Q&A with Denisha Akpan, Coordinator of Recruitment

Denisha Akpan joined the Truett Seminary staff on January 4 as Coordinator of Recruitment. She is a 2019 graduate of Truett and worked with the Seminary’s Student Recruitment Team as a student. In this brief Q&A, Denisha shares a little about herself and what she is looking forward to about working at Truett.

What have you been doing since you graduated from Truett?

After I graduated, I went back home to Huntsville, Alabama to work with students and families at First Baptist Church Huntsville. I had around 200 students—aged 6th grade through college—and was doing all things that fall under the umbrella of youth ministry. After a year, I transitioned to doing hospital chaplaincy at UAB Hospital.

Working at the hospital was such a rewarding experience, especially during a pandemic, to have the opportunity to provide pastoral care when things are so different. I was able to ease anxieties and stresses during a difficult season of life and also just to be there for patients who are so isolated in their units and for nurses and doctors who are trying to navigate coronavirus.

How do you think those experiences will inform your work at Truett?

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that time is not our own. If you feel compelled to speak into something or to let somebody know that they are loved and cherished, just say it! Don’t wait for the next day or the perfect moment because it may not come.

In recruiting, you have such a short window of talking with prospective students and sharing about Truett. Then, they either want to learn more or they are on to the next thing. So, I think being as transparent and honest as I can in the moment and not holding back is a major lesson I learned in my past work that will translate well into this environment.

What are you most looking forward to about working at Truett?

I love the family aspect of working at Truett. I know about that from working here as a student. I also think one of the really unique things about Truett is that we are embedded into Baylor University, and there are so many fun events and opportunities outside of our building that we are connected to.

What are you most looking forward to about your role as Coordinator of Recruitment?

As a student working in recruitment, I really focused on campus visits. That was my primary role. So I’m excited to learn more about Truett’s large-scale recruitment strategy. I’m also really passionate about recruiting non-majority students and look forward to partnering with others to find ways we can grow in that area.

Tell us about how you approach your work in recruitment?

When I began working in recruitment as a student, I adopted the perspective that the work I am doing is crucial and is ministry at its core. I recognize the fact that we at Truett are helping future ministers become equipped by gaining the tools, knowledge, and community they need to thrive in whatever context they find themselves in after they graduate.

I view this position as being a minister to the ministers, as they go through the process of applying, working toward their degrees, and then graduating and sharing God’s Word with the world.

What is one thing that you would want prospective students to know about you?

I want them to know that I’ve been in their shoes. I know what it’s like when you’re trying to decide where you want to go, where you feel led to go, where you feel like the Lord is calling you to go and study. The discernment process is difficult to explain to people, so I want prospective students to know that I’ve been on that journey too. I can relate to what they are feeling and desire to help make this discernment process as smooth as possible.