In this powerful episode of Gateway Conversations, host Eltavious Johnson sits down with Donna A. Lee, Vice President for Student Affairs at Rollins College, for a heartfelt and unflinching conversation about leadership, identity, and the courage it takes to create change in higher education. A proud New Yorker, U.S. Army veteran, and seasoned student affairs leader, Donna brings a lifetime of experience, service, and soul to every space she enters.

Donna’s journey spans decades of transformative leadership—from her early days at Rollins in 1996 to senior roles at Agnes Scott College, Macalester College, and national work with ACPA. Now back at Rollins, she brings a full-circle perspective to her work—one grounded in justice, care, and the deep belief that students should be co-creators of their college experience.

In this episode, we explore:

• The difference between safe spaces and brave spaces in student life
• Why rest is resistance, especially for student leaders and changemakers
• How equity work starts with the self, not just policy
• What legacy looks like when returning to a campus you helped build
• How she’s learned to lead through grief, joy, and everything in between

We also talk about the importance of student voice, what it means to lead authentically as a Black woman in predominantly white institutions, and how care—radical, intentional care—can be a guiding force in leadership.

Whether you're a student, educator, administrator, or aspiring changemaker, this episode invites you to reimagine leadership as something not only brave—but deeply human.

Quick Notes:
Who she is: Vice President for Student Affairs at Rollins College, U.S. Army veteran, mentor, justice-centered leader, and lifelong advocate for transformative student engagement.
Past roles: Dean of Students at Agnes Scott College, Vice President at Macalester College, National ACPA Board Member (Past President), and former Assistant Director of Residential Life at Rollins.
Signature contributions: Advancing student voice and activism, leading campus-wide equity and inclusion efforts, pioneering brave spaces, and mentoring generations of higher ed leaders.

Themes in this episode:

• Brave vs. safe spaces in education
• Rest, care, and sustainability in leadership
• Equity as personal and institutional work
• Legacy, reinvention, and coming home to Rollins
• Black women in leadership
• Listening as an act of transformation
• Student voice as a catalyst for change