By Nick Pacurari, Vice President for Enrollment Services and Student LifeOne of the things I love most about Bryan College is that we get to celebrate peo

By Nick Pacurari, Vice President for Enrollment Services and Student LifeOne of the things I love most about Bryan College is that we get to celebrate people who deserve it.This past week, we announced two promotions. Dr. Alex Staup is now Associate Vice President for Student Life and Success. Leigha Miller is now Associate Vice President for Enrollment. If you’ve been around Bryan for any length of time, this isn’t surprising. Both of them have been leading at this level. We’re just making it official.But I don’t want to treat this like an org chart update. I want to tell you why it matters, because these two stories say something important about who we are.Alex came to Bryan in 2024. He oversees the Academic Resource Center and Counseling Services, co-chairs the QEP Steering Committee and the CARE Team, and has built support systems that serve students whether they study on campus, online, or through dual enrollment. He just earned his Ph.D. from Purdue. He was recognized nationally with the Ruth Bamford Award, which honors professionals who do outstanding work bringing faith and learning together in student development. Alex is brilliant, but what sets him apart is that his brilliance is aimed at helping students flourish. That’s what drew him to Bryan, and that’s what keeps him here.Leigha has been at Bryan for almost a decade. She’s a lifelong Rhea County resident who earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees through Bryan College Online as an adult learner, working full-time while completing her education. She was the driving force behind establishing the Academic Resource Center, building student support systems that have made a measurable difference in retention and success. Now leading enrollment, she’s helped Bryan welcome record-breaking classes, including the largest residential class in our history last fall. Leigha is a product of this place, and she’s given herself right back to it and its students.President Dr. Doug Mann put it this way: “What a privilege to be able to work alongside Alex and Leigha. At Bryan, leadership is not simply about titles; it is about faithful service, meaningful impact, and a commitment to helping students flourish. These promotions reflect all three.”I’ll add my own word. Alex and Leigha have made so much of what we’re experiencing as an institution possible. I don’t take that lightly. Scripture reminds us that faithful stewardship in the small things leads to greater responsibility, and that’s exactly what we’ve watched play out with both of them. Their leadership has sharpened my own, and I’m a better leader because I get to work alongside people who aren’t driven by titles. They’re driven by the Lord and a desire to see His Kingdom reflected on our campus.That’s the kind of place Bryan is. We don’t just hire people to fill roles. We invest in people who are called, and they invest right back. When a prospective student or family asks me what makes Bryan different, I could point to our programs, our campus, our record enrollment numbers. But the truest answer is simpler than that. It’s the people. People like Alex and Leigha, who show up every day not for a paycheck or a title but because they believe God is doing something here and they want to be part of it.If you’re looking for a college where your student will be known, supported, and pointed toward Christ, this is what that looks like on the ground. The post The People Behind the Mission appeared first on Bryan College | Dayton, TN.