Dr. Dan Boone and his wife, Denise, seen at Homecoming weekend with Alumni (Credit: ENC Marketing)
Denise Boone is a refreshing new face on the Eastern Nazarene campus when she visits, and many students and faculty have had the privilege of making her acquaintance during homecoming festivities.
Her husband, Dr. Dan Boone, was recently commissioned as ENC’s president-elect. As Dan Boone holds the president’s responsibilities of two colleges, what does this new change mean for Denise and where does she fit into the start of this new era at Eastern Nazarene College?
Denise acknowledges that first and foremost, her job is to support her husband. “I have to support him with the weight of two jobs…I need to support him in any way that I can when we come to campus.”
She continued to explain, “It’s a very fulfilling role. It brings me a sense of joy…Dan cannot always do all of the personal touches that I can do, even though he would love to, so it is very fulfilling knowing that I’m helping him in this role because it’s just who I am.”
Building meaningful relationships with the student body is another aspect that Denise feels is crucial in her new role. She cares deeply for each student and genuinely wants to get to know as many of them as she can.
One of Denise’s favorite things during homecoming weekend was sitting in the cafeteria and visiting with various people. “I try to get to know their stories, what brought them to ENC, and just a little bit about their background,” she explained.
Mrs. Boone has an apparent deep appreciation and passion for students. “I really love this generation. I’m not as smart as this generation, so I just love listening to their ideas, how they see the world, how they experience God…I think they teach me stuff the older I get…that’s the fun part about working with two schools, just engaging with the students.” She mentioned that she was once asked what she would like to be known for when she leaves Trevecca. Her answer was straightforward: “that she loves students.”
During such a transformative time at ENC, Denise Boone will have the opportunity to be a wonderful addition. As she says, “It’s not really hard work if that’s who you are,” explaining her view on her role of supporting her husband and building relationships with students – something she has always done best.