Our WISA Why: Introducing Your 2025–2027 Co-Chairs

As your Womxn in Student Affairs (WISA) Co-Chairs for the 2025–2027 term, we are excited to kick off this journey with you. In this post, we would like to take a moment to introduce ourselves, share a little bit about our personal “WISA Why”, and outline our vision for the WISA Knowledge Community during our time in this role. 

 

The “WISA Why”

Our hope is to kick off our term by re-centering our leadership team and our members on their “WISA Why”, and in order to lead by example in that, we also want to share ours. 

WISA’s Why is “to give voice to the needs of womxn in student affairs and to provide professional development opportunities through both regional and national activities designed to address gender equity and prompt personal growth.”

During a time where the value of our work in higher education is being questioned daily, we want to remind our community to always reflect on and remember their why, and empower them to be willing to stand on that and share it widely both within our community and beyond. 

Jessica Brown, Ed.D

I am Dr. Jessica Brown, and I am excited to serve as one of your WISA Co-Chairs. I serve as the Director of Student Activities & Leadership Development at Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, Alabama. My 10 years in higher education has given me opportunities to serve in the areas of student activities and housing as well as to serve in various leadership roles within NASPA and NACA. I served on the NASPA-AL Board for 4 years as Secretary/Treasurer before joining the WISA Leadership Team as a Professional Development Co-Chair. I am also now serving as a 2025 NPI Faculty member for the New Professionals Institute. 

I joined the WISA KC because I have always had a passion for uplifting and supporting womxn, both professionally and personally. I want every womxn to know that she belongs in whatever space she chooses to step into and that she has the tools and skillset to excel while being her authentic self. Thank you for trusting Dae’lyn and I to serve this community for the next two years!

Dae’lyn Do, M.A.

My name is Dae’lyn Do (she/her), and I am so excited to be stepping into the WISA Co-Chair role. I earned my bachelor's degree in Political Science and Public Relations and Advertising from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and my master’s degree in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. I currently serve as the Associate Director for the Women in Science and Engineering Residence Program at the University of Michigan. 

I have been an active member of NASPA for as long as I have known the field of student affairs existed. I have been a part of the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP), the NASPA Graduate Associate Program (GAP), and I have held several leadership positions with the Womxn in Student Affairs (WISA) Knowledge Community. My experience as a first-generation, low-income college student is what led me to student affairs work, and I feel a deep sense of purpose in the field.

When I think back to one of my first moments on the WISA Leadership Team, I remember sitting in a room surrounded by a group of womxn I had never met, and yet - it was one of the most empowering moments of my career. Not only because they had seen potential in me personally, but because they believed in the potential of all womxn. They truly believed in the power of womxn empowering womxn and they were committed to centering their voices and giving them experiences to help them shine. 

Since that first meeting, I have been continuously empowered and inspired by the incredible womxn on the team who share personal stories of the hardships they have faced both personally and professionally and how WISA has served as a space of joy, refuge, and light for them. It means so much to be a part of a community that strives to empower womxn in this field and provides a space of joy and light when the work we do gets exhausting and hard. I would not be the professional I am today without this community, and I look forward to continuing to do the work to live out the legacy those before me have fearlessly and beautifully built the foundation for.

Our Philosophy, Purpose, & Priorities

The theme for our platform for our WISA term is “GLOW like WISA."

• Growth: Support the development and career advancement of WISA KC members, increase engagement, and expand partnerships.

• Legacy: Honor the foundation laid by past leaders while committing to pushing the community forward.

• Openness: Promote authenticity by sharing stories, celebrating accomplishments, and fostering connection.

• Well-being: Address challenges such as work-life balance and offer a space of joy and light during difficult times.

 

Jessica and I recognize we stand on the shoulders of giants in our field as we enter into this co-chair role. The previous leaders of WISA are some of the best and brightest womxn in student affairs, who are known widely for their dedication to our field and the difference they have made in it. We are eager to continue on this legacy of growth, support, and empowerment for the WISA community. 

If there is anything WISA can do to better support you, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are beyond proud to be a part of and now lead this community, and we cannot wait to see the impact our team makes over the next two years. 

 

Together, let’s #GLOWlikeWISA !!!