Jenny Dye

With curiosity committed to a data-driven approach, Jenny Dye has helped us continually improve our ability to provide the best services possible to students in our care.

Jenny Dye has served as Assistant Director of Cook Connect Services at Cook Counseling Center since this service began in the fall of 2020. With this new approach, all students seeking services at Cook Counseling attend an initial Cook Connect appointment to identify their needs and the resources to most effectively meet those needs.

Transitioning to a new model during such a challenging and unprecedented time was not easy, but Jenny's curiosity and creativity helped her lead the Cook Connect Team through that difficult first year, and ultimately made it a success.

While other challenges came the next year as students returned to campus and sought Cook’s help in greater numbers, Jenny was always looking for ways to connect students sooner, and to help them access the best services for their needs – often sacrificing her own time to do so.

Jenny's curiosity has helped fuel the data-driven approach of the Cook Connect model. Jenny is always looking at the numbers and demographics of students coming in each week and ensuring that underrepresented and minoritized students are able to access the services they need at Cook Counseling Center and across campus.

Jenny's questions have helped shape the Cook Counseling Assessment Program and aided other staff members in collecting and using data to improve their work.

I love being able to meet students where they are, hear their stories, and help them look for internal strengths and resources,” said Jenny. “I love being able to hold some of the challenges they've experienced with them and help them find options to start feeling better.”

Jenny said, “I am really proud of our triage team. Building the triage model at Cook was a wonderful experience. We took time to think about how students get connected, what barriers they may be experiencing, and developed a process that is intentional about supporting them.”

“I try to approach individuals with the assumption that I can learn something from any interaction with them,” said Jenny. “To understand things, I have to be open to new information and new perspectives. I have always wanted to understand how people become who they are.”

When asked what lessons from her curiosity might help others, Jenny said, “We can do hard things, and doing hard things may look messy and chaotic. I would want others to have a more realistic look about what getting through challenges looks like.”

“Being curious means having an expectation that there is something to learn or understand,” she said. “It's about being open to seeing things in a new way and holding space for growth.”

For asking questions that lead to better outcomes for students, it is a pleasure to present the faculty-staff Aspire! Award for COMMIT TO UNWAVERING CURIOSITY to Jenny Dye.