ALUMNUS SOARS: EAGLE GRAD HELMS MAJOR UNIVERSITY IN METRO ATLANTA

Clayton State University President Georj Lewis, Ed.D., (’07) has deep- rooted connections to Georgia Southern University. Not only is he an

alumnus, but he also has served in pivotal leadership roles at Georgia Southern, including dean of students and vice president for student affairs.

“It was one of the best times in my life and in my career,” he said. “It was faith, adventure and growth for me and my family, and a lot of happiness.”

Growing up south of Pittsburgh, Lewis didn’t have to look too far to decide on a career path. He was raised primarily by his father who was a school principal. His mother was a teacher, but she died when he was four years old. A grandmother was also a teacher.

“That was my foundation from home,” Lewis said. “I understood that education was probably the best career pathway for my future. I was raised ‘old school.’ My father didn’t make any excuses, nor did he accept any excuses. He always taught me to be the best or work to be the best regardless of the situation and encouraged me to anticipate challenges and work through them.”

“Education is my ministry.”

— Georj Lewis, president of Clayton State University

Since leaving Georgia Southern in 2019, Lewis has served as president of Atlanta Metropolitan State College, and for the last two-and-a-half years he has led Clayton State University. Despite the signifi cant responsibilities and challenges in leading a metro Atlanta university, Lewis explained why he embraces the weight of the role.

“I see these responsibilities as a blessing and as an opportunity to advance the lives of our students,” the alumnus said. “I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t meant to be. As with anything that carries a little bit of weight, you learn to bear that weight and over time, you gain strength. This strength comes with experience. For me, education is my ministry, and I believe this is what I’m meant to be doing.”

Lewis arrived at Clayton State with a vision. It started with developing a strategic plan for creating stability in key areas on campus. But that quickly evolved into a plan of expansion and growth. His top priority now is promoting the social mobility of students by improving their outcomes through education. Their success, he said, will have an impact on their families for generations to come.

“We meet students where they are, giving them the tools needed to achieve social mobility,” Lewis remarked. “When they graduate, we want our students to experience the best of things and that means in their careers, income, health and opportunities.”

A TYPICAL DAY As the president of a university, the hours are long, and no two days are alike.

“When you’re doing something every day that you enjoy, you don’t consider it work,” he said. “My days are fi lled with everything from tough decisions to collaborating with faculty, staff and students, as well as engaging with the community. However, I’m naturally an extrovert, so even on days when I’m tired, as soon as I start interacting with the campus community it reenergizes me.”

Lewis is proud of his accomplishments at Clayton State, citing students’ improved retention and graduation rates. But what excites him most is his connection with students.

“One example is a student who is one of our presidential scholars,” the university president said.“ She is a first-generation student from a local high school who is also a mother. To be able to see her and support her as she’s navigating the challenges of being a mother and being successful in college, to me, that is success.

“The best part of the job is the opportunity to positively impact students and the community every single day,” he added. “It’s about making dreams a reality. When our students cross the stage at graduation, it’s just a sense of enjoyment, thankfulness and pride.”

The former Georgia Southern vice president for student affairs counts himself as lucky to have found a fulfilling career in higher education. Because he values it so much, he doesn’t hesitate to encourage students to follow that path if that is their goal.

“Think of it like other careers,” he noted. “For example, in a big department store, there’s more than selling clothes – there’s logistics, marketing and finance. Higher education is similar, offering a wide range of opportunities. You can work in student affairs, academic affairs or facilities. I started as an admissions counselor at my alma mater, and found I really loved what I was doing. Once I identified that higher education is where I wanted to stay, it became a rewarding career because of the impact you can have on people.”

BUILDING ON AN EDUCATIONAL LEGACY Over the years, Lewis’ path has taken him to various colleges and cities on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Refl ecting on those experiences, he emphasized that he values the opportunity they gave him to form meaningful relationships with both colleagues and students. “I have met and grown to know, like and love so many of the students, faculty and staff that I’ve worked with over the years,” he said. “Many of the students I worked with at Georgia Southern are now professionals, and are in the same fi eld as I am. It’s incredibly rewarding to see and work with them now as professionals. Overall, it’s been a deeply fulfi lling experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” The married father of three believes he has upheld his family’s educational legacy, drawing inspiration from his father’s journey and advice.

“I think he would be proud of me,” Lewis said. “He was a fi rst- generation college student who became a teacher and a principal, and he told me it was my job to do more. I’m not saying that being a president is more or less than being a principal. But what I’m saying is, I think he would be proud based on the progress that our family has made, and it’s because he was the fi rst one who went to college and was the foundation for us.”

—SANDRA BENNETT