Forty Under 40: Tay Sha Carter

The Caddo Indian word “taysha” means “friend” or “ally”. It’s no surprise, then, that Tay Sha Carter finds the mentoring aspect of higher education so appealing.

“We’re here to be difference makers,” she said. “I have a love and a passion to help students, to make a difference in their lives.”

Carter graduated from the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma in 1999 with a degree in psychology. She had aspirations of becoming a counselor.

After six months with the Department of Human Services in Oklahoma — “I loved working with people, but I needed to be in a more positive setting” — Carter landed back at her alma mater as a recruiter. The job made her realize her passion for working with students.

“I knew this was what I wanted to do,” she said.

In 2003, she graduated from the University of Arkansas with a master’s in higher education leadership, earning a 4.0 GPA.

She was an academic advisor at the UA for one year before heading to NWACC as director of retention services and academic advising.

From 2007 to 2011, she worked at the UA’s global campus in Rogers as an advisor before accepting her current job.

Carter credited her father for instilling a sound work ethic at an early age, and said Brooke Holt, an NWACC colleague, has also been an influence in her career.