Enrollment Services Coordinator Noah West — Wearer of Many Hats

Noah West, enrollment services coordinator in the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (CAHSS), has worn many hats in his life. West previously majored in theater at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English, worked in the university's bookstore and helped run poetry events at coffee shops on Colfax Avenue. 

He occasionally sports a crocheted octopus hat carefully and lovingly crafted by his wife, but his favorite hat to wear is his ‘dad hat’ to care for his 14- and 17-year-old children.  

“They're exactly the people that I would have wanted if I described to you the kinds of people I wanted my kids to be,” West said. "They're both smart and weird and nice and care about other people. What’s not to be proud of.” 

West moved to Colorado when he was only a year old. He grew up “surrounded by books,” so his roles later in life at bookstores in UNC and DU are no surprise. He began working at the DU bookstore in 1999, and when a position in the Department of English & Literary Arts became available in 2021, West served three years as a department assistant before transitioning to a role on the college's enrollment and recruitment team. 

In his current role as an enrollment services coordinator, West helps several departments with scheduling courses and is responsible for communicating with potential and current students. Looking back at his previous positions, West said, “I preferred being isolated. I would have told you that it was important to me. Now, I’ve been happy to discover that I really like working with a team and having broader connections.” 

An important aspect of West’s job is being thorough and ensuring that course schedules are accurate. “Nothing is ever done until you’ve gone over it multiple times,” he said. A self-described diligent person, West also credits his attention to details to a former poetry professor who recommended that he bring back 20 pages of revisions for each poem he wrote, checking every word over and over.  

In his free time, poetry has always been a passion of West’s. Before his children were born, he could often be found on Colfax Avenue in various coffee shops hosting open-mic nights, reading his poetry and rooting on other poets to share their work. 

Despite West’s classical appreciation of poetry, he shares his family’s preference for movies, citing that horror films are “the only thing the four of us can agree on,” he said. Scary movies have become a tradition in the West household. 

Over the summer, West is most looking forward to spending time with his wife and kids and heading up to Lake McConaughey in late July. 

No matter what hat West wears on any given day, he strives to wear it with kindness, patience and diligence, traits he continues to exude both in CAHSS and at home.