Faces of ENVD | Dylan West
"Dylan is one of the most supportive people in this program. His dedication and hard work impact students more than anyone I know. He has taught me the importance of learning from others and observation. His interpersonal skills make everyone who steps into his office or zoom comfortable as well as welcome. It can be difficult to do this especially with the amount of students visiting him. The work he has done with the Emerging Leaders program just emphasizes the support he gives to this program, as well as time."
鈥揊ellow Design Buff
We are strong. No doubt that this time is challenging, and this isn鈥檛 what we might have visioned for this year, but at the same time I know we are resilient. Honor the great moments and the challenging ones. It is hard to sometimes navigate it all and know we are better when we lean on each other.
What is your faculty/staff position? Assistant Director, Advising & First-Year Experience
Where are you from? Farmington, Minnesota
What inspired you to come and work for ENVD? The unique ways in which ENVD is responding to global problems was something that excited me from the beginning. I am inspired daily by our students, this community, and the work that is produced here. I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of that, through my own skills and background, to contribute to this community.
What do you miss the most about being in person on campus and ENVD? Every person. This is the best place to work at 兔子先生传媒文化作品 and I love the day-to-day work that comes from connecting with all students, my student staff in ELP and Peer Advising, and my colleagues. Community is the core to why I love this job and it is so meaningful because of the variety of people I get to connect with and work on with projects. The innovation I have seen this year, from the teams that I am on, amazes me and I can鈥檛 wait to bring that energy back to in person.
What has been one of your favorite memories so far, this academic year? I have loved being ablet to meet a lot of our incoming students through an in-person & remote Orientation. We had an amazing day of exploring and celebrating ENVD in ways that brought this community together. It was a great day to see the new students who are joining ENVD for this year and connect with our student leaders who represented all of our student orgs and advising programs.
What鈥檚 your go-to, non-Zoom activity when you get to take a break from your screen(s)? We bought a puppy in June and his name is Elmer. I love being a dog dad. Every second I get we are outside hiking, playing fetch or tug of war (his personal favorite) and cooking recipes I never had the time to take on. I have been playing the role of sous chef, to my partner Paul, who is an amazing cook. We have loved finding new recipes and fun alternatives for our meals we had not had the chance to try prior to all of this. I am still training for my the annual half-marathon I run with my family each year- it didn鈥檛 happen this year but I am determined to beat my personal record for 2021. In the end, it all comes down to family time and food.