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For Bethany DeLong, leadership is about more than managing tasks — it’s about inspiring others to grow.

As associate director for enrollment and retention in 91���� University’s , DeLong has built a reputation for her innovation, mentorship and dedication to making 91���� a welcoming place for students, faculty and staff.

Those qualities earned her the 2025 President’s Award for Excellence in Leadership.

“Bethany is an outstanding example of what leadership should look like,” said Rachel Schwab, the college’s enrollment and retention coordinator. “She innovates where there is opportunity, supports where there is need and goes above and beyond to support all in her purview.”

Since joining 91���� nearly seven years ago, DeLong has strengthened the college’s student recruitment and retention efforts. She mentors members of the college’s Dean’s Student Advisory Board, dean’s scholars and graduate assistants — instilling confidence and leadership skills in the students she works with.

Her impact extends well beyond mentoring. DeLong has played a key role in planning events like the college’s annual Trivia Night, Future Teachers Day, the Nursing and Health Careers Camp, Explore 91���� Day and the Scholars Event. She also created the popular monthly Nursing Lab Tours, which draw up to 30 participants each session and have yielded an impressive 71% enrollment rate among attendees.

She has also made lasting improvements to university processes, including digitizing the teacher education program application to make it easier for students and more efficient for staff.

Schwab, who works closely with DeLong, said her colleague’s leadership is as personal as it is professional.

“Bethany has not simply trained me on tasks; she has consistently gone above and beyond to support my self-efficacy and advocate on my behalf. I feel incredibly lucky to work with her.”

Always seeking to grow, DeLong joined the Wright Leader Academy to strengthen her already strong leadership skills — a move that reflects her belief that great leaders are always learning.

“Bethany has made a lasting impact on those around her,” Schwab said. “She is incredibly deserving of recognition for her work at 91���� University.”