After a little over two years in her position as director of student activities, Alex Whitford will leave Hillsdale on Saturday to pursue other opportunities.
Whitford began overseeing the Student Activities Board in May 2018 after taking a fifth year at Hillsdale to continue her time on the pole vaulting team. By her account, Whitford’s work for SAB exceeded her expectations.
“The fulfillment comes from serving the student body,” Whitford said. “Whereas in other jobs you might feel that fulfillment in the confirmation from your peers or from a great evaluation, this is more focused on watching students grow and connect with each other in a way that they don’t get to do in the classroom.”
Whitford’s joy in her work is evident in her commitment to students, according to Ashlyn Neveau, director of student programs at SAB.
“Alex is just a very intentional person,” Neveau said. “She has taught me a lot about connecting with students in the way she reaches out to them and the way she cares for them, especially the SAB students. I think that we have gotten a lot better as an office and in serving the student body because of her impact.”
Reagan Linde, a member of SAB’s creative committee, also noted Whitford’s care for her and the other students whose job it is to bring fun to the Hillsdale community.
“What stands out to me is her intentionality,” Linde said. “She just truly cares about every member of the SAB team and she wants to do her best to encourage and support all of us. When I was first hired, she encouraged and facilitated a really good environment for me not only to do my job but to grow as an artist in confidence in my skills.”
Linde recalled Whitford’s fun approach to her role as well.
“At the end of Welcome Party during my sophomore year, we were all exhausted and [the song] ‘Wobble’ came on,” she said. “We’d all been the sad people dancing in the corner waiting for the last people to go so we could clean up, and Alex just whips out the most immaculate wobble I have ever seen in my entire life. It was a moment that she became so much more than just a boss but actually a member of the team.”
After leaving SAB, Whitford plans to work in communication and content writing, specifically in marketing.
“COVID has been a challenging time to search for new jobs, but I have a couple of promising leads right now that are remote positions, so I might be moving back home to Grand Rapids, Michigan, at least for the short term,” Whitford said. “I would love to make it out to Chicago next, especially if I’m in a remote position that offers some travel.”
Linde said Whitford’s departure will be bittersweet.
“She just has been so incredible,” Linde said. “She’s one of those people who is so talented that it makes sense that she needs to leave. It’s sad to see her go, but also she has just done such a good job of showing what it means to be a good leader, friend, and mentor.”
