
Keyimani L. Alford, Ph.D. is a higher education professional who has spent almost two decades committed to helping students overcome the financial barriers of college. He has been fortunate to be an example to his peers, family, and friends by demonstrating that your past does not have to derail your future.
As a first-generation college student who was born in Oakland, California but later raised in Milwaukee, WI, he experienced first-hand the consequences of living in poverty through the exposure of drugs, absence of biological parents, mental instability, and low self-esteem. However, in the midst of his circumstances he maintained a positive perspective by grounding himself in his faith. Due to that, he vowed to himself that his future would be better than his past.
“I may not be the best, but I am the best person to fulfill my destiny….”
After experiencing his life situations, that he often shares with his audience, he decided that education was his door to a better and brighter future. Growing up in a household where high school wasn’t the number one priority, he took on the mindset that graduation was not an option. Fueled by his spiritual walk, he trusted the process and accepted his past as a bridge to success. After graduating high school and going to college he became interested in providing options to college students, which started his career in higher education by working in the financial aid office.