GSEHD doctoral candidtate Sylvia Royster (Educational Leadership and Administration) has joined the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) as the Director of Educational Partnerships. This new position within CSM's Division of Learning was established to oversee the design, coordination and implementation of strategic initiatives with CSM's educational partners.
In her new role, Sylvia will team up with CSM partners to remove barriers that prevent student access to higher education, guide students through successful completion of transfer and Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways, and work closely with CSM faculty and staff to identify ways to fully support the college’s growing Dual Enrollment and Early College populations. She will also provide leadership and overall coordination for first-year and transition programs across CSM’s campuses.
CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson said, “Her extensive experience in school administration and working directly with the K-12 student population as well as her effective involvement in community outreach and organizational work provides her with keen insights for the work ahead of us.”
Sylvia most recently served as director of Community Engagement and Equity at Charles County Public Schools (CCPS). She also served as vice principal at Barnhart Elementary. Prior to her arrival in Charles County, Royster worked in North Carolina with the Cumberland County School System in principal and assistant principal positions, and with nonprofits including the National Education Association, the Autism Society of Cumberland County and was the founding charter school principal of the Capitol Encore Academy.
In CSM's announcement provided the following quote from Sylvia:“A well-known quote that continues to resonate with me since I made a commitment to public education more than 20 years ago has been 'Be the change you wish to see in the world' credited to Mahatma Gandhi. It reminds me that it is our responsibility to humanity to be the change agent for positive transformation. I believe that when these words become self-evident then the impact allows for opportunities that once may have been insurmountable to become reality.”