Exec in Residence: Alum offers students advice for post-grad success

By Gil Pound

W ith the end of spring semester and graduation in sight, Georgia College & State University students heard last week from an alum who was in their position two decades ago.

Sam Rauschenberg ('07) - a former teacher, state education policy advisor and current vice president of Achieve Atlanta, a nonprofit providing need-based college scholarships to high school seniors - was on campus April 20-22 as the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology Executive in Residence. The program offers departments across the university unique access to business, government, education and health care professionals.

During his visit, Rauschenberg had some advice for Bobcats getting ready to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas.

"Be authentic to who you are and don't underestimate the power of follow-through when you commit to doing something," he said. "Overcommunicating and saying thank you can go a long way, especially in an increasingly competitive job market that includes the pressures of AI. Those interpersonal skills are going to be ever more important. I think a Georgia College liberal arts education is good preparation for that."

A native of Dalton, Georgia, Rauschenberg admits that Georgia College was a longshot among his college options. When Rauschenberg and his mother stopped in the Admissions office to ask a few questions during a campus visit, the vice president of Enrollment Management at the time showed some small-campus flair and gave them a tour himself.

"For an administrator at that level to stop everything and show us around was a clinching point and a great example of what my four years here were like," said Rauschenberg.

While balancing time as a member of the Bobcat men's golf team, a career in education policy became Rauschenberg's focus on his way to a bachelor's degree in economics. A faculty member recommended that he lead a classroom firsthand before jumping into the policy realm. The Georgia College alum went to New Orleans, Louisiana, to teach in an area that was still reeling from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. His time there informed and inspired future career moves.

Rauschenberg later returned to Georgia to continue his journey in education. Drawing from his combined education and data analytics background, he served as deputy director for research, policy and accountability for the Governor's Office of Student Achievement. He followed the numbers for five and a half years to help inform state-level education policy while providing accessible school success data to public education stakeholders.

A self-described creator and builder, Rauschenberg sought a new challenge and found one in late 2017 when he joined Achieve Atlanta, the nonprofit that provides financial aid and wraparound support to graduating high school seniors in metro Atlanta. The organization helps make the college dream a reality for between 800 and 900 Atlanta Public Schools students each year.

When the organization wanted to reach more students in the metro area, Rauschenberg was tapped to lead the charge as vice president for growth and impact, ultimately leading to the selection of Fulton County Schools as its second district partner and adding some 200 scholarship recipients this upcoming fall with more to come.

A true interdisciplinarian, Rauschenberg is not just a data hound. He's a writer, too, maintaining a blog that details his journey as a white man learning a more complete picture of the South's past and why it matters today. He credits his English 1101 honors class at Georgia College for helping lay his foundation as a writer.

Rauschenberg drew from all his experiences while returning to his alma mater as Executive in Residence last week. He spoke to classes, networked with students and faculty and gave a campus-wide address on redefining success.

"The Executive in Residence program exists because great leadership is best learned firsthand," said Dr. Faye McIntyre, interim dean of the College of Business & Technology. "Sam didn't just speak to our students in a classroom; he engaged with them, challenged them and inspired them. That kind of access is transformative, and we are deeply grateful for his investment in the next generation of leaders at Georgia College & State University."

"It's been great to come back to a place that has given me so much from an academic and relationship perspective," Rauschenberg said. "I live and breathe college success in my day job, but I don't get to be in the classrooms that I was formed in 20 years ago. Being able to do that with current students is a whole lot of fun."

Header Images: Rauschenberg guest lectures during a class and conducts a mock interview with student Deshona Gaither. (Photos: Gil Pound)