As an undergraduate studying business administration and serving in student government, Bronx native Zikomo Barr set his sights on a career in student affairs. “College was such a pivotal point in my life, so I wanted to provide that opportunity to students with low-income or single-parent backgrounds,” Barr says. “I wanted to pay it forward and give them the tools to pursue whatever they want to.”
After a master’s program in education and a rigorous job search, Barr started working at Pace in July of 2017. Since then, he has developed and overseen numerous leadership programs for Pace students. He recently graduated from a six-month mentorship program at Pace for high-potential employees.
“One thing I enjoy about Pace is that upon admission, all students have to take an assessment to find their top-five strengths. Then, the institution facilitates workshops around those strengths — for example, emotional intelligence or conflict management,” explains Barr. “I work hard to research best practices and promote those programs to students, because I really value when they can come to me for advice.”
Barr describes himself as a techie who lives by his color-coded calendar apps to juggle his many responsibilities. He’s been tapped nine times for Pace’s “Your Excellence Shows” (YES) Award (winning in 2017 and 2018) for his work inspiring students to be leaders.
