Ajita Talwalker Menon
Calbright College
San Diego, CA USA
"Each day is the next opportunity to do better."
Career Roadmap
Ajita's work combines: Education, Government, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Political Science and International Relations
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Graduate Degree
Public Policy
Harvard Kennedy School
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I have a background in student organizing and advocacy, which shapes how I approach community and education issues.
2.
That organizing and advocacy work took me to Washington D.C. where I led the U.S. Student Association.
3.
Through policy work on college affordability and student debt, I pushed for systems that better supported learners and their futures.
4.
I earned my public policy degree from Harvard and deepened my understanding of how government, economics, and education can work together to drive change.
5.
After graduate school, I followed unexpected opportunities back into education, helping shape federal policies that expanded access for students nationwide.
6.
Working in Congress, the Department of Education, and the White House showed me where educational systems succeed and where learners still fall through the cracks.
7.
When California set out to build a new college for working adults, I helped design the vision and eventually stepped into a leadership role.
8.
Today, I lead Calbright College, continually reimagining higher education around the real needs and experiences of adult learners.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You don't have the qualifications required to be a college president.
How I responded:
People have pointed out that I didn't come up through the typical career pathway of a college president and therefore lack qualifications. However, my perspective is that if we really look at what it takes to run a college, it's not a question of whether you have a specific deep knowledge in one area of expertise but rather do you have operational experience, do you understand policy, and do you know how to manage an organization.