Berklee College of Music has named Natara Gray as the first assistant dean of Admissions, Diversity and Inclusion Recruitment. Her initial focus will be improving the college’s recruitment and retention of Black and African American students.
Gray has more than 12 years of higher education experience in student affairs, admissions, diversity, equity and inclusion. She previously served as the director for Undergraduate Admissions and Diversity Outreach at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts, where she led a team of 10 in their efforts to recruit and retain students with an interest in pursuing a liberal arts education. Gray was directly responsible for the overall admissions and recruitment process and for fostering and cultivating external partnerships.
“Her life’s work and passion is to provide educational access and opportunities to underrepresented/underserved communities and she has a true appreciation for the power of music and the arts to transform lives for the better. I’m excited to partner with Natara on this important work,” says Damien S. Bracken, dean of Admissions.
The Wareham native began her college experience as a first-generation student at Bridgewater State University in 2001 by working three jobs to support herself but left before obtaining her degree to pursue a music career in Florida. It wasn’t until 2014, that the wife and mother of two graduated from Bridgewater with a Bachelor of Arts degree while working full-time for the university in their Center for Multicultural Affairs.
The long-time DE&I advocate is looking forward to engaging with the Berklee community. Of this new chapter in her professional career, Gray says “I am beyond blessed to have an opportunity to work at a place I have appreciated and respected for so many years. Music is our soul’s way of communicating with or without words, and it’s a universal language that both unites and bonds us.”
