2026 Enduring Impact honorees
Brandy Baker
Brandy’s leadership statement:
“My leadership comes through relationships, consistency, and the trust people place in me. My circles of influence include the graduate students I work with closely, the department leadership, and the many offices involved in student affairs, including OGE. I am also part of a strong community of colleagues across other departments, where I can share my perspective and engage in thoughtful discussion about student-related issues and the impact of institutional decisions on students.
Leading with care matters because the work we do has real consequences for people’s lives. Students and colleagues deserve honesty, thoughtfulness, and respect. Leadership can take the form of vocal advocacy, but it can also be quiet and relational: helping to create the conditions in which people feel supported, capable, and connected. For me, leading with care means helping to create a community in which people feel valued and empowered to grow.”
Shannon Larkin
Shannon’s leadership statement:
“Leading with care, for me, mostly involves listening. It means making my office a safe and welcoming space for my students and colleagues to share what they need to, or staying on the phone with a student who just got some bad news and needs a human to process it with. It means withholding judgement when there’s been gossip, and withholding comment when the student just needs to talk. I’m always ready with advice, but that’s not always the medicine that is needed in the moment.
Leading with care can also mean not shying away from the difficult conversation. It is our nature as humans to be conflict-averse and I am very, very human. But if a student is going to move on in life, sometimes I have to just grit my teeth and do the hard thing. Hard conversations are caring, too.
I have shamelessly stolen all of my best leadership and mentoring practices from other admins. This means I have been the beneficiary of excellent and thoughtful mentorship, and try my best to provide this for those coming up through the ranks. If my guidance can help someone avoid one of my mistakes, I’ll consider my job here well done. In terms of successful mentorship, it’s often more of a lifestyle than a decision. I was amused when I referred to Cathy Modica as a mentor in her presence and she looked surprised. Sometimes the best mentoring happens when you aren’t even aware that you’re doing it.”
