Student life is an undeniable pillar of what makes the college experience, and behind the scenes of it all is Parkland’s new student life director, Brennon Hightower.
Hightower’s background
Hightower began her permanent position as director of student life this past April; however, she carries many years of experience both in and out of Parkland that have prepared her for her current role.
When Hightower first began at Parkland, she started in career services as a career counselor. She then transitioned into a career services manager and subsequently into working in student life.
In terms of desire to have a career in student life, Hightower’s inspiration stems all the way back to before her “time in academia,” investing “10 years in nonprofit social services [working] in after-school programs” with students ranging from K-12.
In reference to her time in nonprofit social services, Hightower says, “I have always worked with students, and I’m passionate about working with students, and this gave me the opportunity to bring that experience in and work with college-age students.”
Alongside this unique aspect of Hightower’s professional background, which has paved her way in student life, are aspects from her personal life that have allowed Hightower a deeper understanding of connecting with students.
These include being the mother of teen boys, allowing for familiarity with “some of the things that… students are experiencing and going through,” teaching at a state college, and even attending a community college herself.
Student Engagement
Considering that a substantial amount of Hightower’s background and passion for her career is dedicated to working and connecting with students, it comes as no surprise that student engagement is the aspect that Hightower values the most regarding the building of a positive student life atmosphere.
If you stand back and [do] not engage in your classroom with other students in different clubs, organizations, [and] extra activities…. You are going to miss out on the experience of being at a community college… [and] miss out on experiences in networking.
Knowing how critical student engagement is, Hightower and Parkland’s student life coordinators have made it a priority to be “intentional about how [they] market, advertise and talk about different events,” especially those on a larger scale, like Parkland’s welcome back convocation, engagement fair and wellness fair.
While growing attendance for events like these is a great way to build student engagement, Hightower also recognizes that building student engagement and creating a positive student life atmosphere also means personally serving and getting to know students.
I want to see students succeed, you know, and … if that means for me … stepping away for a moment to have a … conversation, to encourage someone, or offer a gem of advice, or a suggestion, [ or making] a referral, [or walking] into a different department, those are some of the things that really bring me joy.
Building Leaders
When Hightower was asked about what she was looking forward to most about stepping into her new role as student life director, she answered, “reimagining student life.”
For Hightower, this looks like “thinking about the generations [being served], their needs, and how … [to] better engage [the] students.”
In addition to the strong attentiveness shown towards general and personal student engagement, one of the many examples of Hightower serving the needs of today’s student body is through the strong embrace of both the Student Leadership Academy and the Leading Illinois Together Conference.
The Student Leadership Academy is an eight-to-ten-week program that utilizes the Student Leadership Challenge curriculum to cover concepts such as being a model for others, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to take action and encouraging the heart.
Outside of the curriculum, the academy also provides resources and opportunities, such as the capstone project, eligibility for scholarships and completion of the program noted on one’s transcript.
The Leading Illinois conference is another excellent opportunity for leadership development, bringing together students from various colleges who represent diverse skill sets across departments and registered student organizations.
Opportunities involving a leadership-oriented direction have resonated with a significant number of students, demonstrating a high level of interest and enthusiasm for involvement. So much so that Hightower plans to re-host the Student Leadership Academy in the spring and hopes to see many iterations.
Ultimately, opportunities like these inspire collaboration and increased communication among diverse groups of people, naturally facilitating personal and professional growth.
The future of student life
Although Hightower’s directorship is still in its early stages, it is clear that at the core of her leadership is a strong ability to truly know the students and connect with their goals and needs.
Already, this has paved the way for successful student life events and positive student engagement, with a considerable willingness to participate.
While the student experience is notably one of the highlights of attending college, it stems from leadership that goes on behind the scenes. With Hightower’s passion, value of engagement and the current success of increasing student involvement, this is only the beginning of a promising future of student life under Hightower’s directorship.
