What does Hannah enjoy most about her position?

“My favorite part about my position is that I am able to support children in a unique way! It’s already extremely difficult for parents to find opportunities for children with serious medical conditions and chronic illnesses, but when you add behavioral concerns and mental health challenges on top, it can feel impossible. If there is a concern, it’s my job to work with the parents/guardians to put a Camper Success Plan into place prior to their arrival on-site. We’re proactive on our end to ensure that their child can be successful with the appropriate accommodations and support – It’s like an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) for summer camp!”

What is Allie’s role as a School Psychologist?

“As a school psychologist, my role is to support students’ needs and specifically their ability to learn. I complete comprehensive assessments on students looking at their cognitive, academic, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning and help guide a team to determine if a student qualifies for special education services. A school psychologist’s role is vast, in that we wear many hats. We also help to promote and support a positive school climate, we collaborate and consult with teachers, parents, and other school staff. Overall, I apply what I have learned through my training to help students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.”

How does Vanessa explain her job duties to others?

“I have a couple different aspects to my job. The first is I work closely with families who may need different services throughout the school year, whether that is coordinating angel tree or recommending/coordinating grocery deliveries throughout the year. The second is I work with students who are tiered for behavior (RTI-B). I observe and work closely with students who are either on formal behavior plans or informal positive behavior plans in order to help them succeed throughout the day. The last piece of my job is helping improve our student attendance at our school by implementing a variety of attendance programs.”

How did Kiah end up in her position today?

“While in Roanoke, I found it to be incredibly impactful when I was able to volunteer both with the Toys Like Me group on campus, in a school with a special needs population (BRAAC – Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center), as well as working with and volunteering for a local Roanoke city non-profit for students (TAP – Total Action for Progress) helped me to see that there are so many ways to support children beyond the confines of an office and that I wanted to work with students who otherwise might not be able to access individualized counseling. Following Roanoke, I took these experiences and was able to attend a Master’s Program specifically for School Counseling, where I was able to intern at a local middle school. Working in public schools allows support and access to students who otherwise may be unable to attend counseling in a private therapy setting, and makes me feel like I’m positively contributing to a large population of children!”

As an Associate Director of Admission, what does Extree do?

“I am currently overseeing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives for the Office of Admission at Denison University. This role manages various specialty programs, including our Fly-in program, ‘Dialogue with Denison’. I also participate in application review, helping to shape the class of our incoming Freshman each year.”

What does Alexandra value most about her position? 

“Community: My dad works here and my cousin goes to school here so I get to see them weekly for lunch. University Lifestyle & Work/Life Balance: I spent 18 years of my life on an academic calendar, I might as well keep living it. I have the ability to manage your life and your work in a university setting. Fitness Forward: I work in athletics, therefore it’s common to leave during the workday to work out; it’s great to have that as a part of our culture. Team Mentality/ Collaborative: I get to assist the athletes, working as a team with the other departments (sport psych, DEI, athletic counseling, academic advisors). It is more satisfying to help when you are a part of the team. Opportunities to try on different hats: Not only am I doing mental health counseling, leadership and sport psych work but I have an opportunity to try different things like event planning, or study abroad coordination.”

What is Camryn’s favorite part of her role as an Admission Counselor?

“I love working with our prospective students and traveling to meet them in their comfort zones. It really is an honor to be invited into these students’ lives, walk beside them during one of the scariest chapters of their lives, and be a champion for them.”

What does Claire’s position entail?

“In my current role, a large chunk of my time is spent working directly with students who seek support with issues and topics such as relationship struggles, family/home-life challenges, executive functioning skills, stress management and anxiety, and others of the like. I also design and implement social emotional learning curriculum and support the college & career planning program. I also give presentations and trainings to faculty and communicate regularly with faculty about ways to support students in the classroom. In addition, I respond to crises, conduct risk assessments, and collaborate with parents and medical professionals to support student needs. Even as I was writing these responses, I was called away to support a student experiencing a panic attack.”