Approaching nearly a decade at Daniels, Sidwell is driven by student success
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Roller coasters and careers are more similar than you think.
There are ups and downs, hard left turns and the occasional flip. You start in one place and expect to finish in another, unsure of the trials and tribulations you’ll experience along the way. You just close your eyes and hold on tight.
Ron Sidwell can attest to that, perhaps more than most.
Growing up in small town Ohio, where he lived in a real-life log cabin, Sidwell always wanted to get out and experience a big metropolis. That led him to pursue degrees in international relations and German at Ohio State University, targeting a career in the State Department. While he entered college with that plan, he quickly discovered a new passion while working in the orientation office. This was the first corkscrew in his career.
Upon graduation, Sidwell moved to Denver and taught high school math while he waited to enroll in a master’s program in student affairs. But teaching didn’t feel like the ultimate career either.
“While I liked teaching, I really liked working with college students better,” he said. “So that led me to do a higher education program, and here I am.”
That quick turn dropped him at the University of Denver, where he’s been since 2016. For the last eight years, the roller coaster has been paused.
Sidwell is the associate director of undergraduate programs at Daniels, rising through the ranks and accruing various titles in his near decade at the College. In his role, he provides crucial support to undergrad students, helping guide them through their academic and professional aspirations. His impact extends outside of the office, as he takes a group of students every year to Indiana for the Kelly School of Business Case Competition.
“It’s a really good opportunity to fly with some strong students who have excelled in case competitions here. Then you truly get to see them shine,” he said. “In 2022, we won that competition. So that was an incredible experience to see those students really blossom.”
Enabling student success is at Sidwell’s core and helps guide him forward. The culmination of that is at graduation every year, where Sidwell is awestruck by the next crop of students crossing the finish line. Because his own path to Daniels wasn’t clear in college, Sidwell serves as an ideal mentor for students struggling with their future. He’s a safe landing place for uncertainty and anxiety about career choices. He knows what it feels like to be conflicted. Eventually the roller coaster slows down.
“It’s never too late to change your mind and pursue whatever you discover your passions are,” he said. He encourages students to try things and enter each experience with an open mind.
“You can always switch your path later and use you past experiences as a springboard,” he added.
When he’s not at his desk in Margery Reed Hall, Sidwell is a typical Colorado resident. He loves to ski and hike, and to explore the local culinary scene. (He recommends Parisi on Tennyson Street for Italian or Pho Saigon Star near campus.)
Oh, and he loves roller coasters. Growing up in Ohio, Sidwell worked at Cedar Point and quickly rattles off his favorite parks and coasters. He still has fond memories of his very first coasters. His all-time favorite isn’t Cedar Point or even Disney, rather Dollywood, the homage to Dolly Parton in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
“You’re never too old to like water parks or roller coasters,” he said with a smile.
Sidwell was recently awarded the Alexander J. Lindsay Award for his outstanding service to the College’s constituents. The winner of this award has a reputation throughout the College for their “spirit of service” and for going above and beyond the call of the role in support of their customers. In his award nomination, Sidwell was recognized for his advocacy for students, their families, and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives—all in a humble, modest manner.
He was gracious in accepting the award, slightly caught off guard by the honor.
“It’s really cool to see that what I’ve been contributing over the years is valuable to people,” he said. “That was just a huge honor to have that work recognized.”
Having been at the College for so many years, Sidwell is bucking the job-mobility trend exhibited by much of his generation. That’s not an accident.
“It’s not typical for a millennial to stay in a job for eight years,” he said. “But I think it’s just a testament to how great the students are. They keep you coming back every day.”