This Pitt Recruiter Is Helping Grad Students Succeed — Even Before They Step Foot On Campus

The curious student approaches LaToya Walters, asking the new recruiter within the Office of Graduate Studies about life and academics at the University of Pittsburgh: Where can they live? What are the campus support systems like? Walters flashes her brightest smile and happily shares the dozens of ways students can pursue and find success as graduate students at Pitt.

For Walters (A&S '13, EDUC '23G), only a year into her new post, this scene has played out across Pitt's campuses, the commonwealth, the country and continents. It's been a busy time as Walters has chatted with students in Greensburg, Philadelphia, Seattle and even India.

No matter where she finds herself, she is not only recruiting graduate students, but also helping them navigate the process of application, acceptance and starting something new. She connects students to financial assistance, housing, the program or school that's right for them - and to each other, guiding aspiring students to those who share their professional and social interests. Once a support system is in place, she said, graduate students can more readily settle into their research and studies.

Walters is gearing up for one of Pitt's graduate fairs, where she builds relationships with undergraduates at the Pittsburgh and regional campuses, promoting the varied ways to pursue graduate studies at the University. For Pitt undergraduates and alumni who are considering furthering their education, she tells them about the Pitt2Pitt Scholarship, which provides up to $7,500 annually toward tuition in close to 200 graduate programs.

"The scholarship is definitely one of our big sellers," she said.

Walters' outreach also extends to Pitt staff, who can receive a significant discount on a graduate degree through the University's education benefit. And she directs just about everyone to PittFund$Me, an online searchable scholarship database.

Vice Provost for Graduate Studies Amanda Godley, who proposed the creation of the position, is impressed with what Walters has delivered.

"In just one year, LaToya has transformed graduate recruiting for the University," she said. "By representing all graduate and professional programs at Pitt at national and international conferences and fairs, LaToya has reached more prospective students than we've ever been able to in the past."

It's easy for Walters to share stories about Pitt and Pittsburgh. As a high school senior in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, she was invited for an overnight stay on campus some 20 years ago and essentially never left. She studied political science, sociology and Africana studies, earning a bachelor's degree from the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Her life on campus and in the community was enriched by her participation in a group that facilitated connections among underrepresented students.

[Meet four graduate students who took unconventional paths to Pitt.]

So, she stayed at Pitt, earning a master's degree in higher education from the School of Education. When she decided not to teach, she found different opportunities at Pitt, working several positions in the School of Medicine then shifting to a post in admissions and recruitment with the School of Education before arriving in her current role.

Walters meets regularly with Pitt's 14 graduate and professional schools, working with them to create forums and build databases to share and address graduate student concerns. A positive outcome of that work has been that many schools no longer see themselves as competitors but as collaborators, sharing ideas that enable their success across programs.

A school's professional development programs can also be a deciding factor for students. Along with career centers in each school, the career design workshop in Pitt's Graduate Studies office allows students to do professional self-assessments, build their resumé or CV and get tips on interviewing. And the new Graduate Career Foundations site offers online workshops and webinars to prepare graduate students for leadership opportunities, cultural awareness, research skills and other competencies.

Another core task for Walters is her Meet the Recruiter events. This is part of what she did in India, and is also part of her visits to other U.S. colleges and conferences. In addition, she does workshops on the graduate student experience and helps students connect to the right school and the right people during the application process.

For Walters, the events highlight the power of personal touch.

"Meet the Recruiter shows that face-to-face connections remain critical," she said. "I think the pandemic taught us that there are certain things we can do online, and we can have a larger reach, but students still want to talk to somebody.

"In-person touches for recruitment are extremely important. It's a part that can't be replaced." And a part that Walters takes on, smiling as she goes.

Learn more about Pitt's graduate and professional programs.

Photography by Tom Altany