When Mrs. Spence drives onto the Hockaday campus each morning, whether she’s parking on Forest Lane or Welch Road, she still feels the same thing she felt as a student decades ago: This is home. As Director of Alumnae Relations, that feeling has shaped not only her memories but her entire career.
Spence first joined the Hockaday community as a Form 1 student, graduating in 1987 after attending four high school years. Although she left for college and then a job in corporate America, she stayed closely connected to her classmates and to the school as a volunteer and donor.
“I’ve always loved working with people and being part of organizations where you can give back,” Spence said. “I just didn’t know it was going to be this.”
Her career changed when she moved back to Dallas after several years in Houston. Unsure of her next career step, she reached out to a friend who worked at Hockaday. At the time, before LinkedIn, Facebook, or texting, networking meant face-to-face conversations. Her friend mentioned an open assistant position in the Alumnae Office. Spence applied, and thirty years later, she’s still here.
She has since then worked her way up to Director of Alumnae Relations, leading a program that now serves more than 10,000 alumnae worldwide.
One of the reasons she has stayed so long, she said, is that her job is “different from day-to-day.” Her role involves everything from planning major events to traveling across the country to meet alumnae. One day she may coordinate volunteers or prepare for a board meeting; the next, she might compile class notes for the Hockaday Magazine. She could write condolence letters. She might even organize reunions.
“I juggle a lot of balls at the same time,” she said. “Some days are extremely crazy; other days are quiet and focused.”
Some of the largest events she oversees are the annual Fall Alumnae Cocktail Party, an evening dedicated to “celebrating friendships” and honoring faculty with more than 20 years of service, and the spring Alumnae Weekend, which brings graduates back to campus for reunions, luncheons, classroom demonstrations, and a community picnic.
For Spence, what sets the Hockaday alumnae network is clear. “Sisterhood,” she said.
To her, the friendships formed at Hockaday are lifelong and unwavering connections that endure through celebrations, challenges and every moment in between.
“When you forge a friendship here, you’re a friend for life,” Spence said.
Today, alumnae support the school in countless ways: many returns as speakers, volunteers, donors, or even employees; there are currently more than 25 alumnae working on campus. Others serve on the Alumnae Association Board or act as class representatives who help keep their peers connected.
Spence says the most meaningful part of her job is trying to find ways to engage every alumna, even those who may have drifted away from the school over time. It’s a challenge she embraces.
“My goal is to find a way to bring someone back to campus who might not otherwise have the chance,” she said.
After three decades in her role, Spence says her love for the school remains unchanged.
“Every day I drive onto campus, I get that feeling of: this is home. I’m so grateful to be here.”
No matter what the day brings, she faces it with open arms and a full heart.
“If the day is a challenging one, let’s do it,” she said “If the day is a great one, let’s do it.”