Since her inauguration last year, Hamline President Dr. Mayme Hostetter has been a constant presence on campus. Whether you see her sharing lunch with students in Anderson Center, bundled up against the cold wind along with us all or holding meetings in Old Main, Hostetter seems to be everywhere at once. What does a day in the life of the President really look like, though?

For the President, arrival is consistent, but departure varies day to day.

“I usually drop my kids off at school in the morning, and that gets me here about 8 a.m., and then there is no typical leaving time,” Hostetter said. “Sometimes it's late because there's, you know, Late Night Study Breakfast. Sometimes it's a little more typical because there's a last meeting at five and there's not a campus performance or game, and I go home like everybody else, but the leaving time is really variable.”

Hostetter enjoys days that have a mix of everything, especially the ones that are able to connect Hamline to the wider community.

“[The] best days are a whole mix of getting to check in with our university leadership team here. What's going well for them? How can I be a better partner to them?” Hostetter said. “Getting some time with students eating lunch in the dining hall is one of my favorite ways to do that, talking to partners and supporters out in the broader Twin Cities. Whether that's you know, employers who would like to have more Hamline grads working in their organization, or whether that's another college or university who wants to be a helpful peer institution.”

Sometimes, however, the day can go in unexpected ways. Hostetter finds value in the challenge against uncertainty.

“And then there's also just the stuff that you know you can't expect, you can't schedule—some of it good, some of it challenging, the surprises of the job. But those surprises are often interesting too.” Hostetter said. “So that's the general mix and how much of that and which category is happening in a given day that varies a lot.”

What is the highlight of the day? For Hostetter, it is lunch.

“Day to day, I really love eating lunch in the dining hall. I really like talking to students and hearing their perspective, your perspective,” Hostetter said. “What's great about Hamline? What do they like? What do they wish were different? What do they think we need to change right now? I love that.”

Hostetter reiterated her joy in talking to students.

“I also just really like our students. They're fun, they're smart, they're earnest, they're kind, like, they don't leave when the President sits down at their dining hall table. So I've really enjoyed that part,” Hostetter said.

In her everyday life on campus, Hostetter finds it important to be present.

“On a day to day basis, I think [being President] means really knowing the people, really knowing the place, being out and about and visible, and trying to make every decision in the best interest of the institution,” Hostetter said.

In her final thoughts, Hostetter emphasized her love of the job and the honor of being Hamline’s President.

“It's a real honor and a privilege. I love being able to say that I'm the president of Hamline, because of how many positive associations people in the Twin Cities have with Hamline,” Hostetter said. “It's a really well regarded and beloved place, and so I feel really grateful and proud that I get to be President for a stint.”