Cheryl Steele’s office sits on the third floor of Upchurch University Center, just down the hall from the Fraternity and Sorority Life suite and directly next to the First Generation Student Lounge. The door of her office is lined with stickers and letters, a table next to her office holds informational materials and a couple copies of The Rotunda.
Behind her chair is a large framed “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster, next to a shelf lined with photos, a clock and recognitions. Elsewhere, small knick-knacks, books and decorations line the windowsill and tables.
In a few months, Steele’s retirement will leave the office with a new occupant, but her legacy and impact will stick with the students, faculty and staff whom she mentored and worked alongside.
Steele has been in the field of higher education for 44 years. “I stumbled into higher ed. I did not intend to go into it. I was very involved in college, probably more involved in that than I was in my academics early on,” she said. “I was not a good role model, but it's also given me great insight in working with students.”
While she currently serves as Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Initiatives at Longwood, she has held numerous titles at various universities over the years. “I got an internship at Florida State University, and I worked there for a year at a big university, and then I went and worked at a women's college, and then a private liberal arts college, and then a women's college, and then Longwood.”
Steele gave a clear answer as to why she’s remained in higher ed for so long: students. “Working with students is the joy of the work… I never thought of [students] as children, but it's kind of like watching [them] grow up, in a way, and that, to me, has kept me,” she said.
Reflecting on her time at Longwood, Steele said she was most proud of the work she had done for First Generation students. “I'm not a First Gen student, which probably would surprise people, but I have a passion for it. We were all first gen at some point in our families. And I think the attention we're paying and the value in the affirmation we give to first gen students… It's been rewarding to watch the students say, ‘Hey, you all appreciate us.’”
“I have a heart for the underdog. I have a heart for the less heard, the less valued. And so, to me, that was what I suppose drew me to First Gen,” she said.
Steele also reflected on her focus on food insecurity during her time in Farmville — both at Elwood’s Cabinet and at FACES, Farmville’s local food pantry. “I've been very fortunate in my life. I'm very blessed, and I think it's an obligation of me to pay it back, to give to others. And I can't sit in good conscience in this community where we're surrounded by a lot of poverty and not do something,” she said. “I would attribute my parents for that, especially my Mom and I both had particular compassion for food insecurity.”
During her time at Longwood, Steele has advised a number of student groups and initiatives, including Elwood’s Cabinet, but also the Student Government Association, Lancers Vote and others.
“I push. I push in ways I sometimes probably shouldn't push, but I'm going to advocate for the things that I feel important about. And the things that affect [students] are the things I feel important about,” she said.
However, for nearly all of the student initiatives she discussed, Steele kept the same message: “The students totally did all the work.”
While Steele steers clear of taking credit for much of the work done by organizations she has advised, she has received an outpouring of appreciation since announcing her retirement.
At the 2026 Citizen Leader Awards, a statement from the members of PRINCEPS was read, in which they wrote, “We have benefited from the tireless servant leadership of Cheryl Steele in countless ways. From late night meetings to quiet moments in passing on campus, Cheryl’s dedication to our pillars has propelled us forward and renewed our commitment to the community.”
At the same event, former Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Tim Pierson shared a few words about Steele. He told a story in which he ran into another student affairs professional and asked for his advice on whether to hire Steele for a position at Longwood or another applicant. Pierson recalled the professional telling him, “‘I would create a position for that woman.’” Pierson continued, “She’s the best. Absolutely.”
Mackenzie Harry, former SGA President and PRINCEPS alum, told The Rotunda, “I have often told Cheryl that when I grow up, I want to be like her. Her compassion, her laugh, her no-nonsense approach, her constant support. I can't imagine my Longwood experience without her… How lucky is everyone who has gotten to cross paths with the legendary Cheryl Steele.”
Asked about her decision to leave her job, Steele said, “I'm not calling it retiring. We're calling it transitioning, but that's okay. It is retiring.”
“I have a lot of different emotions. I'm excited, I'm a little nervous, I'm a little anxious, but mostly I'm excited, just because this is why you work hard your life — then you can carve out time the way you want to spend it,” she added.
Steele said the recent loss of her mother gave her the push she needed to retire. “It was not an easy decision to retire from here, to stop working. I think the loss of my Mom really propelled me,” she said. “And all my friends have retired. They're like, ‘Why are you still working?’”
“And I'm like, ‘because I love it.’”
However, after 44 years in higher ed, Steele decided now was time to begin her next chapter. “Life is unpredictable, life is short, and I think there are ways that I can spend time doing the things I want to do, and also maybe make a contribution in a different way.”
"It flies like the blink of an eye,” she said, “It's very surreal because it's like, ‘Wow, okay, this is it, huh?’”
In the end, Steele says preparing to leave is, “to me… about thanking. I thank the students I had the gift of working with. It has been my privilege and my gift to work with the students that I have… and with the staff. This is not an easy student engagement staff to leave.”
And to those students and staff, the feeling is mutual.
Incumbent SGA President Cameron Lowery told The Rotunda, “It will be a huge adjustment to not have her warm smile and open door waiting for me… She has always supported me in everything I do on campus and I think I will miss her presence more than anything.”
Lowery said Steele’s guidance and mentorship has been crucial in her time at Longwood. “She has helped me learn how to take a step back when I get worked up or upset and take a look at the bigger picture,” she said. Lowery also added that Steele taught her the best number of eggs to add to Walmart brownie mix, just one.
Vice President for Student Affairs and SGA co-adviser Cameron Patterson told The Rotunda, “There will never be another Cheryl Steele, and that is something for which I am deeply grateful. She is truly one of a kind and deserves to hold a place in our hearts even after she has left.”
He added, “She is most deserving of celebration and recognition for a career marked by collaboration, service and an enduring commitment to students.”
Upchurch 309A is just an office, one that will no longer bear Steele’s name in a few short months — but the students and staff will forever look at its door and fondly remember her dedication.
A celebration honoring Steele and her service to Longwood will be held on April 21 at 4:45 p.m. in Soza Ballroom, hosted by the Student Government Association.
