The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced that Shakerra Carter, Ed.D., Vice President of Student Services, at San Diego College of Continuing Education, is one of 40 leaders selected for the 2025-26 Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship. Rigorously selected from among over 120 applicants, fellows will learn from—and apply to their own contexts—lessons from over a dozen years of Aspen research about how to lead an institution to higher and more equitable levels of student success.
“I am honored to represent San Diego College of Continuing Education among a cohort of dynamic leaders from across the nation. I look forward to engaging with the Aspen Institute’s renowned transformational practices and bringing that insight back to help drive innovation and student success at our college,” shared Dr. Carter.
Many sitting community college presidents plan to retire in the next decade, creating an opportunity for college trustees and system heads to select leaders who have the skills and knowledge to achieve better outcomes for students. Aspen Presidential Fellows represent the next generation of diverse college leaders: the incoming class is 60 percent women, and 50 percent are people of color. The institutions they represent are also diverse, located in 19 states and ranging from small rural to large urban colleges. The fellows will work closely with highly accomplished community college presidents and thought leaders over ten months to learn from field-leading research, examine demographic and labor market conditions in their communities, assess student outcomes at their colleges, and advance a clear vision for excellent outcomes for all their students while in college and after they graduate.
"Our research on excellent colleges reveals that they have a few big things in common: They have presidents who focus on a few large-scale reforms that transcend enrollment and completion goals and centrally focus on whether graduates are set up to succeed in the next stage of their lives—either the world of work or at a university where they aim to earn a bachelor’s degree," said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program. "This cohort of fellows is clearly committed to advancing student success and has the talent to lead transformational reforms. We are really looking forward to our year with them in the fellowship and bringing their talents into our alumni network."
“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Shakerra Carter for being selected as an Aspen Rising Presidents Fellow. Her recognition is a testament not only to her exceptional leadership and dedication to student success, but also to the vital mission of San Diego College of Continuing Education," said Dr. Tina M. King, College of Continuing Education President. “We serve the most vulnerable learning communities through innovative, accessible, and inclusive adult education. Dr. Carter’s achievement reflects the values we uphold; equity, opportunity, and transformative learning, and we are honored to see her unwavering commitment to student success acknowledged on a national stage.”
Rising Presidents Fellows are chosen based on their commitment to student success, the extent to which they exhibit the characteristics of excellent presidents revealed in Aspen's research, and interest in pursuing a college presidency within five years of completing the fellowship. As Aspen Presidential Fellows, they join a network of over 430 forward-thinking peers—197 of whom are sitting college presidents—who are applying concrete, grounded, and innovative strategies to meet student success challenges at their colleges.
The Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship is made possible by the generous support of the Burton Family Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, College Futures Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation.