Higher education is her ‘life’s mission’

50th anniversary staff spotlight: Tamar Anthony

By California State University, Bakersfield

October 2^nd, 2020

“I knew education was the one that I wanted because it changed my life,” said California State University, Bakersfield staff and faculty member Tamar Anthony, of why she chose the path she’s on now.

Before getting hired at CSUB, she’d worked in other jobs, but they weren’t the right fit for her.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in marketing, she knew she had to be able to stand by the product she was selling.

As she was transitioning into a new appointment, she prayed about getting a job at CSUB and was offered an entry level position. From there, she prayed to get a permanent position.

Anthony filled temporary positions in a few departments before getting the role she’s in today. When a position opened up in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department, she conducted research and found out about the department and Dr. Jackie Kegley, senior faculty and wife of late Dr. Charles Kegley, founder of the department.

“When I fell on her and her contributions, it made me even more proud to actually work for this department to represent the university in this way and supporting Dr. Kegley’s initiatives and service to the students,” said Anthony.

Anthony is the department administrator, which means she develops course schedules, manages the budget and supports the faculty in that department.

“It’s a smaller department, more of a family-based kind of environment,” she said. “I’m just happy to work in that particular department of the university with great faculty and in the School of Arts and Humanities with wonderful people.”

Higher education is her calling, but why has she chosen to stay at CSUB specifically?

“CSUB is the primary institution in this county that can uplift and change a community,” said Anthony.

On top of her administrative duties, she is also an instructor of first-year seminar courses.

“My hope is to continue on with my education so I can ultimately teach in some subject that I absolutely love, which may be nonprofit management or teach courses in marketing, so hopefully I can teach in the business and public administration department,” she continued.

In 2018, Anthony finished her master’s degree in public administration from the School of Business and Public Administration and is currently working on her thesis. She just needs to complete her project in order to receive her degree, but she’s almost to the finish line.

Ultimately, she would like to teach a couple classes, as well as hold her other committee and role responsibilities she has on campus and in the department she’s currently in.

Higher education is her ‘life’s mission’

Educational leadership

Anthony is also extremely passionate about her work as the co-chair for the Black Faculty and Staff Association, along with Darius Riggins.

“There’s a need for us to step up and do what we need to do because of the lack of identifying the campus resources to support African American students due to our numbers and retention,” said Anthony.

“If you look at the statistics in the community, we are the lowest – there is a need,” she added.

Anthony would like to get into public policy but doesn’t have the capacity to do so. Instead, she uses her skills for the nonprofit sector. The committee work she does on campus and with different agencies in Bakersfield helps her achieve that with changing laws as it pertains to those that affect the community.

One thing she is proud of to come out of CSUB? The Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership.

“When I moved here 11 years ago, I was a little discouraged that this community did not have its own doctoral program,” she said. However, “CSUB having [the doctoral program] sets the standard higher for the community.”

With over 60% of alumni staying in the region after graduation, Anthony said “homegrown” talent is important.

“That homegrown talent is amazing – you have the ability to educate the people who are in this community and then you keep that talent in the community,” she said. “If you happen to stay here, do the best that you can. Make the best out of your education and leave that talent here.”

A higher education ambassador

Anthony also considers herself an ambassador for higher education.

“It’s part of my life’s assignment, my life’s mission,” said Anthony. “I know what higher education has done for me.”

She co-founded a nonprofit organization with several other women in the community to reach out to African American boys and girls.

While the focus is on higher education, they also address other issues, including social economics that relate to them. For the girls, they cover topics like self-esteem, empowerment, how to say ‘no,’ and what they want out of their lives.

The focus for the boys is directed towards hard work and teamwork, as well headlines in the news today, including what to do when they get pulled over and how to deal with police officers.

The conferences are held on campus in order to expose the youth to higher education – giving them tours. They also call in speakers from various careers to do workshops, including Mayor Karen Goh, former chief of the Bakersfield Police Department Lyle Martin and others, to discuss how to stay encouraged in their community environment as it relates to them working towards college and the obstacles they face.

“This county, this city has changed so much,” said Anthony, adding that she’s been a graduate student and worked at CSUB for a combined eight years now.

As for what she hopes for in CSUB’s future, Anthony wants to see an increase in the enrollment for African American students.

“That way we can better the African American community,” she said. It begins with outreach in middle school.

It’s about more than just recruiting students, she said, it’s about supporting students while they’re here, as well as enriching the community-at-large.

But, even in the midst of its challenges and strides to do better, Anthony said,“It’s an environment that’s so fulfilling. I’ve always wanted to work in a career that’s fulfilling and this job, this career, this appointment is fulfilling,”