Contact our office at: student.activities@wheaton.edu or 630.752.5586
Peter Hansen, Ed.D.
Director of Student Activities
B.A., Moody Bible Institute, 2005
M.A., Wheaton College, 2008
Ed.D., University of Southern California, 2017
As the Director of Student Activities, Peter desires that all student leaders who come through the Student Activities Office (SAO) would be able to: (1) describe and take ownership of their God-given talents, and (2) identify and seize opportunities to engage those talents with local and global need. These objectives are accomplished most frequently in the SAO through conversations on faith development, identity development, and leadership development. Whether planning a College Union concert, designing an educational event with Solidarity Cabinet, or drafting a Student Government proposal, Peter desires that any student in the SAO would be able to confidently answer the following: “How does my presence impact the spaces I am in?” and, “How does the space I am in impact me?”
Peter hails from San Diego, CA and has recently moved to Wheaton with his wife, Linzi, and their three kiddos: Hazel (5), Shepherd (3), Winnie (1), and their 95-lb. bulldog, Honey. If given a free Friday night, you would catch Peter and Linzi loading up on bottomless chips and salsa at Chili’s (with a side of ranch, of course), then heading downtown to catch the 10:30pm show of Improvised Shakespeare at iO Theater.
peter.hansen@wheaton.edu
630.752.5140
Beamer Student Center 063
Crystal Cartwright
Associate Director
B.A., Wheaton College, 2008
M.B.A., Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, 2013
As the Associate director of Student Activities Crystal is passionate about opportunities to meet, interact with, learn about, and invest in student leaders. In her role, Crystal serves as advisor to Student Government and chief advisor to 40 plus student led clubs. Crystal desires for the SAO to daily fulfill its mission and vision by providing a space where all students feel welcome and free to grow and learn.
Crystal is a Chicagoland native. As the daughter of a pastor, Crystal was privileged to grow up in a home that reinforced the importance of Christians using their lives in service to humanity. It is through the example of her parents, the working of Christ in her life, and her deep care for the development of students, that Crystal has developed her passion for student development. Crystal is inspired by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s challenge, “Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.”
As an Alumna of Wheaton College, Crystal is excited to serve the next generation of Wheaton students. During Crystal’s time as an undergraduate student, Wheaton had a profound impact on her spiritual and educational growth. Crystal looks forward to making a return on Wheaton’s investment in her life, through her service to the Wheaton Community.
In the SAO, Crystal’s office has an open door policy and she likes to think of her space as a mid-day “oasis” for students. There are two things students can always count on: Crystal’s office will always smell good and she will gladly greet you with a hug or a snack.
crystal.cartwright@wheaton.edu
630.752.5640
Kedisha Kelly
Student Organizations Associate
Kedisha is deeply convicted about the importance of God’s word and his truth–all truth is God’s truth–and how it really should frame all life. For her, this conviction is the fundamental premise that frames her philosophy of Education. It is this conviction that informs her work with students in the SAO as she seeks to come alongside them in wrestling through the complex realities of life in a manner that reflects the supremacy of Christ in all things. Kedisha attends the Little Village New Life Community on the west side of Chicago. In her free time, Kedisha enjoys conversation with friends, watching movies, listening to music and cooking. In addition, Kedisha plays multiple sports (volleyball, tennis, netball); these are her preferred choice for maintaining physical fitness and she enjoys watching them as well.
kedisha.kelly@wheaton.edu
630.752.7830
Sam Bennett
Office Coordinator
B.A., Wheaton College, 2018
As the Student Activities Office Coordinator, Sam handles the day-to-day logistics of the office, managing the front desk, student workers, and a variety of projects in support of student organizations. Her interest in student development began during her time at Wheaton as a student leader on the College Union board concerts manager. Upon graduation, Sam discovered how much she enjoys higher education as she worked with the Wheaton in Chicago program as a program assistant and got connected with the University of Chicago.
She currently splits her time between Wheaton and Chicago as she works in the SAO and in Leadership Development at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Every day she is learning more about her passion for higher education and student development in different contexts. Sam is interested in graduate school further down the road and is grateful for the opportunity she has to learn from such amazing staff at Wheaton and U Chicago.
samantha.bennett@wheaton.edu
630.752.5181
