After earning her bachelor of arts in English magna cum laude from Oakwood University, Dr. Heather Knight began teaching at the post-secondary level and completed both a teaching fellowship in freshman composition and a teaching assistantship in drama. She also secured a master of arts in English from Loma Linda University. Dr. Heather Knight ultimately settled at the University of the Pacific (UOP), where she taught for nearly two decades, first as an assistant professor and then as an associate professor with tenure. She also continued her own education, earning a doctorate in English with dual focuses in African American literature and 20th century American literature.

Dr. Heather Knight entered the administrative field in the mid-1990s as director of the UOP Center for Teaching and Learning. She went on to serve UOP as both an assistant and associate provost before leaving the university to lead Andrews University as its provost and chief operating officer. She was the first black female in the history of these institutions to hold each of these positions. Dr. Knight joined Pacific Union College in Napa Valley in 2009, where she served 14 years as its president and chief executive officer. As president, she guided the entire institution's strategy, vision, and operations.