ELLIE OWEN, Special to The Denisonian—
Nathan Graves might be a new faculty member here at Denison but he’s already passionate about life on the hill. “There’s something different about being in this place,” he explains. When he was first looking at new job prospects, Denison stood to Graves because of his own experience at a liberal arts college.
He went to the University of Evansville for his undergraduate degree and absolutely fell in love with working in orientation. Not only was he an orientation leader for three years, but he was also active in student government and participated in work study programs around his community. This is where his passion for helping people flourished, as he had the opportunity to work in homeless shelters and with children at after school programs. He majored in elementary and special education and quickly realized that he belonged in the classroom.
But he knew that his ideal career would be working as an orientation leader once again so he went to graduate school at Vanderbilt University where he majored in higher education administration. Fresh out of graduate school, he started working at the University of West Georgia, which gave him the opportunity to work with student leaders and delve into the logistics of orientation. Graves became the Associate Director of New Student Programs there, which allowed him to completely reinvent the first-year program to better suit the needs of the students.
Now that he’s here at Denison, Nathan Graves is the first person who’s held the title of Director of Orientation and First-Year Experience and he’s incredibly excited to be a part of this community.
“Before I can really contribute, I have to listen,” says Graves about his new position. He believes that to “create better change” will require new, creative approaches to supporting students and adapting to their needs. Especially after the coronavirus has changed many aspects of higher education in the past year.
He’s not afraid of embracing change, even at an old institution like Denison. Being on a college campus reminds Graves that there are always opportunities in our everyday life to grow and every semester we can continue to make positive changes in our lives.
Graves also feels strongly about letting students learn from their mistakes. Specifically when talking about the Denison difference, which he believes is about “allowing others to fail forward.”
“Not every day is going to be easy and it’s in those moments where you are challenged, where you’ll grow,” he explained.
Graves’ love of the Denison community is evident in his demeanor and his attitude towards life here on campus. He encourages students to come talk to him anytime and ask him questions about the school or even just tell him about their day. He wants first-year students to know that they should feel free to reach out to him with their problems because he’s eager to help fix them. When you see Graves walking around campus, make sure to say hi and let him know how your year is going so far.
His favorite place on campus is the Reese Shackelford Commons, where he’s loved watching the community come together. Seeing the fireworks after the first day of school has been one of his favorite parts of this new school year because there was a sense of unity between all the students.
When he’s down in Granville, Graves is a big fan of the Pub and thinks that their best dish is the Nashville hot chicken. And in his free time, he likes to swim, play golf, and spend time with friends. His family is also incredibly important to him and he loves that he’s able to spend more time with his nieces after moving back to the midwest. He’s also a big fan of Survivor, so if you have an opinion about the new season, make sure to let him know.