Student Spotlight: Dianna Lott
Writer / Aimee MacArthur
Photography Provided
For many students, choosing where to attend college is one of the most important life decisions. There are a variety of factors to consider, including academic and emotional needs, along with the financial costs. The path to a successful college experience is not always easy. For Dianna Lott, director of human resources at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, it was a complicated journey.
Lott was born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana. When she was in high school, she and her family moved to Warner Robins, Georgia. Lott was a gifted student-athlete, and many colleges contacted her with offers to play NCAA Division I women’s basketball. Ultimately, Lott chose to play women’s basketball at the prestigious University of Georgia. The transition from high school to a large college with an elite, Division I basketball program was difficult for her. “I probably needed to be at a smaller school and didn’t realize it,” Lott says.
For Lott, being a Division I female student-athlete was extremely demanding, and with it came a great deal of pressure to succeed both athletically and academically. “Learning had always been easy,” she says. “I was an A student. I went from a really small environment where I got a lot of attention to detail and the support that I needed, to a very a large environment, and I was devoured in a lot of ways, even socially and emotionally.”
Although she had a lot of support from family, a large school was not the right fit at the time for Lott’s overall well-being. “I just really struggled on my first go in college,” Lott says. “I played for three years and left prematurely, and played basketball afterwards professionally and semiprofessionally and got into coaching.”
Lott lived and worked in many places around the country, and ultimately moved to Muncie to be closer to her parents, who relocated there. “I got into my 20s and decided I needed to complete my degree,” she says. “I needed to finish what I started.”
Lott enrolled at Ivy Tech in Muncie and managed to balance classwork while expecting a child. “So here I am, starting over, expecting a child and trying to complete my associate degree,” Lott says. “I never thought I would find myself as a single parent.” She says her family was instrumental in supporting her while she was a student at Ivy Tech.
Lott received encouragement and assistance from Ivy Tech. “I met Margot Middleton,” she says. “She was a part of the TRIO program for first-generation college students, and I was a first-generation college student. They gave me a lot of support, the tutoring, the check-ins, the mentoring. There was just so much support built into being a student, but also helping me balance life.”
While working on her associate degree, Lott accepted a position with Ivy Tech as a financial aid specialist. When she completed her associate degree, she accepted a position as assistant director of admissions and recruitment at Ivy Tech’s Anderson campus. This is where her interest in human resources began.
“I’ve always had a passion for linking people to the right people and the right places,” Lott says. She continued her education and earned her bachelor’s degree at Indiana University East. Lott left her position at Ivy Tech due to budget changes and worked for another company. In the fall of 2022, Lott accepted the position of director of human resources at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, and will complete her master’s degree in human resource management this year. It is a full-circle moment for Lott to be back at Ivy Tech, a place that nurtured her growth and played a large part in making her the successful person she is today.
Lott is thankful for the support from her family, including her daughter, Zoe Love. Lott also enjoys a wonderful co-parenting relationship with Zoe’s father. Zoe is playing basketball and Lott plans on continuing to coach and mentor athletes. She is passionate about helping and mentoring students. “I’ve always found myself working with people and pushing them to their highest ability,” she says.
Lott is equally enthusiastic about students choosing Ivy Tech Community College as a place to start their college journey. “When you look at Ivy Tech and what they bring to the table, to me it seems like a no-brainer,” she says. Lott encourages parents and students to keep in mind the small-school environment, coupled with the low cost of attending Ivy Tech Community College. Students can balance working and attending Ivy Tech, and not worry about being in debt. Students can earn an associate degree at Ivy Tech and then pursue further education at one of Indiana’s four-year institutions. Ivy Tech has partnerships with most four-year Indiana institutions to continue educational advancement at a considerable financial discount.
Lott is proud of her Ivy Tech education and happily shares her success story with students and parents considering Ivy Tech. “Ivy Tech provides students with the overall support that they need, at a pace I believe that’s more conducive to overall growth – not just getting a degree, but overall growth as a person and your development as a whole person,” she says.
For more information on Ivy Tech Community College including programs and admission, call 888-489-5463, visit ivytech.edu, or email info@ivytech.edu.
