Jahnae Barnett is the type of administrator who thrives on interactions with students.
During her 30 years as president of William Woods University, she's gotten to know her students better than most college presidents, she suspects. Years ago, when a Christmas tree mysteriously appeared on the roof of a campus building, she was pretty sure she knew exactly who did it - she still keeps up with him, long after he graduated.
"You have to love seeing them as they are, knowing that when they walk across the stage four years later, that's going to be an entirely different person," Barnett said.
Barnett came to William Woods in 1973 when she took a job as chair of the Department of Business and Economics. The president at the time sat her down on multiple occasions to talk about her future, but she never wanted to give up teaching. Eventually, she decided to start thinking about her next steps.
"The then-president called me in one day, and he said, 'If every job in this college was available, what would you do?'" Barnett said. "Well, I looked at him and said, 'Every position?' He said, 'Yes, any position.' I said, 'Well, I would want yours.'"
He laughed and asked her to aim a little lower - the role of president wasn't available at the time.
"I was so young," Barnett said. "I am sure he thought that I was a gutsy little thing."
In 1983, Barnett became the vice president of Admissions, Retention and Development, a role she stayed in until 1990.
"When the then-president decided to leave, he called me in and said, 'We're doing a national search for president,'" Barnett said. "He said, 'I've been reviewing the applications. Where's yours?'"
Barnett hadn't applied. After 17 years at the same university, her resume was woefully outdated. She hadn't ever thought about leaving. After the discussion with the outgoing president, Barnett went home to sift through nearly two decades of papers to compile her accomplishments and contributions.
She became the institution's first female president.
"Did I know what to think? No, I didn't," Barnett said. "I had a lot of ideas and a lot of things that needed to be done, but did I know what the life of a college president was like? No."
As she settled into the role, she found she missed interacting with students. She wanted to spend time with them and hear about their lives, but they just thought of her as the president. Explaining her dilemma, someone gave her a piece of advice she quickly took to heart - she adopted a dog.
With her new poodle alongside her, she began roaming the campus and immediately noticed a change. When students came up to pet her dog, she could be a normal person with them again.
Barnett regularly meets with President's Twenty, a group of students who serve as ambassadors for the university and help act as liaisons between her and the student body. Less formally, she finds other ways to connect with students.
She recalled one occasion where she noticed a student sitting alone on campus.
"I went down to sit by her, and she was homesick. There were tears in her eyes," Barnett said.
She immediately took on the task of raising her spirits, convincing the student to join her in a visit to the equestrian facilities to see the horses.
"About two weeks later, I saw her on campus and she said, 'Dr. Barnett, I go to those stables everyday to talk to the horses,'" Barnett said.
The equestrian facilities are one of Barnett's favorite places on campus - along with the bridge across Senior Lake, where she welcomes students to campus, and Dulaney Hall, which reminds her of many memories from her years working at William Woods.
Barnett first became acquainted with horses during her early years as president.
"I knew we were number one in the equestrian industry, but I didn't know enough about it as president, so I walked over there and said I need to understand this program," she said.
Gayle Lampe, who helped WWU develop its four-year program in equestrian science, told her she had to learn how to ride.
One of the most unexpected experiences during her tenure as president was when she was invited to open the American Royal, an annual horse show held in Kansas City. She had never ridden publicly, and she was terrified.
"My heart was pounding, you can't imagine," Barnett said. "I've never had a fear like this."
Ahead of the show, a group of students helped her practice. They borrowed drums to mimic the orchestra that would play as she rode and set up spotlights.
After the event, a group of students who were watching from the stands told her William Shatner had sat nearby them. Apparently, the actor asked them if they knew her, saying, 'She's a gutsy old broad, isn't she?'"
Barnett never expected to serve as president for so long, but it never felt like the right time to leave.
"You have to have a passion," she said. "You have to love what you're doing, and you have to love where you are. I've been offered other positions, but I've never applied for another position."
During her tenure, the institution has undergone massive changes - from its transition to a university in 1993, to the introduction of the graduate program to its movement to a co-ed campus.
"The thing that's stayed the same is we've never stood still," Barnett said.
Even after 30 years, Barnett said she isn't quite ready to leave.
"There are things I still want to do at William Woods and for William Woods," she said.