Multicultural Center Employee Returns as Associate Director

Last month, the James Farmer Multicultural Center welcomed a returning staff member, Greta Franklin, back into the program as associate director.

According to the University of Mary Washington EagleEye, Franklin worked as the multicultural student counselor from 2000 to 2005.

“It feels wonderful to be back,” Franklin said. “It feels like coming home.”

Franklin graduated from UMW with a bachelor’s degree in art history and then worked as the multicultural student counselor before attending University of Maryland, College Park for her master’s of education in college student personnel, she said.

“I decided to really engage in different sorts of positions and different types of schools just so that I would have that experience and that knowledge,” Franklin said about the jobs she took after graduate school.

She worked as the associate director for campus life at Vassar College, as well as the assistant director of student life at the Community College of Baltimore County before returning to UMW.

Franklin cited the Freedom Ride exhibit hosted by the school last year as one of the main reasons for her return.

She said she hopes to continue focusing on the humanist and social justice issues that were so important to James Farmer, such as civil rights and racial equality.

“I really see my role as associate director as continuing along that path and continuing to think of ways that the Multicultural Center can be that kind of conduit of focusing on those issues, outreaching to the community, and outreaching to the students here so they understand our role on campus,” Franklin said.

Marion Sanford, director of the James Farmer Multicultural Center, said she was delighted to see Franklin return to the program.

According to Sanford, Franklin is an outstanding staff member.

“She has such a passion for multicultural and diversity programming,” Sanford said.

Sanford explained that Franklin was very involved with student organizations such as the Black Student Association while she was a student at UMW. She even founded the Students Educating and Empowering for Diversity club, which is still active in the campus community today.

“That was just another testament to everything she’s done and her passion for this field, and for just getting everybody on board with understanding and appreciating differences,” Sanford said.

Senior Charles Girard is the head student employee at the James Farmer Multicultural Center, and he believes that Franklin is settling into her new position well.

“Ms. Franklin has only been at our office for a few weeks but I can tell that she is a good fit for our office,” Girard said. “She has made an effort to meet as many students as possible and her door is always open.”