By Sophia Raspanti

“It all started from my undergraduate career as a soccer player at UNC Asheville,” says Dr. Ashley Gray, the Associate Director of Assessments and Strategic Planning, speaking on how an injury her freshman year nearly led her to drop out of college. “I had a good friend of mine that convinced me to stay in school, and in that time period I went on my college outdoor program’s spring break trip.” Finding an interest in outdoor recreation, Gray went on to have a fifteen-year career in outdoor recreation programs, as well as earning her Ph.D. at NC State.  

Joining Matt Bertram and Rilee Knott on Campus Connection: A Carolina Housing Podcast, Dr. Gray discussed Voice Into Action, its impact, and why students should get involved. Each fall, students are sent the Voice Into Action survey and their responses are used to identify areas with improvement needs and create solutions.  

Since its beginning in 2018, the Voice Into Action initiative has been a vehicle for student advocacy and has responded to student voices and feedback with various improvement projects and strategic plans. To Dr. Gray, Voice Into Action is especially important because it allows all students to have an equal voice in advocating for safe, inclusive, and equitable housing. In her words, the most important voices are those of the students currently living in the residence halls.  

Finally, Dr. Gray discusses areas Voice Into Action has had a direct impact, such as increasing food options available on south campus, network and internet connectivity in the residence halls, laundry service upgrades, and more.  

Listen to the entire podcast here.