Crafton’s Kashaunda Harris Steps into New Role at Site

Publish Date: Nov. 10, 2020

As the College’s new professional development coordinator, Kashaunda Harris wants everyone to feel welcome at Crafton Hills College.

The new role will allow Harris to create and plan events - like on-campus in-service days - geared at getting Crafton’s faculty and staff hyped about their own personal goals and the College’s overall mission.

“I want to get faculty and staff excited about learning new things and about the activities and opportunities that we have on campus,” Harris explained.“I want people to feel excited about what we are offering here.”

September 8 marked Harris’ official first day on the job, but she has been part of the Roadrunner family since 2015,when she joined the Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS) Department. Her previous role at the College included providing first- generation, low-income and foster students with myriad services, including counseling and financial assistance.

The job, she explained, “fit closely with what I felt passionate about since I was a first-generation and low-income college student myself.”

Harris initially had plans to become a doctor but found her true passion was working with students from varied backgrounds.After high school, the Moreno Valley resident earned a bachelor’s in African American studies with a concentration in psychology from UCLA and, later, a master’s in counseling from San Francisco State.

In 2006, Harris began a career as a high school counselor, where she planned and orchestrated workshops, group counseling sessions and much more, all while working for a local group home. Next, Harris took a position with a college readiness program at Cal State San Bernardino before applying and being selected for the counseling position at Crafton.

Moving into her new position comes with some nervousness, but Harris finds comfort knowing she was encouraged to apply for it. And although the coordinator position is focused on faculty and staff-based learning opportunities, Harris will still have an important role in helping Crafton students on their path to success.