Everett-Haynes began her career as a journalist, but her passion and commitment to serving students and her longstanding advocacy for public education led her to San Diego State. Her team has been recognized regionally and nationally for advancing the university’s brand, supporting the success among SDSU’s diverse student body, and enhancing visibility for university research, community impact, arts and other strategic initiatives. She has finetuned the university-wide communications ecosystem and created a program that employs a dozen students as writers, photographers and designers. In 2023, she was named a Top 50 LGBTQ+ Leader of Influence by the San Diego Business Journal, and a Communicator of the Year in 2022 by the International Association of Business Communicators San Diego chapter. “Every day, I reflect on how I can be better for myself, for my team and for the diverse communities we serve at SDSU,” Everett-Haynes says. “I appreciate being part of a community of people who genuinely care for the health, safety, development and success of others.”