Student Affairs front desk, and became a Resident Assistant. After graduation, a Graduate Assistant role and then a full-time position helped launch her career in Residence Life and Student Affairs.

Today, Griffin is a three-time GBC graduate, staff member, and member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Her experience as a student continues to influence how she supports students today.

Taking the Scenic Route

Amy Diamond, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement, didn’t arrive at GBC with everything figured out.A transfer student who moved between part-time and full-time enrollment, Diamond describes her journey as taking the “scenic route” to graduation. What made a difference along the way was finding a smaller community where she felt recognized.

“I wasn’t just a name or a student ID number,” Diamond said. “I had the opportunity to build relationships with faculty and staff, and that personal connection made a difference.”

Diamond eventually received the President’s Award for Excellence, recognition that felt especially meaningful because of the persistence behind her journey.

Now, she uses that experience to connect students and graduates with the GBC alumni community while reminding students that there isn’t one timeline for success.

Making the Student Experience Better From Behind the Scenes

For Ryan Quann, Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Registrar, GBC was already something of a family tradition. Both of his parents and his brother are alumni, too. But Quann had his own reasons for choosing GBC: the small campus environment and the opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA in five years.

Today, much of his work happens behind the scenes. Quann collects student feedback, helps build course schedules around student needs, and works to remove unnecessary roadblocks that could slow students’ progress toward their degrees. His experience as a GBC student still shapes how he approaches that work.

That student perspective gives him another way to measure progress. Looking back at how GBC has evolved over the past 15 years, Quann sees improvements he wishes had existed when he was an undergraduate. For him, that’s “an affirmation of continuously improving the student experience.”

From Financial Aid Recipient to Financial Aid Director

For Eric Johnson, Director of Financial Aid and adjunct faculty member in economics and finance, affordability and flexibility first brought him to GBC. As a working adult, he needed a college that fit his financial situation and schedule. What he found went beyond the classroom.

During his undergraduate studies, Johnson was inducted into the Alpha Chi Honor Society three times and traveled to academic conferences across the country to present his research. Those opportunities helped build his confidence, while supportive professors encouraged him to challenge himself and become a more independent learner.

After graduation, Johnson began his professional career in GBC’s Admissions Office. Today, he helps students navigate financial challenges while also teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in economics and finance.

Having once navigated the college experience himself, Johnson keeps one question at the center of his work:

“Does this change or decision improve the student experience?”

It’s a perspective that connects where his GBC journey began with the students he now helps move toward graduation.

Once a Student, Now Part of Someone Else’s Story

Their jobs may look very different today, but these GBC alumni share something important: they remember what it was like to be on the other side. They remember choosing a college, finding their place, meeting the people who made a difference, navigating challenges, and trying to figure out what came next. Now, those experiences inform the way they approach the students and the College they serve.

For some, that means helping a student find a community outside the classroom. For others, it’s creating a home away from home, reminding students that success doesn’t follow one timeline, or improving a process most students may never realize is happening behind the scenes.

“There is something really special about walking across campus and remembering where you started while knowing that you are now helping shape the experience for the next generation of GBC students,” Marshall said. Their stories also show that graduation doesn’t necessarily have to be the end of someone’s relationship with GBC. As Diamond puts it, “You can come back, get involved, mentor someone, reconnect with old friends, or become part of the next student’s story.”

For these alumni, that’s exactly what happened. They came to GBC as students, each with their own goals, questions, and ideas about what the future might hold. What they found here helped shape where they went next. And eventually, that path brought them back.