Three words Michael Williams, director of campus center operations and conferences at Elon University, would use to describe Barry Bradberry are honesty, integrity and Elon. He has his reasons.

As Williams was pumping gas into his car before heading to work one morning, he saw Bradberry, associate dean of admissions and financial planning, pass in his own car.

Bradberry stopped his car in the middle of the street, hopped out, picked up a piece of trash, got back in the car and continued on his way.

As Bradberry drove away, Williams thought to himself, “He’s true, he’s real, he’s all about making Elon look good.”

That is not how Bradberry views his involvement on campus. He sees himself as the major beneficiary of a more than 40-year relationship with the Elon community.

“The university’s been so good to me,” he said. “I’ve been able to avoid square pegs and round holes.”

Bradberry has watched as Elon grew from a little-known college to an award-winning university. He grew alongside Elon, going from student to staff member to associate dean of admissions and financial planning.

Bradberry graduated in 1975 and returned to Elon the following fall semester to work in admissions. He never left.

A tap on the shoulder

Williams first met Bradberry more than 16 years ago.

“The first time I met him, he welcomed me to Elon in his own Barry, Elon way,” Williams said. “The same thing he’s said from then to now is, ‘Good to have you here.’ That’s the image he portrays and the way he communicates with people.”

When Bradberry graduated from Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, he had a close relationship with his school principal, Jefferson Davis, an Elon graduate. Davis made sure Bradberry had the opportunity to attend college — the first in his family to do so.

After Bradberry spent two years at Chowan University, then a junior college in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Davis helped him transfer to Elon for his junior year.

During Winter Term, Bradberry spent a month interning with the Virginia House of Delegates.

“Elon had the 4-1-4 semester system, which enabled me to take the Winter Term off-campus and work as an administrative assistant to Del. Donald Rhodes from Virginia Beach,” he said. “It was a life changing experience for me.”

When Bradberry returned to Elon, he got what he calls a “tap on the shoulder” from then-Dean of Admissions Mary Dell Bright.

“She heard of my experience in Virginia and felt I had the skills that would help attract students to Elon,” Bradberry said.

He was hired immediately after graduation under a 90-day contract that allowed him to return to the Virginia House of Delegates in January. He had planned to return since the end of his first internship, but he never got the chance to do so.

“Elon decided to extend my contract, and the rest is history,” he said.

But Bradberry did not remain stagnant at Elon.

“After I completed my third year, our vice president, Dr. James Moncure, brought me into his office to explain the Elon vision and the future expectations for admissions,” Bradberry said.

He didn’t think anyone was paying attention to the work he put in during those three years in admissions, but he found himself tapped on the shoulder once again.

“[Moncure] explained to me the 5-5 rule,” Bradberry said. “If I did not have a master’s degree in five years, I would be gone in five minutes, which meant in simple English that the train was leaving the station, and if I wanted to move to a different position in higher education, especially at Elon, it had to happen. I never looked back.”

Bradberry chose to attend graduate school to reaffirm his commitment to the university’s community and culture. He attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and returned to Elon — back to work.

Watching progress unfold

Bradberry has seen remarkable growth during his 40 years at Elon. The university has expanded its graduate programs, become one of the largest private schools in the state and, in 2001, changed its name from Elon College to Elon University.

“He’s seen the transition of the university through a lot of years in the admissions process,” Williams said. “I think he’s a good conduit to be able to reach back and say, ‘This is what we used to do, this is where we come from,’ but in the same respect, knowing where we’re going.”

Along with others in admissions, Bradberry takes part in important conversations about how the school recruits, where it recruits and what the university is looking for in potential students.

“I’m at the point in my career where I hear from students I recruited to Elon well over 30 years ago who now have sons and daughters considering and enrolling at Elon,” Bradberry said. “I love my job, gosh I do.”

But he views his job as much more than selling the school.

“The ‘Elon way’ is not a catchy phrase or a cool, feel-good marketing slogan,” he said. “It is an attitude and a way of life. It is what has made Elon the place it is today.”

Bradberry’s goal is to give every student who visits Elon the best chance at finding the right place for him or her, which involves working and meeting individually with families. He never misses a call from a potential student.

“I pride myself on getting back to people,” Bradberry said. “When I get that call, that issue is probably the most important issue for that family. If I have to stay until 7 p.m. tonight, we’re gonna answer that question.”

Giving back by paying it forward

Bradberry’s dedication  was inspired by his own family. Over the years, Bradberry maintained a close relationship with his mother and late father. He also says he and his wife have had a very full life, starting with their shared line of work.

“The very best thing about my time at Elon is [that] I met my wife Martha while working in admissions,” he said. “I could not have a better life partner.”

The two have never had children, but for Bradberry, the students he has seen through the admissions process are like their own.

Bradberry knows many families visiting from out of state are doing a series of tours at various schools in the area.

Rather than pointing out why he believes Elon is better, he presents the facts he feels are part of what makes the school special. Beyond those figures, he said, lies the true value of an Elon education, one that is impossible to convey in an hour-long presentation.

“I truly believe in the liberal arts,” he said. “We have people that are English majors and go to law school. You can’t put a dollar value on that.”

If students still don’t feel as though Elon is right for them, Bradberry will still make sure they understand what to look for when choosing a school. In his introductory presentation, he presents the best practices for developing an impressive profile, acquiring recommendations and submitting applications.

His goal is to get students into colleges that will suit their needs.

“We counsel a lot more than people realize,” he said.

As one of the few initial university contacts for prospective families, Bradberry believes his experience has more than made up for the work he has put in.

He said no day is the same, so staying stagnant in admissions has not been possible. He views the journey as one he would not change if given the chance.

“They said, ‘You’re a glass half-full kind of guy.’ I said, ‘I can’t do it any other way,’” he said.