Meet Joy
Joy Nelson-Thomas
Learning and Lifting Each Other Up
Joy Nelson-Thomas C’12 credits her journey to serving as Founding Executive Director of LEAD (Learning Everyday Accomplishing Dreams) Girls of North Carolina to her time at Salem, especially her time working with Dr. Rosa Otero. The mission of LEAD Girls of North Carolina is to provide the tools and resources our girls need to become productive citizens and active leaders in our community through innovative leadership and personal development programming.
As a transfer student, Joy was looking for a place that felt right for her, and she found that place at Salem. She was initially drawn to the strong academic programs, and the supportive faculty; but she also credits Salem’s rich history and focus on empowering women as a top reason to make Salem her home.
“I was drawn to the strong academic programs, especially since I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Rosa Otero, a design professor who started me on my journey. It’s professors like her who create the supportive community students need. It wasn’t a hard decision either with the rich history and focus on empowering women. There’s nothing more beautiful than women learning and lifting each other up!”
Joy is a strong advocate for Salem College’s Health Leadership focus. While Health Leadership wasn’t a focus while she attended Salem, she has come back to campus to attend various Health Leadership events and was suitably impressed.
Joy also passionately credits the professors for helping to spark students’ vision, passion, and purpose. She remembers having a professor that made her fall in love with science, another made her believe that she could and should have been a sociologist. Dr. Rosa Otero pushed her to step forward and become the speaker she is today.
“It’s each and every one of them who helps spark students’ vision, passion, and purpose.”
Joy strongly encourages anyone thinking of attending Salem College to visit campus.
“Go attend a session, visit the campus, and I believe you’ll feel in your heart and soul that this is the place for you. It’s a place with my people—Salem sisters. We all want a place that allows us to be our true selves, and I truly believe Salem does that. Go find your voice, be a leader, and be remarkable!”