By Tara Owen, Senior Reporter
Sadie Bier was sitting at her home not feeling well one day when she heard someone deliver something to her front doorstep. To her surprise, her friend Kaylyn Hansen had dropped off some hot tea to make her feel better. Hansen said she left the gift as a special surprise because she knew her friend was not feeling well.
“This is just the kind of person she is,” Bier said.
A small-town girl from the Oklahoma Panhandle with a big heart, Hansen is known for doing acts of kindness without being asked by her loved ones.
“When I had a surgery, she surprised my whole family with a home-cooked dinner,” Bier said. “She did not even hesitate and did it without being asked.”
Hansen is not only a great friend, but she has also been a dedicated coworker with other staff members on the Northwestern campus for many years.
“She is always willing to help out,” Bier said. “Whether it is in our friendship or at work, she’s just a great person.”
FRIENDLY ADVENTURES
Bier and Hansen attended Northwestern and first met in 2005 during Greek recruitment as young college students. They then became great friends in 2015 when they were working on Northwestern’s Alva campus.
Since then, their friendship has bloomed, and now they have been friends for years while still working at Northwestern.
Hansen, a first generation college student, has also received four degrees from Northwestern.
Another one of Hansen’s friends and coworkers, Dr. Jennifer Oswald, chair of the Division of Education at Northwestern Oklahoma, said her favorite memory with Hansen has to be attending the Halloween scare maze.
“The scare maze is kind of our thing. We love it and always just have so much fun together,” Oswald said.
Oswald and Hansen met through an elementary booster club. Oswald then invited Hansen to come to a Bible study group she was hosting.
“She said ‘yes’ as she normally does, and since then’ our friendship has grown so much,” Oswald said.
One work trip Oswald and Hansen went on sent them to Chicago, Illinois. Oswald remembers finding the world’s largest Starbucks, and they both knew it was a sight they had to see. Hansen and Oswald went inside the Starbucks to get the full experience.
YEARS OF SERVICE
Along with her approachable personality, Hansen is also the go-to person for a lot of different things, and she manages all her duties well, Oswald said.
“She will be the last person to ask for something, but will always be the first to give,” Oswald said.
Hansen has been working on the Northwestern campus for 16 years. Throughout her time on staff, she has held numerous job titles, such as Fryer Hall head resident, director of housing and director of counseling. Now, she is the director of assessment and institutional effectiveness and is the academic support senior woman administrator.
HEART FOR HELPING
Throughout her many staff titles during her years at Northwestern, Hansen has had the opportunity to work with many different faculty members.
Not only is Hansen giving to those around her, but she also has a heart for serving others. Her husband, Shane Hansen, is an instructor at Northwestern who serves as the chair of the Health and Sports Science Department. Her heart is what he admires most about her, he said.
“Her personality is one of serving. She likes to be in the background more than she likes to be out in front,” Hansen said.
FAMILY LIFE
The Hansens just celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary. They now have three children: son Ryne, daughter Sutton and the newest member, daughter Stella, was born in November.
“My biggest fear is making sure that I am able to raise children that are God-fearing, loving individuals that are kind to others,” Hansen said.
However, anyone that has seen her with her children knows how wonderful of a mother she really is, Shane Hansen said.
“She’s an unbelievable mom to our children and an unbelievable wife,” Shane Hansen said.
With their oldest two children playing sports, the sports-loving Hansens spend most of their free time supporting their children in all of their events.
One of Hansen’s hobbies is physical fitness. She said she enjoys working out and running in her free time.
About three years ago, she decided to spend some time bettering her health through physical activity.
The Hansens continue to support Northwestern in various ways, including athletics, because both were student-athletes here.