‘It’s Hard, but It Doesn’t Suck’

Institutional Impact

Some of them love the mundane details. “I know it sounds boring, but I love fixing things. Misaligned accountability. Inefficiencies. Duplication of functions. Units working at cross purposes. I’m here for all of it.”

Respect hits differently. “It is satisfying to be taken seriously. I remember being in my 20s and thinking I was a super smarty-pants and being frustrated because, let’s face it, women in their 20s are not taken seriously. It took many decades for me to get to a point in my career where I’m taken seriously, so I’m enjoying it.”

Colleges shape communities. “The university is a major presence in the city where I live, so I have influence with town leaders, business CEOs, and others to collaborate in ways that improve the quality of life.”

Learning and Discovery

Field trips in hairnets and goggles. “One of the weird joys of the job is touring local industries. I’ve pulled embryos from corn, toured clean rooms in full-body suits, and learned that the injection mold for my sister’s dog’s favorite chew toy is made just blocks from campus.”

“The only way I get to see cool places in my city (I don’t have a lot of free time and/or bandwidth to visit iconic spots on my own).”

Front-row access to brilliance. “Going to fantastic lectures in cool fields you haven’t studied by scholars who are interesting and smart and make you wish you could go back to school.”

Surprise discoveries at home … “I learn about difference-making research happening on our own campus that I had zero clue about. The place is a treasure chest, and sometimes I don’t even know where the keys are until someone hands them to me.”

… and abroad: “The opportunities to travel to interesting places.”

“Just returned from a yearly trip to learn more about the history of our founders. We actually call it a pilgrimage with faculty, staff, alums, and trustees. It is fun, inspiring, and rejuvenating.”

Immersive Experience

Living the role, deeply. “You’re living inside the idea of a university. Not managing it from a distance, but fully in it. It’s the ultimate role-play, a unique opportunity to carry the university forward while being reshaped by it, especially now.”

“I love meeting people where they are, hearing their stories, looking into their eyes and helping them to believe that they are capable of greatness, regardless of whatever hardship or trauma they endured.”

It’s wildly cross-cultural. “I’ve celebrated Holi with students, danced at Diwali, joined study abroad trips, and eaten foods I’d never even heard of at campus festivals. Oh, and also: box seats at Billy Joel and the U.S. Open.”

Getting to be themselves. “Being asked to bring my guitar to perform alongside students at their open mike night, and they truly appreciate me being there.”

“I love being an unconventional president, being a real person and not a presidential persona most of the time.”

Perks and, Yeah, Power

The role has swagger. “I have a robe with four stripes. No one else gets to wear that. I will admit—it’s pretty badass.” 

“The daily reality (despite my best efforts to change the habit) of working with dear colleagues that I know very well, some for over 15 years now, who simply will NOT call me by my first name.” 

“Being called ‘Mr. President’ is kinda nice.” 

“People always making time for you. When you call, email, or text, people answer right away.” 

“At a recent significant college reunion, my former classmates were quite surprised that I actually have had a successful career, which is indicated simply by my title.”

Social ease. “As the face of the university, I have a kind of universal access. I can walk into any room on campus and talk to anyone. It’s not awkward. For an extrovert, this is Eden.”

“Building connections with the dining and facilities staff. They are often with you in your more private moments, and in my experience they can provide genuine, valuable insights on the institution.”

The power of presence. “Every room I walk into, I elevate the moment. People are excited I’m there. My words carry weight. It means a lot to people when you just show up. That is incredible. What other job do we have where we can add value just by showing up—just by where we shine our light? The downside is that because I want to maximize my value to the institution and the community, I don’t have a great filter for prioritizing my time and presence.”

And if we’re being honest. “Realizing my wife and I are living in a home I could never afford on my own in a great neighborhood, while owning an apartment in a very nearby city of our dreams.” 

“I get to meet a lot of people who most just get to watch or read about—political leaders, actors, athletes, activists, writers, etc. While a few have been less than pleasant, most have been gracious and the interactions have been quite enjoyable.” 

“The pay.” 

Relationships

Mentoring goes both ways. “I coach three or four professionals a year. I’m technically mentoring them, but honestly, I learn just as much in the process.”

The sisterhood sustains. “My friendships with other women presidents are a lifeline. The joy, the venting, the solidarity—it’s unlike anything else. Unless you’re in the role, you just don’t get it.” 

“I get to be secretly subversive in ways that those who know know. I use my privilege and platform in ways that serve the cause.”

Story time, always. “At every reception, alumni come up wanting to share their stories. Faculty who changed their lives. Pranks. Trips. First loves. I feel like Ira Glass—a collector of campus narratives. Gatherer and keeper of the stories of the college, which I often retell when communicating the personality, the history, the character of this place.”

The Deep Stuff

Unexpected connections. “A 75-year-old alum who hated his time here reached out after seeing something in my announcement photo. Three years later, we write letters weekly. This job gave me a pen pal—and reconnected us to someone we had forgotten.”

The daily. “Every day is different (hey, I used to work in a cannery!); you get to meet lots of interesting people doing interesting things; there is always some fascinating new rabbit hole to dive into (just why do law faculty delegate review of their scholarship to a bunch of students at law reviews?). But the main reason it doesn’t suck: the mission and the students.”

Walking the journey. “My first class—the students who started the same year I did—are graduating. I’ve seen them through their best days and their worst. I feel proud and weirdly parental.” 

“Serving as the face of an institution that many people love as if it is a member of their family is weighty to live up to, especially if you don’t have that history with the institution yourself. But then you move in a student whose parents met here, or you meet a donor whose child’s life was saved by our research, or someone who’s held season tickets for decades—that doesn’t suck.”

It’s a calling. “I truly believe I’m doing the work the good Lord called me to do. That alone balances out a lot of what does suck about the job.” 

“Walking out my front door in the morning and taking a deep breath to appreciate that I live on this beautiful campus full of hope and promise. Sounds corny, but I make myself stop on the path from my house to campus and take a deep inhale to appreciate the surroundings and remember why I am here.”

Real community. “Seeing my university community come together in moving and sometimes surprising ways in response to crises and emergencies. Fires, immigration raids, executive orders: People have come together in care of each other in impactful ways, and traditional lines between faculty and staff literally fall away.”

Duh

Students. “It’s a front-row seat to brilliance.” 

“I have always enjoyed watching others succeed more than my own success, and as a president I often have a front-row seat to watch these successes.” 

“I loved when I got to go to the locker room and congratulate the very serious basketball player on winning the conference championship and for the first time since I had known him, he smiled.” 

“When people ask whether we have children? Responding: Yes. 1,100.” 

“Students who just want a selfie with you.” 

“Watching the Collegiate FFA student give a speech that was so good, I was a little envious of his public speaking skills.”

Commencement. “Hearing the cheering sections for students when you know they are first gen and their families are so proud and happy.” 

“I try to greet every single graduate with genuine joy. I want to be fully present. It’s their moment.” 

“What I love most is that I get to channel my rock-star alter ego to make it a super fun party where graduates and their families don’t want to leave. I elevate the fun and party mood to super high, and our first-gen, mostly adult learners, and many immigrants … love that they are being celebrated with an amped-up party.” 

“Getting to hand-sign diplomas and knowing that folks will treasure those documents forever and then seeing grads post pictures of themselves with me on social media as I get to hand them those diplomas.”

The legacy moments hit hard. “I moved in a student whose parents met at our university.” 

“I’ve met donors whose child’s life was saved by research conducted here. I’ve stood next to season ticket holders who’ve been coming to games for 50 years. That kind of emotional investment? You don’t take that lightly.”

The Last Word

“It’s my call. I have tools. I have power. I can do cool things. Wowza. That doesn’t suck.”