Going Far Together

When Kathy Bakhit EdD ’11, first arrived in the United States nearly four decades ago, she never imagined her path would lead to the Vice Presidency of Academic Affairs. What she did know was that relationships mattered—deeply. “The way I grew up,” she reflects, “relationships are like glass. If you break them, even if you try to put them back together, they’re never quite the same.” That awareness shaped her leadership philosophy early on: listen carefully, lead thoughtfully, and never take trust for granted.

Dr. Bakhit’s professional journey began at Citrus College, where she balanced multiple roles and responsibilities. Though she was passionate about service, she often questioned her own effectiveness. “I wanted to participate more, to be a better representative for my faculty,” she says, “but I was apprehensive. I didn’t want to step into something without being fully prepared.” That desire to lead with both heart and understanding led her to pursue her doctorate in education at the University of La Verne.

But it wasn’t an easy road. While raising three children with her husband and working full-time, she had to make difficult choices about where to place her energy. “In my culture, the house must be immaculate,” she says with a laugh. “But I had to let that go. If I was going to be a good mother, that meant my kids came first. Studies and work followed. And cleaning? That came in at number seven.” What fueled her during those long days and sleepless nights was a purpose she had carried since childhood—to be a role model for her daughters and for the women around her.

That sense of purpose only deepened through the doctoral program. “It was life-changing,” she says. “The classes gave us language for experiences we had lived through but hadn’t been able to name. It transformed the way I thought about leadership, about service, and about the kind of impact I wanted to have.” It also gave her a framework, a way to step outside a challenge, see it from multiple perspectives, and move forward with clarity and courage.

Today, as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Antelope Valley College, Dr. Bakhit still draws on the tools and insights she gained at ULV. “We spent the first year of the program asking ourselves, ‘Why do you want to lead?’ It helped me realize that leadership isn’t about titles or recognition, it’s about service. It’s about setting ego aside and asking, “How can I help others succeed?”

Her leadership philosophy, shaped by experience and humility, is grounded in community and inclusivity. “An organization is like a living being,” she explains. “It has its own rhythms and phases. If you want to lead well, you can’t run too far ahead of your people. I tried to go too fast, and I fell and so the famous saying of “If you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.” Now I know, if you want to go far, go together.”

Looking forward, she’s not done learning or giving back. “Even as an administrator, I never left the classroom. I continued teaching as an adjunct and mentoring through my church and social circles. In this next chapter, I want to keep opening doors for others, just like doors were opened for me.”

For her, the University of La Verne wasn’t just a degree; it was a turning point. “La Verne believed in diversity and inclusion not just in theory, but in practice. That made everything possible. Two of my kids are now physicians and one is a pharmacist. None of it would’ve happened without structures of inclusion, without people who believed in me before I believed in myself.”

In a world that often feels fragmented, Dr. Bakhit’s message is simple but powerful: “What we need now is healing through inclusion and community building. That’s what La Verne gave me. That’s what I hope to pass on.”