This Q&A is part of the story series Voices of Drake that highlights the diversity, ambition, and passion of the incredible people who make up our campus community. In honor of Black History Month, we will be sharing a collection of interviews to spotlight Black voices in our community. This week’s story introduces Brandi Miller, assistant director of new student programs.

Tell us about yourself.
I am a native of Des Moines and a proud east-sider. I graduated from North High School. I am married to Kenan Miller. Together we have five adult children and eight grandchildren.

Tell us about your education. Where did you go to school and what did you study?
I attended Grand View College (now University) on the east side of Des Moines. My undergraduate degree is in human services. I have a minor in psychology. I also earned my MPA with an emphasis in executive development from Drake.

How long have you been in the Drake campus community?
I am assistant director of new student programs in the Office of Student Financial Planning. I work with new and prospective students. I have been at Drake for 19 years and Student Financial Planning for all of those years. Before hired full-time at Drake, I completed an internship with the director of student activities during my senior year at Grand View.

You are the organizer for Drake’s African American Faculty/Staff Affinity Group. How has the organization been important to you during your time at Drake?
Being the Black Faculty and Staff Affinity Group Champion is one of my favorite things about working at Drake. I love meeting and connecting with new faculty and staff of color and learning about them and where they come from.

These aren’t normal times, but in normal times, what kinds of things does the African American Affinity Group do?
We had one normal semester that included two small gatherings and a few regular meetings at the Black Cultural Center/House. We kicked off the fall semester with an ice cream social and ended with a holiday party. Then COVID-19 hit. We took Spring 2020 off. We resumed meeting in Fall 2020. We began having monthly virtual brown bag meetings, which allow us to check in with one another. This is a time of self-care for many of us. I leave energized.  

How long have you been at Drake? What is your favorite thing about working at Drake?
I have worked at Drake for 19 years. Nov. 1 will be 20 years for me. In addition to supporting Black faculty and staff, my favorite things about working at Drake have been the flexibility, opportunities for professional development—working in an environment where you are encouraged to learn and grow—and of course the students. 

I have had some amazing opportunities that include serving our professional organization IASFAA (Iowa Association Student Financial Aid Administrators) and going on a study abroad site visit in 2003. I also really enjoy working with the students. Seeing students years later still in the Des Moines area, serving now their community, and showing love and respect toward me makes working at Drake special. Oh, and I can’t forget, my son graduated from Drake in Spring 2020. I am a Bulldog, and now I have a Bulldog. 

What is your favorite thing about the Drake neighborhood?
I don’t have just one favorite thing about the neighborhood, but our campus is beautiful year-round.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life and what lessons did that person teach you?
There are too many to mention. One that I think of often is Evelyn K Davis. She was my aunt and an activist in Des Moines. There is a park and building named after her. I remember her for the love she showed me and the words of wisdom that anchored me while going through college. I wish I could tell her I’m doing great. She probably wouldn’t be surprised. She seemed to see something in me when I couldn’t.

How do you like to spend your free-time? Tell us about your hobbies and interests.
I love cycling in my free time. I enjoy running and hiking. I enjoy spending time with my family. I enjoy time with my grandchildren—we have eight and one on the way. In my spare time, I am Co-founder and President of Black Women 4 Healthy Living. We are a nonprofit that focuses on the wellness of Black women in the Greater Des Moines area. We work to see Black women well in mind, healthy in body, and strong in spirit. I am also a Girl Scout Troop Leader in the metro. If you need some Girl Scout cookies, we got you. I am the Troops Cookie manager.

This year is a year like no other. What advice would you like to give to a first-year student at Drake?
Create a healthy routine and stick with it. This may take some adjusting, but work it out. Take control of your time. Don’t let time control you. Have a quiet time to refresh yourself daily. Take breaks to sharpen your ax. You will be able to cut down more trees and be more productive. Don’t push through. It is okay to take a break. Then get back at it. Take care of your spiritual and mental health. I am a person of faith and without God, I am nothing, could do nothing, and would be nothing. So, I make time with Him each day. Scheduled time for physical activity, self-care, and rest. Try to get some veggies and fruits in. Drink water. I cannot say it enough, rest. Last but not least, you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.

This Q&A is part of the story series Voices of Drake that highlights the diversity, ambition, and passion of the incredible people who make up our campus community. In honor of Black History Month, we will be sharing a collection of interviews to spotlight Black voices in our community. This week’s story introduces Layana Sariah, junior at Drake and president of the Coalition of Black Students.

What is the Coalition of Black Students (CBS)?
The Coalition of Black Students is an inclusive multicultural organization that seeks to unite, empower, and educate the Black/African American Student Community through top quality social, cultural, and academic programming initiatives.

How did you get involved with CBS?
I got involved with CBS my first year at Drake within the first few weeks of school. I began attending events and most if not all of their events were something, I enjoyed so I just continued to attend events. With this most of my friends were apart of CBS as well. 

What has it meant to you during your time at Drake?
CBS has been very influential in my Drake experience. Majority of my favorite memories are from CBS events or with CBS members. This organization has always made me feel comfortable with being myself and has provided the familiarity and home aspect that I was looking for on campus. This organization was essential in my adjustment to the Drake community and assisting with my comfortability on campus.

What does a robust and active CBS mean to the Drake community?
A robust and active CBS means that all of Drake’s Black students are being taken care of. They have a regular space that they can be themselves and feel like they are getting support. Having an active CBS ensures that Black students on campus feel more comfortable in the Drake Community. Being Black in the world today especially at a predominately white institution it is vital that these students feel supported but also a place where they can get away from the stressors the world or campus can provide.

How, if at all, does your role as President of CBS connect with your studies at Drake or your future career plans?
I am studying psychology in hopes that I can have a private practice as a psychologist. Along with that I want to start a nonprofit that offers patient catered therapy. I especially would like to focus on improving and changing the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community. Mental health issues are ignored in our community, and in my career, I would like to bring more awareness to it and normalize it. I will do that by becoming a mental health professional which add to the amount of people that look like us in the mental health field. As the CBS president, I am able to host events that can contribute to improving the mental health of Black students on campus. I do this through my role as president by checking in and connecting with my members but also through our events. We host events where our members can have the space to participate in various forms of self-care. We also have events that bring attention to mental health problems specifically in our community. One way we have done this is through a mental health panel. At this panel, we had all Black individuals with various backgrounds in mental health come together and talk about mental health and self-care in our community and this aided in bringing awareness to it but also normalizing it. 

What are you excited about for the future of CBS or the Drake community more broadly?
I am very excited for CBS to grow. With how vital CBS is on Drake’s campus I am excited to hopefully spread the same influential experience that CBS has had on me to other students. Since my first year, I noticed a small increase to the number of Black students on Drake’s campus and so with that growing I am really excited to how that can impact CBS.

Who have been some of your important mentors during your time at Drake?
One of my mentors on campus is Debra DeLaet. She has been my mentor since my first year and it was through the Crew Scholars program that we got connected. She has been very supportive of me and my Drake experience.

What would you like the broader Drake community to know about CBS?
I would like the broader Drake community to know that CBS is very important to Drake’s campus. We may not be big in numbers like other organizations but that does not make us any less important. We are vital to the Drake community and we should not go overlooked or unnoticed. Along with that I would like people to know that although we contribute to helping our members feel supported and welcomed on Drake’s campus, we are not the only ones who should be doing the work. Our goal is to unite, empower, and educate Black and African American students on this campus, but membership in our organization is open to anyone. Anyone is able to come to our events and learn how to be an advocate for the Black community.

Campus operations will gradually increase over the next few weeks as students return to campus and spring semester classes begin. As the semester begins, the University will use the same guidelines in place at the beginning of the fall semester.

• Reduced staff levels continue—while staffing levels may vary based on operational need, effective Monday, Feb. 1, managers should plan for a general target of 50% staffing levels at any one time.
• Telecommuting arrangements and alternative work schedules will continue to be used to reduce density on campus.
• Departmental and unit leaders are responsible for developing and communicating staffing plans.
• The Drake Together Commitments—including wearing masks and maintaining social distance—remain in place. 
• Download, print, and post signage about social distancing and mask wearing to replace worn or tattered signs in your work area.
• Review the resources about returning to campus found on the COVID-19 section of the Drake website.

For questions or concerns about these guidelines, please contact your manager. Thank you for all you do to make Drake University strong and resilient every day.

— Human Resources

University Advancement is pleased to welcome Leslie Maynes as the new executive director of University Communications and Marketing. Leslie will begin her position Jan. 19 and report to John Smith, vice president of University Advancement.

Leslie has more than 15 years of experience in public relations and marketing. Most recently, she has been managing director at Two Rivers Marketing where she leads a team of 25 communications professionals to support and provide strategic marketing direction to a global client base.

She holds degrees from the University of Iowa in English and Journalism. Recent professional honors earned by Leslie’s marketing team include an American Marketing Association of Iowa’s People’s Choice Award and a National Content Marketing World Finalist designation.

Leslie succeeds Dave Remund and will continue to build off the momentum and success University Communications and Marketing has achieved under his leadership. Leslie’s professional, industry, and agency experience will be an incredible asset to the University. Her strong knowledge of brand development, creative vision, and passion for team member development will no doubt drive Drake forward.

Please help me welcome Leslie, her husband, John, and 12-year-old identical twin boys, Will and Sully, to the Bulldog family.

— John Smith, University Advancement

Don’t miss this week’s episode of Front Row at Drake featuring Drake head basketball coaches Darian DeVries and Jennie Baranczyk. Tune in at 7 p.m. on Drake’s Facebook page to hear how both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are embracing and finding success in this unusual season.

If you didn’t catch last week’s episode, you can still watch it on Facebook. Front Row at Drake will pause for winter break and return on Thursday, Jan. 7.