dezmond ward

Dezmond Ward

Title & Department: Creative Coordinator for University Center and Events

"Within my role, I’m responsible for assisting with marketing coordination for the Union & Design Works. We do our best to provide our students real life experiences and opportunities, reach our revenue goals, and ultimately ensure students cross the finish line of graduating."

How do you and your department work with students? --- "The way we collaborate with students is first making sure they understand we’re human just as they are while doing our best to guide them down the right path. Whether it’s allowing them to ideate, host meetings, consult cliental, or execute projects; we want to help expose their creativity and professionalism as much as possible."

What is your favorite part about working at UNT? --- "The “giving back” aspect. Coming from the corporate world, I’m able to share those experiences and how it translates to the creative industry, or just how certain tangibles you learn here can elevate you at the next level. As they go after what they love or their goals, it’s imperative we help them understand that there’s also a business approach that comes with it. In addition, just being with a Team of creators is always an opportunity to learn something new, learn from mistakes, and a safe space to innovate. I like to emphasize here in Design Works that, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying. Keep going.”

What does Student Affairs mean to you? --- "Student Affairs means being in a space to give back, provide active listening, and help prepare our students for what’s next. In short, “How can we?” – We’re in our roles for a reason so it’s imperative we don’t take each interaction for granted. You never know who we might inspire."

How have UNT students impacted your life? --- "Impactful would be an understatement – simply because the impact I’ve felt from having mentors or having a supervisor I could go to, knowing that they were going to give me the best advice possible - even if it’s a potential solution I necessarily didn’t want to hear. From a creative perspective, the work our Team produces is more than inspiring. Seeing a project that they’ve executed from scratch is a warm fulfillment."

Fun fact about you? --- "A true chef in the kitchen."