As of this semester, Karla Bradford Humphrey (A.S. ’12, B.A. ’14, M.A.T. ’21, Ed.S. ’25, Ed.D. ’26) is officially a five-time Panther, having earned all five of her degrees from Georgia State University.

Most recently, she helped create a community-based vocational training program for DeKalb County students with intellectual disabilities and presented her research at conferences at Georgia State and Spelman College.

In this Q&A, she discusses giving back to the university community and the importance of creating supportive educational spaces for students with disabilities to learn and grow.

Question: What made you choose to earn your latest degree at Georgia State University?

Answer: Georgia State has been foundational to all my degrees, from my associate degree at Perimeter College to my Ed.D. Georgia State is home to me.

Q: What clubs or organizations did you participate in during your time at Georgia State? What did you enjoy most about those experiences?

A: Serving as a graduate student ambassador was a deeply rewarding experience that further refined my commitment to mentorship. It strengthened my ability to support and guide others with intention and purpose. As a servant leader grounded in my faith, I am called to pour into the next generation — uplifting, empowering and paying forward every opportunity I have been given.

Q: What were some of the academic activities you participated in (i.e., presenting at a conference, participating in a poster session, joining an academic club, publishing an article in a journal, etc.)?

A: I spent most of my time in various graduate teaching and research roles, serving as a graduate student ambassador and on other committees that supported new teacher induction and voting on the use of student fees. I presented at the third annual Graduate Conference for Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity and at Spelman College's 2024 Diversity Summit, and I published a book chapter. These activities help to cultivate my spirit of advocacy for students and individuals with disabilities.

Q: What was your favorite class and/or class project that you completed in your degree program in the College of Education & Human Development? What did you enjoy about it? What made it meaningful for you?

A: My most meaningful project was the collaboration with the DeKalb County School District and the Department of Middle and Secondary Education, where we established the first office-based, community-based vocational training job site for students with intellectual disabilities. This initiative has provided our high school students with authentic exposure to professional office environments, expanding their vision of post-secondary education as a viable and attainable pathway after graduation. The CEHD community has warmly embraced our students, affirming their value and potential in these spaces. We are excited to sustain and grow this partnership for years to come, continuing to create pathways that support both independence and opportunity.

Q: What's something you've learned in your degree program that you'll apply to your work after you graduate?

A: One of the most significant things I’ve learned in my degree program is the power of narrative inquiry to center student voice as a legitimate and critical form of knowledge. Through this work, I have come to understand that students — particularly Black and Indigenous Students of Color (BISOC) with disabilities — are not just participants in education, but knowledgeable knowers whose lived experiences must inform practice and policy. I will continue to emphasize listening deeply and engaging in reflective, iterative analysis to better understand the complexities of students’ experiences. Moving forward, I will apply these lessons by intentionally creating educational spaces that elevate student voice, challenge deficit narratives and promote more equitable and humanizing learning environments.

Q: Complete this sentence: “Earning my degree from Georgia State University's College of Education & Human Development will help me move lives forward by ...”

A: Earning my degree from Georgia State University's College of Education & Human Development will help me move lives forward by amplifying student voice and advancing equitable education.