Kayla Caron is Registrar at Middlesex Community College. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband Brian, son Sean and two dogs Riley and Rhea. She is a first generation college student graduating from the University of New England in 2009 with a Bachelor?s of Science in Psychobiology and subsequently obtaining her Masters of Public Health in 2017 from the same institution. When Kayla left her home state of Pennsylvania to pursue a bachelor?s degree, she struggled to feel a sense of belonging at school. Though attending college was an opportunity to escape the rural poverty she was accustomed to at home, navigating the university landscape proved to be a difficult transition. She eventually hit her stride during her junior year when one of her professors took a special interest in her success. In hindsight, this mentorship was pivotal to the successful completion of her college career. After obtaining her Master?s degree, Kayla began working in higher education for private institutions and became an advocate for equitable practice and policy. Her focus on the student experience through the use of technology and business process review allowed her to create positive changes that enhanced the student understanding of resources and opportunities. In 2019, Kayla took on the role of Registrar at Middlesex Community College and left the world of private education behind. Working for a community college with a reputation for innovation and incredibly passionate personnel has been an ideal fit for Kayla. With individuals at Middlesex Community College taking on many different roles, it is easy to quickly become enraptured with the achievements of the students and overall success of the institution. The culture at Middlesex is one of growth and acceptance for all. This kind of environment allows one to grow outside their role and expand their work to positively impact many different areas of the college. As a result, work becomes boundless, individual wins become institution-wide wins, and employee growth becomes a repository of vast resources that enhance all projects through one's time at Middlesex. When the opportunity arose to work with Dr. Paul Hernandez, author of the Pedagogy of Real Talk, on a professional development opportunity, Kayla quickly volunteered. Paul has educated and inspired the group from MCC to develop a method for student facing services outside of the classroom. Paul?s work in belonging and cultivating a community of practitioners to develop sustainable practices on campus has been transformative. The work has been incredibly rewarding and validated the need to increase staff efficacy for student belonging. The work is focused on igniting and sustaining a relationship rich environment to promote student success. This staff cohort soon began development of a survey to benchmark data surrounding the idea of belonging. Research and dedication to this work and passion for their student?s success has led to the development of multiple research initiatives. This group of Pedagogy of Real Talk practitioners, or ?PRT Staff Cohort 1? as they call themselves, has blazed a trail of new ideas and initiatives. Through collaboration and with the support of college leaders like President Sisson and Provost Rodriguez, they are working daily to build a relationship rich environment where everyone can feel connected. For Kayla, participation in this initiative has transformed the way she works. Being a recipient of the Innovation of the Year Award is an incredible honor that highlights the hard work this incredible group has accomplished. Moreover, it continues to propel research and important work to better serve the community. This journey represents a beautiful dichotomy for Kayla, as someone who once felt she never belonged in academia, to now be working diligently in an effort to improve student belonging and success so that everyone who attends MCC can feel connected to someone.