Staff Spotlight: Elspeth Hayden

This month’s staff member in the spotlight is Elspeth Hayden, Associate Director of the Wells Scholar’s Program. We asked her a series of questions, and here’s what she had to say (responses may have been edited for concision and clarity):

What is your name and what do you do; how long have you worked here in OVPUE?

I’m Elspeth Hayden, the Associate Director of the Wells Scholars Program. I’ve been with WSP and OVPUE since May 2016, though I’ve held several positions within WSP over the years.

What three traits define you?

I’m organized, compassionate, and (so I’ve been told) relentlessly optimistic! If I could add one more for levity: constantly hungry…

What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?

I used to dream of being a writer, I got my professional start as an orchestral musician, and now I think it would be rad to be a competitive triathlete. More realistically, nonprofit management is my down-time passion, and I think it would be rewarding to serve as Executive Director of a local or regional nonprofit, particularly in the arts, literacy/educational, or environmental fields.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

Either learn German fluently to be able to converse with my grandmother and cousins in their native language, or dance! Any kind, though I’m particularly enamored of competitive Irish step dancing, which I was forced to abandon in my youth and have regretted ever since.

What challenging thing has happened (to) for you, and what did you gain from it?

The pandemic hasn’t been easy on any of us, partially because it’s full of mind-boggling paradoxes. I’m so grateful to be employed and be able to work safely at home, but at the same time it’s been difficult to carve a workstation out of my personal space at home and mentally separate from work to relax off the clock. I miss traveling and visiting family without putting lives in danger, but I have a new appreciation for my funny and supportive spouse and for our beautiful city and environs. It’s a work in progress, and I hope we all emerge from this global disarray with more compassion for each other and ourselves.

How do you define success?

Success is contentment (not happiness!), which is an entirely personal metric and can vary from moment to moment. The important thing is that success isn’t a dollar amount, a number of hours worked, qualifications earned, accolades awarded, etc. – it’s a choice and a state of mind.

What do you do in your spare time?

The majority of my spare time is taken up with training for and competing in triathlons of all distances. I qualified as an age-grouper to compete at USA Triathlon Nationals in the Olympic distance this year, but that has been tabled for the future when travel and in-person events resume. In the meantime, I’m working on longer distances with my sights set on a full Iron-distance in 2021!

I also love cooking and aim for a mostly plant-based diet using heaps of locally sourced veggies. Finally, you can find me supporting local literacy and community initiatives with Friends of the Monroe County Public Library, serving both on their board and as a regular Bookstore volunteer.

What’s the coolest (or most important) trend you see today?

There is a growing movement to de-stigmatize mental health issues with people of all ages, and particularly with younger generations. Setting healthy boundaries in school/work/personal life, practicing good self-care, getting professional help when you need it, etc., are now mainstream talking points, and I hope that the infrastructure to support this grows alongside the awareness!

What is your favorite thing about working at OVPUE?

My colleagues! I’ve developed so many wonderful relationships with awesome people in just a few short years. Special shout-out to IT and the Business Office for all their good-natured help running our tiny program, plus HHC, HPPLC, National Scholarships & Awards, and all you other superb faculty and staff members!