By Marina Schweitzer
People told her she would never work in Washington DC again, but Jennifer Henderson was determined. The determination helped her land another DC job that she thought might actually help people.
Henderson brought that same kind of determination to Trinity University in 2002, when she joined the faculty in the Department of Communication. Sixteen years later, she has become a full professor and the department chair, and has taught an array of classes including mass media, media law, media ethics, advertising, and communication capstone.
Henderson got her undergraduate degree at Drake University in Des Moine, Iowa. From there she went to Washington, DC to serve as an intern at the White House. “I was in a graduate program and my job was to take the photographs that people got taken with the president down to the pen machine for them to be signed.”
Henderson felt this wasn't a great way to get graduate credits, so she quit. “They all said I would never work in Washington DC again.” But she did. She went to work for the Office of Personnel Management, basically the human resources department of the federal government. While working there, Henderson got to help write the plan to recruit Hispanics into the federal government.
“So I went from a top level job doing nothing to what people considered a bottom level job actually doing something,” she said.
Henderson continued to work in the DC area, as an admissions counselor for an all-women’s college and as a secretary at a community college. Then she decided it was time for a change and went back to school at the University of Washington in Seattle. She wanted to pursue her passion.
“I knew I wanted to be a First Amendment scholar so I applied to the program of the professor who had written the textbook that I had studied under and I only applied to that one program. Thank goodness I got in because if I had not, I wouldn't be here today,” said Henderson.
After graduating from the University of Washington with a doctorate in communication, Henderson joined the Trinity faculty. “This was my first academic job and will probably be my last academic job,” she said. “I have always felt that I was really lucky to get a job at Trinity.”
Henderson enjoys the kind of academic freedom Trinity offers. “They treat faculty really well," she said. "We get to teach the kinds of classes we want to and people kind of stay out of our way as we develop our classes and give us the resources to teach the kinds of classes that we want.”
Henderson also loves getting to know her students, and her students have high respect for her. “I think Dr. Henderson is a great professor. She is very helpful and always willing to meet outside of class in order to make sure that you understand the material,” said senior communication major Andrew Harrington. “Having taken capstone with her, she reduced a lot of the stress because of how on top of things she was.”
Henderson’s husband, Dr. Aaron Delwiche, is also a communication professor at Trinity. They went to the same graduate program at the University of Washington at different times and barely knew each other. When Henderson was already at Trinity, she sent a job advertisement for a position in the Department of Communication to Delwiche’s adviser. ”He applied and ended up here,” Henderson recalled.
Having taught at Trinity for 16 years, Henderson has “tons of highlights.” "Because my research is in media law and First Amendment history so I love teaching the Media Law class,” she said.
She also taught a course a couple of years ago on women in technology, where she brought in several high profile women in the tech field to discuss the difficulties they encountered and how women should be more empowered. Henderson also enjoys teaching the media fandoms class and the summer class with the San Antonio Spurs, because “it’s a new challenge every summer.”
Of the many Trinity traditions, one of her favorite is Christmas on Oakmont. She also loves going to athletic events to see students compete and enjoys attending Trinity Theatre. “I love to see students who I have in class doing all of these other things, who really have passions in other places.”
Launching the Communication Day was yet another highlight for Henderson. It “brings people in and our alumni back. It has been a great experience and it’s a great way to meet people,” she said. The annual event has been held for five consecutive years and will continue into the future.
Earlier this month, Trinity University honored Henderson with the Distinguished Achievement in Advising award, recognizing her commitment and dedication to student advising.
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