Brickell Dotson Named Director of Residence Life for Graceland University

Graceland University Vice President for Student Life Dave Schaal has announced that Brickell Dotson has been named as the director of Residence Life for the Lamoni, Iowa, campus.

Graceland’s residence life director provides leadership to the university’s innovative house system and oversees the residence life program and university housing. This person serves as one of the primary catalysts in facilitating a vibrant on-campus living experience for Graceland’s Lamoni campus students.

“The residence life program is such a vital part of the student experience. We’re grateful for Brickell’s gifts, dedication and able leadership,” shared Schaal.

Dotson earned a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education with a concentration in mathematics and minor in church leadership from Graceland in 2017. She began her residence life experience while a student at Graceland, where she served as the academic student council representative and later the house president for Khiyah House. She also participated in cheer, choir and the Community of Christ leadership program.

“Graceland has always been a place for me to grow,” said Dotson. “I enjoyed the opportunity to be a leader on campus and foster community.”

After graduating from Graceland, Dotson taught fifth grade in Arizona for a year before returning to Graceland in 2018 to serve as the hall director for Tess Morgan Hall, a women’s residence hall on the Lamoni, Iowa, campus. She was later named area coordinator for both Tess Morgan and Walker halls, and she once again began to participate with the Graceland cheer team as an assistant coach.

“My senior year of Graceland, Michele Dickey-Kotz told me that I thrived in residence life and encouraged me to pursue a role in higher education,” said Dotson. “I smile looking back on that conversation, which helped me see education in a new way.”

During Fall 2020, Dotson was asked to serve as interim residence life director for Graceland during a year that has been anything but typical. In addition to the typical responsibilities of the job, her interim role included responsibilities related to the quarantine and isolation housing for students who had been diagnosed with and exposed to COVID-19 .

Dotson graduated with a Master of Education in student affairs from Regent University in December 2020, just ahead of her latest promotion, and she says her predecessors and the Graceland community, as a whole, inspired her move into the new role.

“While working at Graceland, I have always felt strong support from fellow coworkers, and they have assisted me in my success. I enjoy my role in developing student leaders and educating students outside the classroom.”