Elizabethtown College honored the 2023-24 Educate for Service – Service To Humanity Award recipient, Jess Hayden ’78 at the institution’s annual Ware Lecture on April 11.
Hayden was presented with the award, which is among the most distinguished given to alumni of the College who demonstrate a commitment to the institution’s motto, Educate for Service, to open the event in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center. An Education major while at Etown, Hayden was also recognized in a celebratory video.
“Jess’s impact on the community is profound and inspiring,” Elizabethtown College President Betty Rider said. “She has carried our Educate for Service motto with her throughout a successful career as an educator and non-profit leader, serving as an extraordinary example of our Blue Jays using their Elizabethtown College education in the service of others.”
Hayden is the former Executive Director of the Susquehanna Folk Music Society (SFMS) where she led the organization for over 20 years before retiring in 2021. During her tenure, she established the Susquehanna Folk Festival, a summer celebration of the arts known locally, nationally, and internationally. Hayden grew the SFMS to more than triple its size and expanded it from its roots in Harrisburg by adding events in York and Lancaster Counties through key partnerships with York County Libraries and The Ware Center.
“What permeated from my time at Elizabethtown College, especially in the Education Department, was the sense that now is our time to develop our skills, develop our abilities, and then to go out into the public and do something really worthwhile,” Hayden explained. “And so that’s what I’ve thought about my whole career, whether as a teacher or Executive Director of the Susquehanna Folk Music Society, is, ‘How can I use my education to make a mark in the community?’”
Hayden earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Elizabethtown College and a master’s degree from Penn State Harrisburg. She taught in the West Shore School District for 11 years and was an active SFMS volunteer and board member before becoming the Society’s Executive Director.
Presented annually since 1966, the Educate for Service awards recognize alumni who exemplify the foundation of the Elizabethtown College spirit and legacy of education. The awards are categorized in three unique areas which include, Service Through Professional Achievement; Service to Humanity; and Service to the College. Learn more about Elizabethtown College’s Educate For Service Awards.