Why I Give Back: Larissa Gillespie ’98 ‘00
When Larissa Gillespie enrolled as an undergraduate sports management student in 1994, she kickstarted a rewarding journey—fueled by a sense of purpose that has meaningfully influenced the Widener community for more than two decades.
After completing her MBA and a graduate assistantship with Widener athletics in 2000, Gillespie quickly landed a full-time job at her alma mater.
She has served Widener’s athletic administration in several ways since then, including a 20-season tenure as head field hockey coach and her current role as associate athletic director and senior woman administrator.
These positions have made Widener’s athletic facilities more than familiar for Gillespie. Yet it was an off-field encounter that would deepen her engagement with Widener—and drive a new kind of work for years to come.
It all started a few years back when Gillespie collaborated with a student on the creation of the “breathe” campaign on the myWidener portal.
“In conversations with the student, we realized there were a lot of ways we could support the mental health of student athletes—and our coaches, who may be struggling with how to navigate these conversations,” Gillespie said. “That’s how the work started. I saw it was a mission and a passion of mine.”
Today, Gillespie is co-chair of the undergraduate student board for breathe and serves on the university’s mental health and well-being committee, as well as its overarching mental health task force, which provides leadership, direction, and guidance on dispersing resources, programming, and initiatives at Widener.
As part of those efforts, Gillespie helped establish a room known as Health, Unity, and Belonging, or H.U.B., located in the Schwartz Athletic Center. The H.U.B. is designed for athletes and coaches to be used as a space to unwind, take a mental-health break, and participate in workshops.
Gillespie also spearheaded the Athletic Faculty Advisor program, which aims to strengthen connections among student athletes, coaches, and faculty while providing a deeper understanding of the time commitment and pressures involved in pursuing a sport.
Programs like these complement Widener’s Counseling and Psychological Services office and empower faculty and staff with critical knowledge. By learning to recognize early signs and symptoms that may indicate a mental health concern, they can partner with students to address issues before they escalate.
“This has led to growing compassion and increased support for mental health resources across campus,” Gillespie said. “The hardest thing for anybody in this work is to know that you also need to be a source of strength to yourself. We aren’t helping anybody if we’re not taking care of ourselves.”
Earlier this year, Gillespie was recognized with the Julie E. Wollman Endowed Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It acknowledges an employee who advocates and affects change at Widener in support of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, by going above and beyond their job responsibilities.
She’s quick to emphasize that fostering a sense of belonging is a team effort. “We could not do it without the collaboration of so many campus partners,” Gillespie said. “It’s truly remarkable to me the number of people who are willing to invest their time in these efforts.
“The expertise on this campus is unbelievable,” she added. “There are a lot of people who are contributing skills outside the scope of their role at Widener.”
Gillespie is one of those people, too. And she’s come a long way from her days as a student here. Even after pouring countless hours into the Widener community—on and off the field—she also bolsters her commitment by financially supporting the programs she helps implement.
“I give back so that student athletes and athletic staff know they’re valued,” Gillespie said. “It’s incredible to see the impact of all we’re doing to build a culture of support, and giving is a powerful way to amplify that.”
