JANELLE “LOVE” WHITE
Janelle ‘Love’ White is a Washington Township Schools lifer. She started at Fox Hill Elementary School, matriculated through Northview Middle School, and wrapped up her Washington Township education at North Central High School. During her time at NC, Janelle participated in Track and Field, Spanish Club, Key Club, Junior and Senior Class Council, and the club PEERS.
When asked about her favorite NC memory, Janelle says “It’s really hard to think of just one thing, so I’ll say it was the friendships that I made during my time in Washington Township. High school was just the culminating experience of growing up with people since Kindergarten and being able to build upon those relationships over the years. Some of those friendships have waivered and some are stronger now than ever before. I was lucky enough to never feel alone or isolated while at NC because of the community I was able to create.”
Talking with Janelle, it’s clear that NC left a lasting impression on her. She shared, “NC shaped me to be someone who is welcoming of all types of people. I had friends with varied interests, skill sets, identities, and cultures; an experience that I credit to the diversity of our township. I remember being amazed by how many different countries were represented by the flags in the student center; something that didn’t really hit me until I went to college and understood that NC was not everyone else’s experience. I learned how to be an effective leader and support the growth & ideas of others through my co-curricular involvement at NC, and these skills have stuck with me as a supervisor.”
After Janelle graduated from North Central, she headed to Ball State University intending to become a high school history teacher and track coach, but midway through her college career, she decided to major in Psychology, then went on to earn her Master of Science in Education with a focus in College Student Personnel and Administration from Illinois State University.
Janelle realized that as a college administrator, she could help people find their place in this world. She still gets to teach in a classroom setting occasionally. She shared, “The work is so rewarding and allows me to meet and work with students from all over the world.”
Today, Janelle works as the Director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at the University of Chicago. She also serves as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant to educational institutions, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 Companies. Although Janelle no longer lives in the area, she still believes, “North Central was the best high school I could have gone to. If I still lived in Indy, that would be the place I would send my children.”
Click here to connect with Janelle and learn more about her work.
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