Alliyah Floyd serves as the Assistant Director of Student Programming & Engagement at North Carolina State University. In her role, she oversees two programming boards—the University Activities Board and the Black Students Board—which provide campus-wide programming for the NC State community.

Her first SACSA conference took place in 2023 in Atlanta, GA. She decided to attend based on her positive experience at NPI, and her mentor, Dr. Eric Bailey, encouraged her cohort to join SACSA following their year in the program. She describes the conference as an incredibly enjoyable and eye-opening experience, especially seeing other professionals who looked like her thriving in the field. It helped her recognize the humanity and relatability of the professionals she admired, which felt refreshing at her first major professional conference.

Alliyah did not follow a traditional student affairs path—she did not attend graduate school or hold a GA position. Instead, after a temporary role at ECU led her to NPI, her first full-time university position at UNC Chapel Hill encouraged her to attend SACSA. The experience was transformative. She learned a wealth of information and even presented for the first time after her group was convinced to submit a proposal. Through the conference, she met numerous professionals, senior leaders, and colleagues, building connections she still maintains today.

One of her most memorable experiences was attending the New Professionals Institute in 2023 and meeting a group of eight other new professionals from across the southern region. The group bonded quickly, becoming close friends who discuss both work and personal matters. They have traveled together multiple times, despite initially starting as strangers. This experience became the foundation of her SACSA journey.

Her most recent SACSA conference stands out as especially meaningful, as she received the New Professionals Award. She spent the conference with colleagues who had been part of SACSA longer than she had, and they had formed strong professional connections. One of the women she spent time with even holds Alliyah's former position at UNC Chapel Hill, and they stay in frequent contact. Alliyah shared with them that her supervisor had nominated her, but she doubted she would receive the award because the previous recipient's nomination had been incredibly powerful. She felt she had not contributed nearly as much.

When Brooke began reading the award script, Alliyah slowly realized it was describing her. Her entire table recorded the moment, and Dashan secretly filmed the reveal as well. She describes the moment as humbling and exhilarating—one she is still celebrating. She continues receiving messages from colleagues, especially first-time attendees who reached out via LinkedIn. She believes this experience will be difficult to surpass for quite some time.

For first-time attendees, Alliyah encourages connecting with as many people as possible. As an extrovert, she firmly believes that one's network is one's net worth. While success is possible without connections, she believes the journey becomes easier and more fulfilling when meaningful relationships are built.

To Alliyah, SACSA is genuinely family-oriented and truly feels like home. She believes the association embodies a “for us, by us” spirit that is reflected in its people and culture. While she may not always feel this sense of belonging in her daily work, she consistently feels it at SACSA, among the conferences, the association itself, and the individuals within it. She describes SACSA as filled with everyday people who care deeply about the work, about themselves, and about others. She feels comfortable saying, “These are my people,” because within SACSA, that's exactly how it feels.

She continues returning because of this family atmosphere. From a perspective of giving back, she believes recruitment is one of SACSA's most meaningful contributions. She wants every student affairs professional to experience SACSA and the supportive community it provides. SACSA offers people who understand the job, who can give advice, who help others navigate challenges, and who do so with genuine care. While part of her wants to “gatekeep” the experience because of how special it is, she knows she can't and ultimately, she wants especially new professionals to feel the same love and support she experienced. She hopes future generations will continue to experience the warmth, connection, and encouragement that SACSA offers.

Alliyah is deeply appreciated for her hard work, support, compassion, and commitment to the field and the association. The SACSA community looks forward to witnessing her future endeavors and successes.