Jake Hartfield, MSU’s director of orientation and events, is now Dr. Hartfield after his Ph.D. hooding during last week’s campus graduation ceremonies. It seems his career track always was to work in higher education—especially since he grew up on college campuses, raised by parents who spent their professional lives working for some of Mississippi’s stellar community colleges.

As a student, he had thoughts of becoming a lawyer, but he later realized he was destined not only to be a Bulldog forever—as all MSU alumni are—but to pursue student development and devote his professional focus to higher education. He is following in the footsteps of his parents, Rick and Colleen Hartfield, who have been his steadfast supporters, along with his wife, Amanda.

Now with his dissertation defended and his MSU doctoral degree in Community College Leadership conferred, Hartfield doesn’t have time for a break. He’s about to launch into the year’s busiest season—hosting 15 university Orientation events over the next several weeks that welcome more than 10,000 prospective students and family members to campus.

“As director, I hope students attending Orientation truly find their people and establish strong relationships with our Orientation Leaders, staff, advisors and faculty, as well as other students. Orientation is a pivotal part of the onboarding process for our new students. Our goal is to officially welcome them into the Bulldog family by supporting them through this new journey while also easing their anxieties and worries,” Hartfield said.

In addition to these large summer events, he also oversees additional on-campus recruitment activities throughout the year, including Fall and Spring Preview Days, Scholars Recognition Day, Transfer Preview Day, Academic Insight and more.

Nearly 15 years ago, Hartfield himself was an MSU student serving as an Orientation Leader between his junior and senior years. The political science undergraduate wasn’t sure if he had the right personality for the role, but now he observes that great teams of Orientation Leaders have a mixture of character traits—with some being more outspoken and extroverted and others more reserved.

“We take time to pick the team and incorporate a mixture of students because when people come for Orientation at Mississippi State, I want people in the audience to look up there and say ‘Okay, I can relate to that person.’ I think that’s important when you have different people from different backgrounds,” he said.

After earning his master’s degree in counselor education with a concentration in student affairs from MSU, Hartfield began his career here in Housing and Residence Life. His work led him to opportunities at the University of South Carolina and Itawamba Community College before returning to his alma mater, where he already had begun his doctoral program.

In addition to continuously broadening his knowledge of university and student issues, Hartfield has embraced his affectionate nickname given by some of MSU’s recent Orientation Leaders—“OL Dad.” He knows how much his own parents and special mentors have impacted him—particularly MSU Director of Graduate Admissions and Enrollment Marketing Lindsey Shelton and Itawamba Community College President Jay Allen. Shelton was a former Orientation director, and Allen was an MSU Orientation Leader as a student and oversaw student recruitment and enrollment services at Hinds Community College when Hartfield was a student.

Following their example, he greatly values the chance to pay it forward as a leader and mentor for current students. The father of three also is identifying more and more with the parent perspective of wanting nothing but the best for those who come to MSU to learn, grow and thrive.

“What I love most about working for Mississippi State is the people—and I know a lot of people say that—but I’ve felt, ever since coming to this campus as a transfer student, that I was a part of the community and the university. It was because of the people—the mentors that I met and the students that I got to develop relationships with—and that just has never changed,” Hartfield said.