Demarcus Merritt, Sr. is a student in our PhD in Education Program. Demarcus recently received the 2026 Outstanding Mid-Level Professional Award from the Association of College and University Housing Officers. Keep reading to learn more about his experience and advice he has for prospective and current students.
Tell us a little bit about you, your professional role, and why you chose this field
“I am a firm believer in Christ, and my faith and my family are non-negotiable parts of my foundation. I’m a proud Black man, husband, and father of two sons, and the forever father of one heavenly daughter who continues to shape how I love, lead, and show up every single day. These parts of me don’t turn off when I walk into professional spaces. They are the reason I lead with care, intention, and humanity.
I’m originally from Emporia, Virginia, raised in a single-parent household and grounded early on by the extra love, wisdom, and steady presence of my grandparents. I’m a proud two-time alum of Virginia State University, where I was blessed to be the first student awarded a full fellowship in the inaugural graduating cohort of the Sport Management graduate program. A master’s degree was never on my bingo card, and I definitely never imagined I’d be the first in my family to earn one. That experience stretched my imagination and made me wonder, maybe quietly at first, if a PhD could be possible too.
I currently serve as the Assistant Director of Residence Life with George Mason University Housing & Residence Life. I joined George Mason in January 2024 after a season of serving as an Assistant Dean at the University of Virginia. I’ve spent 18 years in higher education and student affairs. While this wasn’t always the career I planned for, it is absolutely the work I’ve chosen to do with purpose. Even in seasons where the path felt unclear, I stayed committed to showing up fully for students and for the people alongside me doing the work.
Virginia State University (VSU) is where the “why” really took shape. Faculty made time for me. Administrators didn’t just advise me; they invested in me. People stepped in and stepped up in ways that told me I belonged in higher education. VSU didn’t just give me confidence; it gave me competence. It gave me permission to dream louder and believe that I could make a meaningful impact. The past 18 years haven’t just been about building a career. They’ve been about giving back to a profession that once changed the direction of my life.
Alongside my professional role, I’m honored to serve on the CEHD Student Advisory Board. For the past 18 years, I also have been a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, an organization that has deeply shaped my commitment to service, achievement, and community uplift. In addition, I am the Founder and Principal Consultant of The Demarcus Merritt Signature Experience (The DMSE), a consulting group focused on leadership development, care-centered practice, and organizational culture within higher education and beyond.
I’m excited about stepping into leadership this year as President of the VACUHO Governing Council and as Chair-Elect of the ACUHO-I Mid-Level Leadership Institute. These roles matter to me because they allow me to advocate for practitioners, invest in people, and help shape what leadership can and should look like in our field.”
What does receiving this award mean to you?
“Honestly, it stopped me in my tracks.
I cried tears of gratitude and sat in a still, prayerful posture of thanks to God for His faithfulness, His favor, and His steady covering through every chapter of this journey.
It led me to reflections of deep gratitude for my wife, Ashley, and how thankful I am for her being my refocuser when life hit hard. For anchoring my faith when imposter syndrome tried to speak louder than purpose. For covering me, believing in me, and reminding me again and again that this path is rooted in passion and purpose. You are my rock. My safe house. My constant through every high, low, and in-between season.
I’m deeply grateful for our sons, my family, and my villages near and far. For the phone calls when doors closed. For the quiet check-ins and the loud celebrations. For the people who held space for me when the work felt heavy or unseen. I’m thankful for ACUHO-I, SEAHO, VACUHO, my fellow Governing Council members, my Mason Nation community, and so many others who have poured into me along this mid-level journey.
I accept this award on behalf of mid-level professionals everywhere. For the seen and unseen labor. For the magic, the mess, and the mud that comes with this space. This recognition affirms what so many of us need to hear: the work matters, and the people doing it matter. If my name being called helps someone else feel seen, affirmed, or reminded of their value, then this honor has done exactly what it was meant to do.”
How has our PhD Program prepared you for your career and the world?
“The PhD program in CEHD has been transformative for me. It has slowed me down in the best way. It’s helped me think more critically, ask better questions, and understand the responsibility that comes with research and knowledge production as a practitioner.
Coming back into the doctoral journey wasn’t easy. I carried past experiences and trauma with me from past educational experiences, and I was honest about that. From the very beginning, faculty and administrators met me with humanity. As someone who also works as administrative faculty at George Mason, I often feel like I’m wearing that hat first. This program has challenged me to fully own my dual identity as both practitioner and transfer doctoral student.
What has stood out most is the community. From peers to faculty to support staff, people genuinely celebrate each other here. The faculty and doctoral peers never reduce my value to only classroom or curriculum contributions or how I perform in research assignments, but they welcome and they offer to hold, celebrate, and support my whole humanity in and out of the classroom. When I experienced a difficult mental health season last semester, I wasn’t met with judgment or questioning of my capability. I was met with care, resources, listening, and people who stayed in community with me. That experience didn’t just help me get through a hard season. It showed me what leadership rooted in humanity really looks like, and that’s the kind of professional I’m committed to being long after I earn this degree.”
What advice would you give to prospective and current students?
“Make space to celebrate yourself, and don’t shy away from letting others celebrate you too.
Not all of your work will be seen or celebrated right away. Not all of it will be valued by everyone. But purpose has a way of receiving its flowers in time. You’re a seed planted in good soil, and one day the garden you’ve been tending will show you what it’s been growing all along.
That affirmation might come quietly through a participant thanking you for making space to hear their story. Or it may come later through awarded fellowships, grants, leadership opportunities, accepted manuscripts, or tenure. Be your loudest and bravest cheerleader. Remember, the graduate degree is a journey, not a destination. This journey will test your heart, your will, and your character more than it tests your intellectual ability.
Stay grounded in your “why.” And if you’re the first in your family to pursue or earn a graduate degree, know this: you are proof that it’s possible, and you’re making sure you won’t be the last. Keep showing up. Keep investing in you.”