Long before she became known as the “Campus Hugger” at Austin College, Kayla Brooks (’07) was simply a first-generation college student searching for her place.
Like many students, she arrived at McMurry University hoping to earn a degree. What she didn’t expect was to discover a calling.
As a student, Kayla rarely passed up an opportunity to get involved. She worked in the theatre department, served as a Tribe Guide and Vision Quest Co-Chief, completed an internship in Student Affairs, and immersed herself in campus life. Every role introduced her to new people, new perspectives, and new possibilities.
Those experiences not only helped her grow as a leader but also revealed a passion that would shape the rest of her career: helping students feel seen, supported, and successful.
A liberal arts education gave Kayla confidence that she could thrive wherever life took her. After graduation, she built experience across industries including arts and culture, finance, law, nonprofit work, and retail. Yet through every career move, one goal quietly remained in the background: returning to higher education.
“My secret dream was always to find a job in higher education,” she says. “I wanted to positively impact students in the way McMurry impacted me.”
Today, that dream has become reality.
As Assistant Director of Student Success at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, Kayla oversees the Peer Tutoring Program, provides academic coaching, supports student-athletes, and helps lead First-Generation programming. Every day, she works to ensure students have the encouragement and resources they need to succeed, especially those who may wonder if they belong.
That mission is deeply personal.
As a first-generation college graduate herself, Kayla understands the determination it takes to earn a degree. She worked multiple jobs, relied on student loans, and persevered through challenges that many first-generation students continue to face today. Those experiences fuel her passion for reminding students that every milestone matters.
She hopes they recognize that their education isn’t only changing their own future; it is creating opportunities for generations to come.
The example set by student-athletes at McMurry also left a lasting impression. Watching classmates balance demanding academic schedules while competing at a high level inspired her to approach her own pursuits with the same perseverance. Whether she was excelling or struggling, she learned the importance of continuing to move forward.
Among the many faculty and staff who influenced her journey, theatre professor Charlie Hukill stands out as someone who forever changed her life. His compassion, encouragement, and mentorship extended far beyond the classroom, becoming a friendship that continues nearly two decades later.
Those relationships taught Kayla something she now strives to recreate for every student she serves: that sometimes the greatest impact comes from making someone feel known.
That philosophy is evident throughout Austin College. Colleagues affectionately know her as the “Campus Hugger,” and for good reason. She intentionally learns names, greets students across campus, and has created an office filled with plants, student artwork, and bowls of chocolate where everyone, from first-year students to the college president, is welcomed with warmth.
Her wife, Elizabeth Banks (’05), a fellow McMurry alumna and longtime theatre professor at Austin College, jokingly calls her “The Mayor of Austin College.” While Kayla laughs at the nickname, it reflects the community she has worked so intentionally to build.
Her commitment to students and campus life was recently recognized with Austin College’s Outstanding Service to Campus Award, honoring her dedication to student success, academic support, and creating a welcoming environment for all.
For Kayla, however, service has never been about recognition.
“Community and service mean you were present and tried to leave places better than you found them,” she says.
Looking back on her own time at McMurry, two words come to mind: gratitude and growth.
Those two words continue to define her story today. The opportunities she embraced as a student became the foundation of a career devoted to helping others discover their own potential. Through every conversation, every tutoring session, every hug, and every act of encouragement, Kayla is giving students exactly what McMurry once gave her: a place to belong and someone who believes in them.
Do you or an alum you know have a great post-McMurry story? We’d love to feature YOU! Contact the Alumni Office at alumni@mcm.edu to schedule an interview.