Q&A with Melissa Carter, 2025 Doctoral Convocation Student Speaker

Melissa Carter (EdD ’25, Higher Education Administration) shares about her journey to the program, her work with NYU Global Spiritual Life, and what's next after graduation.

Tell us about yourself! What did you study at NYU Steinhardt? What kind of extracurriculars were you involved in?

I studied Higher Education Administration with a focus on Chaplaincy and Campus Religious Life. I sought out this degree after working for many years with [NYU Steinhardt Professor Emeritus of History and Education] James Fraser, who ran the focus in my EdD, and he encouraged me to pursue it. I am the first person in my family to have a doctorate, and it’s not something I ever dreamed of for myself. My journey into higher education was a rocky path. I almost failed high school and struggle with dyslexia. I wasn’t sure I could balance motherhood with a full-time job, and continue to foster a strong spiritual and social well-being. But I wanted this opportunity to show myself and model for others what’s possible when you believe in yourself and write your own narrative. I'm really proud of this journey and I’m grateful it has allowed me to show my son a new respect for higher education and that we have a place in it.

I’m the senior director of the NYU Center for Global Spiritual Life and the head of mindfulness education and programs. Our center is home to religious, interfaith, spiritual engagement across the university, with 70 spiritual advisors across 35 denominations under our umbrella. We house the MindfulNYU program with yoga and meditation opportunities, religious literacy and pluralism training, and a variety of dialogue groups like our interfaith supper club and multifaith advisory council. 

What is your favorite memory from your Steinhardt experience?

What will live in my heart forever is how the participants in the qualitative study for my dissertation—titled “Listening for Need: Understanding the Well-Being Experiences of Gen Z”—trusted me so much with their stories. They were extremely vulnerable with me and allowed me to have such deep insight into who they are. The impact of that vulnerability now gets to impact the field of higher education. I will always treasure that; they’ve become a piece of my heart.

Any plans after graduation? Where do you see yourself in three years?

I want to keep supporting our University in its efforts to be a more faith-friendly campus. I’m working to do that through our pluralism efforts, our dialogue across difference cohorts, and the interfaith arm of our Center. We’re working in the weeds with religious centers across campus and helping all students of faith to have those vital conversations. Over the next few years, I’d love to find ways to scale our offerings to reach even more NYU community members. I’d also love to do more writing and publishing, and finish writing my next book!

What advice do you have for students in your field or program?

Lean on your peers; your cohort will help you through it. Stay committed to your voice and soak in as much as you can. Stay as curious as possible. 

Who I walked into this program as is not who I am walking out as. I’m a better leader, life student, peer, and colleague. Be open to change.