The Often Overlooked Impact of Staff in Higher Education

When people think about the individuals who shape a student’s college experience, professors often come to mind first. After all, they lead the classrooms, assign the projects, and challenge students to think in new ways. But in my years working at Limestone University, I came to see clearly that staff members also play a powerful, life-changing role in the student journey.

I began as Director of Communications at Limestone in the fall of 2013. That December, right before graduation, I noticed something unexpected. Senior students were coming by our office to see my colleague, K.C. Barnhill, who was the long-time alumni director at that time. They hugged, they cried, and they spoke with a deep sense of gratitude. I watched quietly, puzzled.

Why so many tears? Why so many embraces? My colleague explained that he had known these students for years, had watched them grow, and was proud of what they had achieved. I nodded politely, but if I’m honest, I didn’t fully understand it, at least not then.

Five months later, in May, it finally became clear to me.

Graduation had arrived once again, and I found myself in the very same position. I was the one hugging students, wiping away tears, and telling them how proud I was of them. In just a short time, they had touched my life, and I had touched theirs. Many were first-generation graduates, just as I had been at Limestone years earlier. It was humbling to realize the bond that can form between staff and students in such a short period of time.

Professors make a profound impact on students, but staff members can too. Sometimes it is a word of encouragement, a bit of mentoring, or simply a warm smile in passing. K.C., that same colleague who first showed me this truth, later joined me on the Communications staff. Together, we went on to build Limestone’s inaugural Department of Communications & Marketing. As our team grew, one of the principles we emphasized was the importance of engaging with students.

We made it simple. If you pass a student, speak to them. If their head is down, lost in a phone screen, speak anyway so they look up and feel seen. Ask how their classes are going. Ask about their team, their recital, their performance. Show up to their concerts. Cheer for them at their games. Support them in the moments that matter to them.

Because you don’t have to lead a classroom to teach. You don’t have to assign homework to mentor. Staff members are part of the student’s learning journey, often in ways that are less formal but just as meaningful. Staff can help students succeed, and can help them love their school, simply by being present, encouraging, and engaged.

What I discovered is that higher education is about much more than academics. It is about connection, growth, and the people who show up for students in ways that stay with them for a lifetime. Staff members have the chance to be that steady voice of encouragement, that smiling face that reminds a student they belong, or that mentor who helps them see what they can become.

Every conversation matters. Every gesture matters.

And when we choose to pour into students, we often find that they pour right back into us, leaving us changed in ways we never expected.