Elle Collins (fourth from left) poses with her colleagues. She was recently named executive director of the Center for Access and Success at Elon University—an office dedicated to supporting students from pre-K through college.
Published April 7, 2026
BY DANIELLE LEGARE
Coming full circle: First-gen UB alum elevates equity, opportunity at Elon University
Nearly a decade after graduating from the University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education’s higher education master’s program, Elle Collins has stepped into what she calls a “full circle moment.” The GSE alum was recently named executive director of the Center for Access and Success at Elon University—an office dedicated to supporting students from pre-K through college, with a focus on access, equity and belonging.
“Stepping into this role has been deeply personal and professionally affirming,” Collins said. “It’s a return to work that has always grounded me.”
The center, which spans six major initiatives, is rooted in community engagement and educational equity. Programs include the It Takes a Village Project, a tutoring initiative for elementary students across 12 Title I schools; Beyond 12, a college and career readiness program for middle schoolers; and Elon Academy, which supports promising high school students with financial need. At the university level, the center also houses the Odyssey Program, First-Generation Student Support Services, and the iBelong Mentoring Program.
As executive director, Collins leads a team responsible for delivering a multi-tiered support system that serves both the Elon community and the surrounding region.
“I envision the center as a place where students don’t just come to get support, but they can come to us to be empowered, to be seen, to build community and to dream big,” she said. “I see the center essentially as a hub of innovation around belonging and advocacy.”
Her vision includes strengthening existing programs and launching new ones that reflect the changing needs of students. It also extends beyond Elon’s campus. Collins hopes to position the center as a national model for how institutions can elevate access and success across every phase of a student’s journey, from the decision to pursue higher education, to navigating college life, to achieving meaningful outcomes beyond graduation.
“It’s about equipping them to close equity gaps, reach degree attainment and define success on their own terms,” she said. “I’m big on defining what success means to each individual. While institutions have traditionally focused on GPA, retention and graduation rates as the most salient indicators, and those factors are important, there is more to a student’s success story than that, especially for the students we serve.”
A Buffalo native and first-generation college graduate, Collins completed her bachelor’s degree in health and human services at UB before earning her master’s degree from GSE. She said her time at UB laid the foundation for her values and approach.
“Dr. [Namsook] Kim’s courses on multicultural competence helped me shape my personal leadership philosophy: access without equity and equity without belonging is incomplete,” Collins said.
“What made my UB experience unique was my assistantship. I worked with Dr. Nate [Daun-Barnett], coordinated the FAFSA completion project and worked to build partnerships with districts and schools,” she added. “It really gave me a powerful skillset. It taught me to lead with heart and strategy.”
Daun-Barnett describes working with Collins as “good fortune.” He recalls that she “demonstrated a deep commitment to creating access to postsecondary education for students like her.”
Elle Collins (far left) poses with the Center for Access and Success at Elon University students and staff.
“She served as coordinator for our FAFSA completion project in the city of Buffalo, where she oversaw 30 interns and volunteers working in 22 high schools across the district. During that work, I saw her passion for college access programming, and I knew it was only a matter of time before she was going to make a significant impact in the lives of future generations of students transitioning to college,” Daun-Barnett continued. “Her position at Elon University as executive director for the Center for Access and Success is a culmination of her hard work and persistent focus on helping others succeed in college.”
Since graduating from GSE in 2016, Collins has held a series of increasingly impactful roles. Prior to her position at Elon, she served as the director of the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Program at the University of Florida. She has also led residence life operations, multicultural engagement efforts and large-scale student support programming, often during times of institutional change.
She believes her success stems not from titles but from purpose.
“When your passion is personal, it means that you navigate spaces differently,” she said. “Everything that I do is about mentoring, advocating and supporting the younger version of myself, and that is what keeps me going.”
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