Denise Evans

Road to Retirement

Darlington has seen many changes in the last 25 years, but one thing has remained consistent — the smiling face that greets you when you visit the Student Life Office.

Denise Evans was hired as the executive assistant in Darlington’s Student Life Office in 1996.

“The two things that first impressed me about Darlington were the makeup of the student body and the beauty of the campus,” she said. “The student body stretched across the country and the world. I met students from everywhere! It was so exciting and I loved coming to work at this beautiful campus every day.”

Her children, Bryan (’99) and Russell (’03), also joined the Darlington Community, and it wasn’t long before her husband, Wayne, was spending Friday nights at Chris Hunter Stadium as the football team’s statistician.

“I loved having our children here,” she said. “I was able to watch them grow and participate in all areas of school life. Darlington was instrumental in preparing them for college. Bryan was able to start with 19 college credits because of the rigorous academics. Russell’s freshman year at Mercer, he said he felt bad for some of the students that didn’t seem to know how to study or manage their time and that he appreciated the Darlington teachers that put so much time into teaching study skills and time management.”

Evans added that the experiences her sons had at Darlington helped shape them into who they are today.

“Bryan has always loved history, so he quickly developed a friendly rapport with Jack Summerbell, Steve Killian and Craig Schmidt,” she said. “After earning his history degree at UGA, he was able to use his connections from Darlington to secure teaching positions and kept in touch with Craig for council and advice.

“Many of my memories of Russell’s time here involve watching him sing and act,” she continued. “He was first cast in the Upper School musical ‘Mame’ while he was still in the middle grades. He was also one of the few freshmen to make the Concert Choir. Russell’s talent was brought to life at Darlington and he still shares it today on many stages around Rome.”

Evans has worn many hats in her role with student life, supporting administrators, parents, and students each day and navigating institutional changes that are inevitable with a tenure of 25 years.

“Through the years, I’ve been able to adapt to the many changes with a positive attitude and a desire to make the Student Life Office be the best that it can be,” she said.

But perhaps the task that has been most special to Evans is being the coordinator of Honors Day each year.

“Honors Day is such a special day for the students and faculty,” she said. “I love giving special thought and attention to each award and seeing the happy faces that come forward to receive their awards. I hope in the years to come when a student looks at that cup or little silver plate or certificate they received that they will recall a special moment in their life.”

Being part of so many students’ growth and education has been fulfilling for Evans.

“Working in education is so meaningful,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed watching students experience for the first time life events that would shape their character and futures, and I’m just amazed to see what they have ‘grown up to be’ -- so many success stories and so many putting their talents into practice.”

As she experienced her last Commencement as a Darlington employee, she looked around at everyone in attendance and got emotional.

“Besides the graduating class, there were friends and family from all over the world,” she said. “There were alumni and trustees of the school. I saw the sweet ladies and gentlemen that clean our campus, security guards that greet us with a smile at the gate, and the facilities crew that keeps our campus so beautiful for special days like this. I saw the friendly folks that work in the dining hall. We all had come together as one big family to watch the seniors graduate. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I sat there so grateful to be a small part of it all.”

And even though there is a great deal she will miss, Evans looks forward to her retirement years.

“I plan to play with my grandchildren, do something creative, and enjoy my peaceful home in the country surrounded by nature,” she said. “I know I will always be a part of Darlington, and Darlington will always be a part of me.”