Grad Student Profile: Jayla Moody Marshall

Jayla Moody Marshall, a Spring 2025 Ph.D. graduate from NC State’s Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development program in the College of Education, is reshaping the conversation around student success. As a 2021 Provost Fellow and 2024 recipient of the Melvin C. Terrell Scholarship—an award honoring emerging leaders in student affairs and higher education administration—Jayla’s work stands at the intersection of opportunity, equity, and lived experience. Her research challenges the common narrative that persistence alone is enough. Keep reading to discover how Jayla is turning insight into action—and what’s next on her journey as a scholar-practitioner.

Tell us about your journey to graduate school and what led you to NC State.
My journey to graduate school was not a linear path. In fact, I often tell people that my purpose as an educator emerged later. My background is in journalism and storytelling. I grew up wanting to share local and national news and studied journalism as an undergraduate at Mercer University. While breaking some of the most exciting campus and local news stories, I developed a deep interest in the stories of students. I quickly realized that by truly listening to the experiences of those in higher education, especially those on the margins, we can better serve them. But to listen, we must be present and engaged. That realization sparked my interest in higher education and student affairs.

Before coming to NC State, I held various roles that brought me closer to students and their unique needs. I earned my master’s in Communication from Georgia State University, where I advised and supported undergraduate students in career development and academic success. Additionally, I worked in admissions, first-year transition programs, teaching intergroup dialogue courses, student organization advising, and both formal and informal mentorship.

Much of my work focused on first-generation and historically marginalized students, giving me firsthand insight into their aspirations and the systemic barriers they face. In these roles, I began to ask critical questions: Who is higher education designed for? Who gets access to it? Who are we still not serving? These questions ultimately led me to pursue a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development, with a concentration in Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice at NC State.

Tell us about your research
At its core, my research challenges the assumption that persistence is enough. Instead, I argue for institutional accountability in creating environments where all students, faculty, and staff can truly thrive. Because I believe research begins with stories, I use critical qualitative and participatory action research methods to center the voices of those I work with. Currently, my research is guided by two key questions:

(1) How can we holistically support those who enter and inhabit higher education? and (2) What aspects of higher education environments hinder the thriving of historically marginalized populations? My dissertation specifically examines how Black undergraduate women navigate and make sense of their purpose. Ultimately, my goal is to push the field to imagine new possibilities—ones where institutions move beyond surviving crisis after crisis to actively cultivating equity, purpose, and joy.

As a graduate student, I have had the opportunity to engage in several research projects exploring Black women’s experiences in higher education, college student identity and purpose development, graduate student support and success, and how we can continue to humanize higher education. Additionally, I have remained committed to public scholarship, contributing 15+ articles to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, translating complex educational issues into accessible narratives.

My time at NC State has been incredibly full, thanks to a supportive community of scholars and faculty who have welcomed me as a thought partner and co-instructor. In the Higher Education Administration master’s program, I have co-taught Diversity in Higher Education, College Environments, Internship in Higher Education, and Admissions and Marketing in Higher Education. This semester, I am co-teaching Cultivating Genius and Joy in Higher Education for both master’s and doctoral students in the College of Education. Each year, I have grown more as a scholar-practitioner, and I am proud to join a legacy of scholars who lead with care and are always asking: Who are we not considering, supporting, and uplifting in our work?

How has NC State and the Graduate School played a role in your professional development?
NC State and The Graduate School have been pivotal in my growth as a scholar-practitioner. I began my doctoral journey as a 2021 Provost Fellow, an investment that helped me understand the landscape of doctoral education and navigate mentorship, resources, and community as I shaped my identity as a scholar. My training in the College of Education also encouraged me to take on roles beyond the classroom, further supporting my professional development.

For three years, I served as the Graduate Assistant and Assistant Program Coordinator for the Higher Education Administration master’s program and the Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice doctoral concentration. In this role, I gained hands-on experience in graduate student recruitment, retention, and socialization. Contributing to cohort development, student engagement, and fostering supportive environments deepened my commitment to accessible and high-quality educational experiences.

I also regularly utilized resources through METRC, CED Graduate Student Support Services, DELTA, and The Graduate School. In 2024, I received the College of Education Dissertation Support Grant and the Fall 2024 Graduate Student Association Award for Travel and Conferences. This investment in my research and development was instrumental in shaping a research agenda that is both transformative and reciprocal. Additionally, financial support for conferences often determines whether students can engage nationally and connect with scholars and mentors in their field. Because of these opportunities, I have been able to attend and present at several conferences, building a network that has uplifted and supported my professional growth.

What advice do you have for new or current graduate students?
Set non-negotiable boundaries for your time, peace, and personal life outside of your work. Throughout my journey, I often returned to a Toni Morrison essay that reminded me to follow my own advice. She wrote, “You are not the work you do; you are the person you are.” Keep this in mind as you navigate academia, a space that can sometimes make you feel as though your worth is tied to your productivity. That is untrue, and it is a fast track to burnout and work done without intention.

It is okay to say no. It is okay to move at a natural pace. It is okay to sit some things out. Pour into yourself as intentionally as you do your work, and watch yourself flourish.

What’s next after graduation?
After graduation, I plan to continue living out my purpose by building educational communities that truly see and support students holistically. Through research, teaching, and mentorship, I want to not only contribute to the field but also model what it means to center students’ hopes, dreams, purpose, and joy. Beyond my professional work, I am committed to giving back to the communities that have poured into me—extending a hand to uplift and support the next generation of scholars and practitioners.

What will it mean to now be an NC State Alumni?
This journey has meant so much to me. My parents were deeply committed to ensuring that my siblings and I had the opportunity to see and know more. To be an actualization of their dreams and hard work is incredibly fulfilling. I will spend many years practicing gratitude for this journey.

Learn more about the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development with a concentration in counseling and counselor education