ST. PAUL, Minn. – An eight-year University of Northwestern Office of Dual Enrollment veteran is joining the UNW Athletic Department as Danae Widbin has been hired as the new Office Manager.
 
"I am excited to be moving over to Athletics," said Widbin. "I have watched the Athletics department at UNW pour countless hours into student athletes and it is a great team to be a part of. I am looking forward to bringing my unique experiences into the department to help serve and support our student athletes, coaches, and athletic staff. This has always been a job that I have felt would be a great role to be in and I am thrilled to have the opportunity."
 
An alumna of Northwestern, Widbin graduated from UNW with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology in December of 2010. She went on to earn her Master's in Education Administration with an emphasis on adult and higher education from the University of South Dakota in July of 2015.
 
"Danae is no stranger to Northwestern," said Dr. Matt Hill, UNW Director of Athletics. "Her experience with various departments at the University will be a huge benefit to the athletic program. She has been a great supporter of Eagle Athletics and Eagle student athletes. It's another win for UNW."
 
Following her graduation from Northwestern, Danae worked as a Residential Scheduling Coordinator at The Emily Program in an adult residential treatment facility. Widbin returned to her undergrad alma mater in 2013 when she began working as a UNW Registration Specialist, with responsibilities ranging from course setup and management to helping with process development and improvement.
 
Alongside her Registration Specialist work, Widbin became a UNW adjunct faculty member in 2016. Over the past five years, she has been teaching career development and major exploration courses both online and in person for Northwestern.
 
In the summer of 2017, Widbin transitioned from her Registration Specialist role over to being an Academic Advisor for the Eagles. In that role, Widbin served dual enrollment students with the last names S-Z, typically working with around 400 students and helping them with course selection, academic success, and various other student needs. She was recently certified in Strong Interest Inventory and Myers Briggs Type Indicator, helped with TruMotivate on UNW's campus, and has assisted with numerous program changes in Northwestern's PSEO program.
 
Beyond her educational qualifications and abundant professional experience, Widbin's faith and how she lives it out made her a perfect fit for the role. She grew up going on a mission trip each summer with her church through a mission outreach of the EFCA called BUMP (Bridging Urban Missions Partners). Widbin's home church in rural South Dakota would come to the Twin Cities every summer, and it was her first introduction to the city she would eventually call home.
 
"Our team would partner with a local church to provide a VBS program or a sports camp for a week," said Widbin. "As a student I went on five trips over the years. My mom actually ended up working for BUMP and I served as a volunteer staff member for eight years following my time as a student. I also spent a few weeks in Peru doing missions work in high school."
 
Widbin also served as a Young Life leader at Irondale High School for five years. Following her time as a YL leader, she and her husband Luke, an Assistant Baseball Coach for the Eagles, shifted their ministry focus to college students, specifically serving Northwestern students and eventually directly serving the UNW baseball team. In addition to their ministry service, the Widbin family baked over 1,000 cookies for the UNW Baseball team during their historic 2021 campaign.
 
"After leaving UNW as a student, I initially did not anticipate returning. However, I felt a pull to come back to UNW and have loved my time as a staff member serving students," said Widbin. "I love the mission of the institution and the opportunities that students have to learn, not just academically, but also to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus. UNW was a life changing experience for me and I love having the chance to see people's stories unfold. College is a pivotal time and it is an honor to be able to play a small role in helping students develop lifelong skills to advance academically, personally, professionally."