APLU Staff Profile, Office of Access, Success, and Equity Associate Lexus Bivins

Name: Lexus Bivins
Department: Access, Success, and Equity (ASE)
Title: Associate
Date you joined APLU: July 2022

What education or work experience had the greatest impact on you? I feel that every education and work experience has had a profound impact on me and has helped shape my career and personal aspirations in some way. Some experiences helped me enhance my love for planning and creating structure, some helped me develop leadership capabilities, some helped me focus my writing skills and research curiosity….etc. While I can’t say I have just one experience that has had the greatest impact, I can say that all my experiences have emphasized may passion for supporting others and the crucial need to examine any situation through multiple perspectives.

What motivates you to work in higher education? Being in higher education can be such a rewarding experience, however navigating and succeeding in it can be challenging, regardless of the role. Every person in higher education has their own unique struggles based on a seemingly infinite combination of factors. I want to serve in a way that can helps lessen these struggles and help others feel better supported. Additionally, the complexities of what goes into making a higher education intuition function is fascinating to me. I hope to find many opportunities at APLU to develop a deeper understanding of the higher education sphere and how that understanding can bolster my ability to create meaningful support strategies.

What current APLU project or initiative are you most excited about? I am very excited about my first Annual Meeting in November. As the ASE Associate, I provide administrative support to the Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CDEI) as well as the Council on 1890s Universities. I find the purpose and work of both Councils incredibility necessary and intriguing, so I am extremely enthusiastic about the opportunity to help them plan their sessions and other activities for the meeting.

What is your favorite thing to do on your day off? I enjoy going to museums and festivals, going to local markets with my aunt and spending time with my family and friends in general.

What is your favorite thing about living in DC? The walkability and connectivity of the city. I love that I can walk or take the metro/bus almost anywhere. There is also so much to do and see in the city, so I am never bored!

What’s one thing people would never guess about you? I am a class of 2014 Gates Millennium Scholar.