Student Affairs Staff Spotlight: Jennifer DeLuca Leavitt, ’09

In honor of Student Affairs Month, I decided to interview former student and Assistant Director for Student Leadership, Jennifer DeLuca Leavitt ’09 from the Office of Student Involvement; if you haven’t gotten to know her, here is your perfect opportunity!

DeLuca Leavitt graduated from Holy Cross with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Psychology. She noted that her favorite class was Physiological Psychology with Professor John Axelson because, although the course work was challenging, she enjoyed how he used many real world examples and brought the content to life. DeLuca Leavitt’s choice of Holy Cross awarded her with a Jesuit and liberal arts education. She entered her freshman year with the anticipation of working in international business, continuing her education in Spanish, and  becoming a part of the business sector. In March of her senior year, she realized that she liked the idea of supervising and  going into student affairs. Due to her Holy Cross experience, which included her being a Resident Assistant and  a Senior Resident Director, she was able to find this calling. DeLuca Leavitt’s biggest advice for current students is to “stay true to who you are when discerning what you want to do when you graduate. Do things because you want to, not because it is expected.”

After graduating from the Hill, DeLuca Leavitt decided to continue her education and obtained a Masters of Education in Student Affairs Counseling from Bridgewater State University. As a graduate student, she went through a number of diverse experiences, which included being a Graduate Assistant in the Office of Student Involvement and a Graduate Intern of the Leadership and Residential Learning Community Office at Bridgewater State.  Once she started her job search, she learned Holy Cross’ Office of Student Involvement was starting to restructure itself, and because of the restructuring, there were two new positions available. Fortunately, DeLuca Leavitt was offered a position as Assistant Director for Student Programming in July 2011 and was promoted to her current position in July 2013.

This alumna’s job varies, but includes meeting with different student groups to plan events or gain recognition, mentoring students and clubs, and planning different programs, such as the leadership conference. Her favorite things about her job are the constant student interaction, which she says is not available anywhere else, and getting to see different aspects of the college by speaking with other departments. DeLuca Leavitt believes that after returning to Holy Cross after leaving, she has realized how the Holy Cross community truly is unique. Since she adapted to the community of Holy Cross prior to her employment, how she should handle different situations and how to effectively share her perspective to other offices on campus has come naturally to her.

Outside of Holy Cross, DeLuca Leavitt enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She recently bought a house with her husband, Mike Leavitt, who happens to be the Director of the Office of Recreation Intramurals and Club Sports here at Holy Cross. She is excited to start this new chapter in her life and to continue to flourish in her student affairs career.

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