After a tumultuous undergraduate experience of my own, I wanted to create spaces and experiences for students that were affirming and supported their success. I began a career in student affairs, excited to affect change and support students by embodying the scholar-practitioner identity cultivated through my master’s degree program. I quickly grew frustrated by the structural barriers, feelings of disempowerment, and the seeming lack of agency of university leaders. Through personal reflection, doctoral coursework, and scholarly inquiry I began to understand the complexities of student success and change in higher education institutions. As a faculty member, I have found the space and venues to more effectively (re)shape higher education institutions and student success efforts in ways that ameliorate the challenges faced by practitioners and the students they serve. My program of research is congruent with this goal.