A couch in an office finds itself piled high with pillows while McFadden attempts to clean out the closet. Sun shines through the windows, illuminating her organized desk while some odd objects find themselves in a temporary home there. Between a shelf sparsely stocked with FSC memorabilia and an old filing cabinet is a compilation of artwork she has collected during her time while at FSC.
In the middle of a transition period, McFadden finds her office filled with mixed and matched furniture and belongings from several previous Directors dating back over a decade to 2013 when the Evett L. Simmons Center for Multicultural Appreciation officially opened on Florida Southern’s campus.
The walls of her office remain a pale green, having existed since the opening of the Simmons Center, which Alana jokes constantly that she can’t wait for the repainting to finish in hopes of beginning her journey with the Simmons Center on her terms.
Outside her office remain bright yellow walls from the previous director which are a lone remnant as several rooms have already been repainted a clean and vibrant cream color, the same color which will eventually line the interior walls of the Simmons Center. Once those walls are repainted, Alana will finally be able to start working towards her big plans for the building.
Tucked away on the west side of Florida Southern College’s campus, adjacent to the historical Frank Lloyd Wright architecture which is headlined by the famous Annie Pfeiffer Chapel is an old southern-style home, the Simmons Center. Located on the north side of Johnson Ave, the Simmons Center stands amidst historical architecture, multiple academic departments, and houses that don’t look all too different from it.
If it did not display its namesake on the outside, you probably wouldn’t even know it belonged to the college, but that’s its charm. On the inside, you’ll find McFadden in this two bedroom, one bathroom home retrofitted to give students of multicultural backgrounds a space of belonging on the campus of Florida Southern.
McFadden grew up in Plant City, Florida, just outside Polk County which is accessible via backroads or Westbound I-4. She attended Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Myers, Florida where she would continue to immerse herself in education before finishing her undergraduate studies in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a minor in Spanish.
Discussing her graduate studies, she spent a lot of time reflecting and thinking about all the specific degrees and certifications she earned. Having done one semester with the University of Denver before transferring to the University of Pittsburgh, McFadden finished out a dual-Master’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in community, organizing and social action, and then International Development with a concentration in governance and international management in December of 2023.
Transitioning to the professional world can be a daunting task, but to the new Director of the Simmons Center, Alana McFadden, it was a dream come true for a young professional.
“I want the Simmons Center to serve as a connector for all students.”
– Alana McFadden
Having been in school all her life, she wanted a break from the rigors of study and coursework. However, she was very fond of the experiences she earned while attending college and the internships that came with it. Her second internship came in Pittsburgh which she said is where she gained a lot of her work experience. Aspirations to maybe one day be in Congress were no longer there however, and McFadden echoed a sense of happiness that the one-year and three-month internship working in state politics and policy making showed her this side of herself. “I think I love being more hands on than what politics may allow me to be. I never want to be far-removed from the work that I’m doing with people who may like to see what I am producing.”
Taking the lessons from her internship, McFadden decided that education would be where she finds herself professionally, and not long after came the Simmons Center. Moving back home in February 2024 after finishing her graduate studies, McFadden took the time off to find herself and take that break from a well-rounded yet intense career as a student.
Prompted about what brings her joy as a hobby, she joked that her friends would laugh at her because despite her talent and passion for social work, she described herself as “very introverted.” Following up on that point, McFadden also emphasized her love of spending time with friends. “I really do love spending time with my friends and being reminded of how much I am loved and cared for just outside of being another person.” Being reminded of the kitchen just outside her office in the Simmons Center, McFadden dove into her love for baking and cooking, but lamented her lack of time recently to take part in the hobby she loves.
Being around McFadden, it’s a very calming presence that could even be heard when asked about her ideal day off beyond work. Simply put, McFadden’s ideal day off is “a day with no alarms,” and did not shy away from self-titling herself as a “nap-girl.” For Florida Southern students so far though, McFadden has been nothing but an ever-present and active member of the campus community since her arrival on Aug. 1 as the Director of the Simmons Center.
Beyond McFadden as a person, whom students have already come to love, she is set on being the Director students have been begging for. Despite only being the Director for slightly over 2 months, McFadden is set on bringing students the environment she envisioned when she came upon the job listing. McFadden has spoken to several students about why she felt the Simmons Center called to her as an opportunity, even going as far to say she had been asking herself that question and that “sometimes I think in the moment you don’t really know what or why it is you were called to something, it’s just a feeling you get about it… then later on you realize maybe this is why I was here and why I was placed in this position.”
As someone who was a dedicated and hard working student herself, she has used those experiences and put herself in the shoes of a Florida Southern student to reflect on how she got here. “I instantly thought that is an amazing resource for students to have a spot they can just go on campus and feel comforted, and supported, and loved… it was something that I always wanted to do, to have a center and a space where people can just feel accepted no matter what.”
In her two months on the job, Alana has displayed an unwavering level of support to students who have made their way back through the doors of the Simmons Center and is preparing to welcome many more as she continues her quest to transform this hallmark of student life into the vision of Ms. Simmons.
McFadden on what she saw in the Simmons Center when applying.
Future plans have always been a highlight for students who frequent the Simmons Center, and McFadden is right there with them. McFadden has been dabbling with the ideas of how she can best guide the Simmons Center forward as a resource and one of them replicates her as a person in wanting to bring a “brighter vibe” back to the building. It almost replicates the state of the building itself at the moment with Alana continuing to brighten students’ days and echoing that she enjoys hearing how they have been impacted so far.
Just as the walls of the Simmons Center brighten with new paint, new decor, new furniture and resources. A healing energy shines through the big glass windows inside the ever-loved living room, affectionately dedicated as Brenda’s Place, to the original Director of the Simmons Center who worked at FSC for 20 years, where students have started to flock back to. Another sign that McFadden is making an impact broader than new decor and renovations which she has strived to create.
McFadden had a meeting to run to as she continues her involved role with the Student Life department, but our final words during the time we spent together in her office were about the long-term future of the building and expanding its influence. Most people 2 months into their new role don’t have a two to three year plan outlined, but McFadden was full of intentions.
McFadden’s role as an advocate for multicultural appreciation across campus and empowering a sense of belonging to all who call Florida Southern College home is well on its way. Students, staff, and faculty have been responding to her efforts to empower the Simmons Center and that number continues to grow every day. It may still be early on in the process, but McFadden wants as many people to be a part of that together with her. In her words, “the door is always open.”
Sources
McFadden, A. (2024, September 23). Alana McFadden Profile Interview (T. Ho, Interviewer) [Personal communication].