By Katie Hanson ’25
As a student affairs professional with multiple advanced degrees, DeMethra LaSha “Sha” Bradley’s academic and professional paths have always intertwined.
At the start of her collegiate career, as a Black studies major at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Bradley worked as a residential advisor, student health center advocate, university center chair, and custodian. Later, after completing her master’s degree in higher education and student affairs administration at the University of Vermont (UVM), Bradley served as a university conduct officer with an emphasis on academic integrity in the same university. After earning her doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies at UVM, she served as an incoming exchange students coordinator and assistant dean for academic and student affairs in the College of Education and Social Services.
Bradley says these intersections enabled her to gain hands-on experience in the student affairs field while simultaneously studying the more academic aspects of the discipline.
“Inside of the classroom, I was learning the theory, the foundations of the elements of a collegiate student experience, and then I was able to go practice it.” Bradley says. “There’s the theory in a book, and then there’s the actual living, breathing human. The art of the work that I do happened when I was in relationship with people, be they students, other staff members, parents, guardians, whomever.”
This August, Bradley joined the Scripps administration as the vice president for student affairs and dean of students. Bradley describes the position as a “both and” role, where she immerses herself in student concerns and experiences while also ensuring administrative affairs are attuned to and strategically meet their needs.
Understanding the student body and developing personal connections with Scripps students are particularly important to Bradley. She eats at the Malott Commons often, introduces herself to students in casual conversations, meets student employees in their workplaces, and looks forward to hosting dinners at her house (once all her furniture is moved in).
While Bradley acknowledges the value in her breadth of positions, she says the career she’s most proud of is her very first collegiate job: a student custodian.
“The work ethic that I developed [as a student custodian] that has never left me,” she says. “It’s also one of the reasons why I believe I’m so in tune with the people who make the things that we get to do here possible—our facilities, our grounds folks, our custodians, people who literally do work but are oftentimes not seen doing that work because the clock is different. To have my first job on a college campus be as a student custodian and the job I have right now as a vice president and dean of students says it all.”
Bradley has three main goals in her new role: to meet as many students as possible, to get to know her team, and to learn as much as she can. She meets bi-weekly with Scripps Associated Students (SAS) President Megan Chow and has plans to meet more students every week. Within her team, Bradley is focused on developing individual relationships with each staff member. She’s also excited to experience Scripps life through sharing meals with student colleagues or by cheering on a Claremont-Mudd-Scripps athletic team.
“By being out and in community with students, I want to create my own Scripps memories,” Bradley says. “I asked a lot of people what makes Scripps special, and I look forward to having my own lived answers to that question, too.”
Even though Bradley has been on campus for fewer than three months, she says she already feels welcomed.
“I have felt that this community really wants me to be successful in this role,” Bradley says. “I’m not only speaking about other staff members, but also in my conversations with the SAS president and attending the SAS meeting recently, I feel like there’s an opportunity and a desire for partnership, communication, and collaboration, and I’m all for it.”
With so much to look forward to, Bradley is approaching her new position with no shortage of energy and enthusiasm. She sees her job as both something to be proud of and a means of generating meaningful change.
“The mission, the way in which Scripps holds itself, the way in which multiple individuals told me that, although Scripps is a women’s college, it graduates students from all aspects of gender expression—that’s important to me because I’m a very strong advocate for gender justice. I identify as a Black queer or lesbian woman,” Bradley says. “While no place is perfect with all of those things, I did get the sense that Scripps understands the moment in time and wants to get there. This is my dream job.”