Denison recognizes that trust is earned over time and grows through a consistent commitment to be genuine, transparent and authentic. Heather Whitehead, Assistant to the Executive Director of the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration, illustrates the shared value of inspiring trust.
Heather Whitehead began her career at Denison, supporting the work of the Knowlton Center in 2016.
In her nomination for this recognition, Whiteheads’ colleagues noted:
“Heather’s strongest area is her ability to deeply invest herself into relationships on campus. Specifically, Heather shows an incredible ability to connect with and build trust and relationships with students. She is often seen as the “mom” of the area with students because she is the one they go to for emotional support, or to have difficult or hard conversations. This often goes unseen on our team, which is why I wanted to specifically nominate Heather for this.
Students trust Heather and seek her out when they are struggling and need a friend and support person on campus. She also often reminds our staff about how we can step back and be more present for our students. She has created an environment in our office where students want to come in because they feel welcomed and appreciated for what they bring to Denison.”
“Heather shows a great deal of care for the Denison Community. She has a unique ability to create environments that show that level of care. A great example of this is the lunch event she planned for employees (prior to COVID!) during which she paid particular attention to every small detail that would make an employee feel appreciated, knowledgeable and respected for their work.”
Denison employees articulate our shared values:
- Inspire Trust
- Express Gratitude
- Pursue Growth & Learning
- Care for the Community
- Invest in Relationships
- Be Respectful
- Act with Integrity
- Embrace Diversity
