We hope this book will serve as a resource for people who are contemplating a career in higher education, those that desire to excel in current positions, or those that desire to navigate to other positions in higher education. The book includes tips, informational resources, questions for reflection, and spotlights on professionals whose practices serve as an inspiration. We selected tips that are easy to adopt, low cost or no cost, and effective. There is also a section for journaling during the higher education journey. We hope this book is equally useful to both individuals and groups as a part of professional development activities or course instruction.

A. Yvette Myrick’s career in adult education and higher education has spanned more than 25 years. She has served in multiple roles in adult education and higher education, alternating between teaching and administrative positions. Her primary areas of specialty in higher education are student retention and transitional (developmental) education. She has presented at conferences throughout the United States and outside the United States (England and Barbados) on topics such as effective retention strategies, transitional (developmental) education, learner engagement, and online learning. She has worked in careers with adult learners in California, North Carolina, Maryland, and Colorado. She holds degrees from the University of Baltimore (BS in Business Administration), Coppin State University (MS in Adult and Continuing Education), and The George Washington University (EdD in Higher Education Administration). Estelle Young’s career in higher education began in 2001. Between 2001 and 2007, she held assistant professor positions in sociology at Bowie State University and Morgan State University. While at Morgan, she served as the Morgan State Team Leader for the Lumina-funded national Building Engagement and Attainment in Minority Students (BEAMS) project. The BEAMS project supported the efforts of 100 HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, and Tribal colleges to apply the findings of Project DEEP (Documenting Effective Educational Programs). From 2008 to 2012, she served as retention coordinator and then director for Student Success Support at the Community College of Baltimore County. Her project tripled the on-time graduation rates for non-White nursing students and won the Noel Levitz Retention Excellence Award in 2011. She is currently a volunteer for the Greater Baltimore Urban League and a contract grant writer. She holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (BA in Anthropology, MA in Public Policy and Administration) and Johns Hopkins University (PhD in Sociology).