Creating a Hospitable Campus for New Students: Jack Henson ’27

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Jack Henson ’27

 

Jack Henson ’27 did not initially want to come to Wheaton. His sister was a Wheaton student, and he hoped to chart his own path. However, he couldn’t stay away for long. “I got over myself,” Henson said. “When I visited, I loved the campus. The small class sizes, the professors, and going to Chapel. I also recognized it would be cool to be on campus with my sister for two years.” 

Motivated by his love for people, Henson declared a double major in interpersonal communication and anthropology. “I love people, and I’m very curious, so I enjoy learning about cultures that are different from my own in an academic setting,” he said. “It gives me the opportunity to learn about things I bump into all the time in regular life that I don’t know a lot about. As I’m going about my day, I see what I’ve read about in class being applied in my life and relationships, which is super cool.”

It is this same love for people, along with a sense of deep gratitude, that motivated him to join the Orientation Committee in November of his freshman year. “I was so anxious and nervous about the transition from high school to college, and the Passage and Orientation experience helped me with that,” Henson said. “I wanted to be able to pay that forward. I hoped I could make an impact on new students similar to the one my Orientation Committee had on me.” 

During his first year on the committee, Henson helped plan three events for Orientation in August and served as a volunteer coordinator to recruit student volunteers for OC events. Henson thrived while fostering new connections with students and staff on campus. When his first year on the committee came to an end, Henson felt the desire to continue investing in OC, so he applied and was chosen to be the next student director.

Henson’s first responsibility in his new role was to build a brand new team from scratch. To equip these new student leaders for service, Henson facilitated meetings with them, provided various forms of support when it was needed, and organized opportunities for his team to spend time together, such as during their OC winter retreat.

Throughout his time as student director, Henson’s faith and leadership skills have grown stronger, thanks to the individuals he has worked alongside, including staff and faculty who have served as role models for him. Dr. Steve Ivester, Wheaton’s Dean for Student Engagement, has been particularly formative in his Wheaton experience and has become a mentor to him. Ivester, who oversees and advises OC, has shared meals and discussed the complexities of life and faith with Henson, which has led to transformation in the current junior’s life. 

“I feel like Dr. Ivester is the epitome of how Wheaton wants to be represented to the outside world,” Henson said. “He’s one of the smartest and most hospitable people I know—not just at Wheaton, but in life beyond campus.”

Henson recognizes other areas in his life where he has grown this past year as student director, particularly when it comes to confidence and his ability to listen effectively. “I’m pretty introverted, but being on a team, planning events, and speaking in front of a bunch of people has helped bring me out of my shell,” said Henson. “Now, I love speaking in front of others.” As a recent example, Henson was thrilled when he was invited to share a devotional with the whole student body during All School Communion.

Strengthening his listening muscle has also increased his capacity to value and love others. “Through the inevitable tension and conflict that arises when working with a group of people, I’ve had to remember that this is not about us as student leaders,” Henson recalled. “It’s about the freshmen we serve. That was the heartbeat of my last year.”  

Henson says the things he has learned, both inside and outside the classroom, point him toward one foundational practice: seeing God in all things. “It’s not even about us integrating God into things,” he said. “God is already there. Wheaton has helped me recognize this.”