Keli Wright received a master’s degree in Social Science. Courtesy photo
Are you familiar Keli Wright?
Wright has been employed as a retention specialist at Grambling State University since 2014. However, her path to her current life has been full of learning experiences.
“If I had to describe my entire life thus far in one word, I would use the word gumbo,” Wright said. “Gumbo is a pot with different ingredients, but it all comes together in the end and creates something so good. I have three kids, they lack nothing, I lack nothing, my husband lacks nothing. I’m just going with the flow and allowing God to place me where he wants me.”
Wright is a native of Lake Charles, La. She attended college at McNeese State University where she majored in speech communications.
“I love communications, I just knew I had no intentions of being in front of the camera,” Wright said. “I wanted to do more of the business side of public relations.”
After graduation, Wright moved to Ruston where she worked at Louisiana Tech in the Biology Student Success Department for two years. In addition to the job at Louisiana Tech, Ruston is also where Wright met the love of her life.
Although Wright moved back home to Lake Charles to work at her alma mater as an admissions counselor, she was able to maintain a long distance relationship.
“I loved this job,” Wright said. “I was able to travel and recruit kids. On top of that, the atmosphere of the office was so warm.”
Three years later, Wright officially reunited with her soulmate for a lifetime. She married Lance Wright in 2008, in Lake Charles, La.
“It was the best day of my life,” Wright said. “Everything was so beautiful and I was so happy to be a wife.”
Soon after the wedding, Wright moved to Baton Rouge due to her husband getting a job at Southern University as a campus minister. During this time, Wright began working as a social security administrator. Wright stayed in the position for five years – one year in Baton Rouge, two and a half years in South Carolina and two and a half years in Grambling.
“I strongly disliked this job,” Wright said.
“I never saw myself working in a cubicle and we had no breaks.”
In 2014, she finally quit her job as a social security administrator and began working at Grambling State University.
“This is job is so much better than being a Social Security Administrator,” Wright said. “I love the interaction with students. It reminds me of when I was in college along with troubles I faced and motivates me to help make (student) lives better.”
While working at Grambling State University, Wright decided to obtain a master’s degree in social science psychology in December 2018.