Beyond the Measure Episode Two

Beyond the Measure 
Episode 2: Jalon Berry

In the second episode of Beyond the Measure, our hosts sat down with Jalon Berry, executive director of Strategic Retention Initiatives at Sam Houston State University. Berry shared how SHSU supports student success beyond enrollment, focusing on connection, persistence and long-term impact. The conversation explores what retention looks like in practice, the strategies that help students stay on track and how intentional support systems strengthen the overall Bearkat experience. The following lays out the discussion in a convenient Q&A format. For the full Beyond the Measure experience, watch the full episode below or on YouTube.

What brought you to Sam Houston State?

I came to Sam Houston State University after finishing high school. I'm from East Texas and my dad was actually in the military. He served in the U.S. Navy and enlisted in the state of Texas, and so, because of that, I was a recipient of the Hazlewood Act. I always knew that post-high school I was going to go to school in Texas, so as I began the search for which institution stood out to me most, Sam Houston really was a shining star.

One, because my aunt went here in the 2000s, so I was a little familiar with the university. Then, as I was doing research on the programs, the organizations, what the professors were like, it immediately stuck with me that this is where I wanted to be. So I came for a Saturday@Sam visit and immediately fell in love and I enrolled here in the criminal justice program. I was a criminal justice major and so everything just kind of aligned with Sam Houston State University.

Can you describe some of the initiatives here at Sam that you believe are making the most impact with students?

I definitely want to highlight my areas that are doing a phenomenal job. As the executive director, I oversee four different areas here at Sam Houston State University, one being the Department of Access and Retention Programs, which includes the outstanding ELITE program, Evolve program and Aspire program. With those three areas, I get the opportunity to work with three different groups of students. Aspire serves our graduate students that are seeking their master's degree, ELITE works with all of our undergraduate students and Evolve helps serve our transfer students. Within those areas, we're really ensuring that students have that community, that sense of belonging and the resources that they need to succeed.

Additionally, I get to oversee the First Generation Center, which is amazing for me because I am a first-generation student, so that resource really hits close to home because I remember what it was like being that first-time freshman, being that sophomore or that senior that was getting ready to graduate and really not sure what the next step is beyond college. So, we're doing some amazing work working with campus partners and resources to ensure that our students know what's next and how to use the services to their benefit.

Additionally, I oversee the Office of Student and Family Experience. We're really homing in on bringing in those families and making them a part of the Bearkat experience as well. Within that, we're looking at how students are getting the best experience by looking at their journey map and what resources that they have in order to prevail throughout their tenure here at Sam Houston State University. And then, of course, the overall student retention component, which I get to work very closely with Moore in Student Affairs. We're making sure that students are having a positive experience through other areas such as campus activities and involvement, fraternity and sorority life and so much more. Those are some areas that I really believe are doing amazing work here at the university, and I'm so proud to be a part of the collaboration that we have going with those different departments.

What partnerships across campus do you think are most essential to ensure our students are retained here?

All of them. You have to have partnerships across the board, whether that's just in Student Affairs, Strategic Enrollment & Innovation, Academic Affairs, Enrollment, that all makes a difference in the student’s experience and their journey. We have to work cohesively together to ensure that our students are having the best experience. For me, what's been amazing is that I've worked in all these different areas, and I know the amazing people and the amazing work in the initiatives that they're leading. Being able to take the information and the experience that I've had across the board with the different colleagues and the knowledge that I've been able to attain, to work together to really ensure that we're getting our students here and our initiatives are key for students wanting to stay here.

So I think cross-collaboration is important. We have to remember that we're all in this together and we're all here for our students, and I think a lot of times we focus on what it looks like on the staff and faculty side, but also having the opportunity to bring in our students like Ily to ask, you know, what's going on? What's your experience? What are we missing here at Sam Houston State University? And what can we do for you and your peers to make it better? And so cross-collaboration with faculty, staff and students is the key.

What's one piece of advice that you would give to a student that's doubting their path?

Like I stated earlier, I was a first-generation college student, and I got here and I was just lost. I was embarrassed to ask for assistance or to seek guidance, office hours sounded like something scary, so my first semester, and I will be truthful, I ended up on academic probation.

To the students that are struggling, I want to say first and foremost: you do belong here, we want you here at Sam Houston State University. Our institution is amazing because it provides opportunities for students from all different backgrounds. We have over 50 percent of our undergraduate students who are first-generation. We have students from so many different walks of life that have chosen to come to Sam Houston State University, and we are making an opportunity here for them to succeed. First and foremost, you will succeed because you belong here at the university, but also to do it takes some dedication.

So I like to focus on what I call the three P’s. First, you have to remember your passion. Why did you come to Sam Houston State University? Why are you seeking that degree? Second, you have to remember that you have to be patient because it takes a little while to get your footing. Give yourself a little bit of grace because it can be hard transitioning from grade school. Your parents were around and now you're in college, living on your own, having to buy toilet paper and groceries and all those things. So be patient with yourself, be patient with your journey, but then also, you have to persevere. There will be times where things become a lot more challenging, whether that's in your classrooms, in your friendships, whatever the case may be, but also you always remember to persevere. I think when you combine those three things together, you're able to persist, and that's the promise that we have here at Sam Houston for our students is that we're here to see you succeed.

If you could go back to give yourself advice, now that you've worked here, you've been here for years, what advice would you give yourself?

Besides the three Ps that I just preached, I think I would say to enjoy the journey. I think a lot of times we are in a rush to get to the finish line that we don't take the time to rest, we don't take the time to be patient in that journey. But I think overall for me as I reflect now, being out of school almost 10 years - 10 years ago I was a senior here at Sam Houston State, which is very wild to think about - but I would have enjoyed the journey a lot more. I would have gone to more meetings, I would have gone to more events, I would have had more conversations with my peers because college really has been, or really was, the highlight of life so far for me. I think that it gives you an opportunity to be in this utopia, to meet new people, to be exposed to new things.

A lot of times, even when I have conversations with the students that I get to mentor, they're in a rush to get to graduation. I'm like, after graduation, there's nothing out here but bills, please slow down. College is the perfect balance of you're an adult, but you still don't have too many responsibilities. I would say be patient, enjoy the journey, enjoy the ride and leave here with no regrets.