Emily Orsini, Managing Editor
Building Service Assistants (BSAs) are often the unsung heroes of residential life on campus. Before most students are awake, and long after common rooms have emptied, they clean and care for shared spaces across dorms and housing all while handling the inevitable, unexpected messes that come with student living.
With Denison requiring students to live on The Hill for all four years, the work BSAs do quietly shapes daily life in ways many students rarely stop to notice.
One person who embodies that commitment is Denise Teesdale, a BSA preparing for retirement after a 42-year career of service in April.
Teesdale has worked for Denison since 1984, where she has cleaned almost every residential building on campus. She has been stationed in Crawford Hall for the past 25 years.
“It just feels like it’s more open and there’s more windows,” said Teesdale. “I like being in a freshman dorm. Freshmen at the beginning [of the year] are really friendly because they’re kind of nervous, they’re scared, they don’t know what to expect. And I take them under my wing.”
For Teesdale, her relationships with students matter deeply— and it shows. Michael Supp, Denison’s director of facilities and operations, has seen that impact firsthand.
“Denise provides a calming presence for those students in her orbit. [She] has an innate sense as to what a student needs,” said Supp. “There’s times where she will just be a great listener, other times she will try to motivate students to work through the academic rigor of Denison, still other times she will just be there and give students a hug. She always has the right response for the student when it is needed.”
Teesdale brings the same kindness and care she shows students to every aspect of her work. Outside of her regular cleaning tasks, Teesdale finds herself going above and beyond for the students.
“[Crawford] is a big building, so you have to make sure you keep up with it,” said Teesdale. “I usually sweep, mop, [clean the] bathrooms. Of course, pick up any messes. I go through the refrigerator once a week. If I see anything old or yucky, I just throw it out. Those are the things you don’t always think about.”
“Some of the students don’t even know I shovel [when it snows]. They just come out in the morning and everything’s shoveled and ready to go. I also clean the washers and dryers– they don’t always see that.”
Teesdale’s hard work and attention to detail doesn’t go unnoticed for Supp.
“Denise is incredibly consistent. Her building is always among the most clean during walkthroughs. I think this stems from a personal pride in her work and a deep care for the students that she shares her building with,” said Supp.
A lot can happen in 42 years, but a moment in particular stands out to Teesdale as one of the highlights of her time at Denison.
“A student was sitting in the lobby of Crawford. I had never seen her before. She was having a bad day, so I sat down and listened to her. She was thinking about quitting [college], and I said, ‘don’t quit. Just keep going. Take it one day at a time and you’ll get through it,’” said Teesdale.
“Three days later I saw her cooking something in the kitchen. I was doing my stuff, whatever it was I had to do, and she walked up to me with a plate of cookies and thanked me for listening and helping her.”
“They were chocolate chip cookies. They were really good.”
Moments like these are what has made Teesdale stand out from the rest, and this was apparent not only to the students and faculty around her, but also Denison’s administrators.
Each year, Denison recognizes faculty and staff who exemplify exceptional service to the university with its “Employee of the Year” award. While Teesdale has been nominated in years past, this year she has advanced to finalist status.
“I was in a safety meeting and these four people and a photographer came in. They were holding this certificate and some flowers and right away they said ‘we’re here for Denise Teesdale.’ I was like, what? I’ve been nominated two or three times in the past for employee of the year, but now I’m actually a finalist,” said Teesdale.
“Denise leads with kindness,” said Supp. “As people remember her incredible career at Denison, kindness and care for students will be front of mind.”
As her last day of work creeps closer, Teesdale is sad to leave the place she has known and loved, but is excited for what the future holds.
“I want to travel,” said Teesdale. “A friend of mine that works here and I are going to Las Vegas for a weekend. I want to be able to spend more time with family, make some more trips out to Montana and Texas where my brothers live. I would like to go to Hawaii sometime, that’s on my bucket list, for sure.”
Even as Teesdale begins to imagine life beyond The Hill, her connection to Denison remains deeply rooted.
“Denison’s really been really good to me,” said Teesdale. “If it wasn’t for Denison and my family here, my friends, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to get through some of the hard times [I’ve had]. I’ll miss the people.”
April 10 will mark Teesdale’s final day caring for Crawford Hall, closing a 42-year chapter at Denison. For those who have worked alongside her, her legacy is already clear.
“Denise leads with kindness. As people remember her incredible career at Denison, kindness and care for students will be front of mind,” said Supp.