VCU Student Advocate Dies

Cheryl Chesney-Walker, former executive director of the Office of Special Services for Students at VCU, died on Jan. 23 in Powhatan.

In her role at the Office of Special Services for Students, Chesney-Walker led a staff dedicated to providing academic support services for the MCV Campus student population, and to ensuring that students with disabilities had equal opportunities to benefit from all VCU programs, services and activities.

“Cheryl's entire focus was to help students with disabilities achieve and live a better life,” said Joyce Knight, coordinator of Disability Support Services on the Monroe Park Campus. “She really cared about her students and put all she had into her job.”

“She was a person committed to student success,” said Lisa Webb, interim director of the Office of Special Services for Students. “And someone who would do whatever was needed for students to get an education.”

In 2005, Chesney-Walker founded VCU’s Acceleration Program, which was designed to help students whose previous K-12 educational environment might have limited their ability to acquire the math and science skills necessary to pursue a career in the health sciences.

The very successful Acceleration Program laid the groundwork from which the Division for Health Science Diversity launched. Today, the division continues to educate students about careers in health sciences, provide resources to strengthen students’ skills in science and math and ensure informed decision-making by students who are pursuing health care careers.

Dr. David Sarrett, who was associate vice president for health sciences and Chesney-Walker’s supervisor when she was at VCU, remembers her as someone who “cared so deeply for the students,” that she made sure they achieved success in the correct ways.

“She was able to help students with disabilities get the assistance they needed while not compromising the things unique to the (health care) jobs they were pursuing,” Sarrett said. “You can’t accommodate too much, and she kept that balance.”

“I believe she saw potential in students that many overlooked or underestimated,” said Kevin Harris, executive director for the Division of Health Sciences Diversity.

In addition to Chesney-Walker’s efforts to help students at VCU and across Richmond, she was involved in the Richmond Disabilities Services Board, St. Frances Family Medicine, Freedom House, Ronald McDonald House and the Richmond Housing Authority.

She was also a person to which friends and co-workers turned for support.

“We talked almost every day about students or faculty or our personal lives,” Knight said. “She was my sounding board and I was hers.”

In 2010, Knight was diagnosed with lung cancer.

“Cheryl helped me so much during the next several months,” Knight said. “She offered to help my staff and took on some students who needed a special touch.”

Just one year later, Chesney-Walker was diagnosed with brain cancer.

“It was so ironic that when Cheryl was supporting me, we had no earthly idea that she would be battling cancer the very next year,” Knight said. “I feel blessed for having known her and everyone will miss her so much.”