Luke Whitehouse
@Lwhitehouse12
Gary Enright has been a pillar of the Springfield College community for over 30 years. After graduating from the College in 1979, he returned and received his Masters degree of Education in 1987.
After that, he worked as a case manager with low-income and troubled individuals. It was there he learned to enjoy interacting with people and talking them through whatever situations they were going through.
But, when a job opportunity in the Counseling Center at Springfield presented itself, he jumped at the opportunity.
Unfortunately, though, he finished second out of the 20 people who applied.
A year later he caught his big break. The woman who had gotten that job the previous year notified him of a position that could be of interest to him.
“She told me about a woman who was already working here, who had taken a maternity leave, and didn’t want to come back full time,” Enright said.
Enright got the part-time position and job-shared with the woman on leave. On top of his duties at Springfield, he was also the director of the counseling center at Elms College.
Eventually, as the Counseling Center expanded at Springfield, Enright earned a full-time position as the Associate Director – a position he has now held for the last 23 years.
The previous Director, Dick Whiting, founded the Counseling Center and was at the college for 40 years. Whiting had an immense impact on Enright.
“[Dick] was always so committed,” Enright said. “I liked the commitment that he showed when I was a student, and I had an even bigger appreciation when I came to work here.”
Following Whiting’s retirement in 2012, Brian Krylowicz filled his role. But even with the change, Enright feels that Krylowicz has only built off the foundation his predecessor had built.
“Brian is very committed to the college,” Enright said. “But more importantly, [he’s committed] to his students and staff.”
When Enright first started, there were three common themes among his students: Depression, anxiety and relationships. Although those focuses have not changed, the stigma around mental health has – and in a positive way.
With famous athletes such as Simone Biles speaking out in support of putting mental well-being first, it’s encouraged people of all age groups to seek help.
“The good news is that more people are accepting,” Enright says. “We just need to make sure that we are able to handle the numbers.”
Although Enright acknowledges that having someone to talk to is very important, the current counseling centers across the country are struggling to meet the high demands of patients. After the COVID-19 pandemic slightly subsided, and students were able to come back to campus, anxiety was at its peak.
With the help of Krylowicz, Springfield College responded by expanding its Counseling Center. But this wasn’t to Enright’s surprise, as the College has always taken steps to ensure that there was a safe place for students to speak freely of their feelings.
Enright has enjoyed his job a great deal over the past 20-plus years, but seeing students grow over their time here is his pride and joy.
“There’s times where I’ve seen someone for maybe a year and then realize they’re about to graduate,” Enright said. “And I feel like I’ve known them for 10 [years] based on the changes in growth that they’ve made.”
Enright has a unique viewpoint on the way he approaches his job.
“I like to use the word, ‘Coach,’ because at some level I’m coaching people,” Enright said. “Well like any coach knows, you have to have the right game plan. And then go out and have their team execute it. The success stories walking out of here are incredible.”
Although Enright doesn’t take full credit for his impact on the college, Springfield has recognized his presence within the community.
In September of 2019, he was awarded the “Cheney Award,” honoring him and his commitment to his students. President Mary-Beth Cooper said walking into Enright’s office is like, “a temple of student appreciation… walking into it you find artwork, cards, tokens of appreciation, quotes, and an immediate undeniable understanding that this individual is deeply cared for by others, and the feeling is mutual.”
And when Krylowicz took over in 2012, he knew right away what he had in Enright.
“Gary was an unbelievably wonderful person to inherit,” Krylowicz said. “When you inherit someone like Gary, it’s like a coach inheriting LeBron James on their team.”
The Counseling Center has always had students that are going through a wide array of situations, but one thing Krylowicz noticed was Gary’s character – whether it’s talking with a student, a staff member or anyone that crosses his path.
“He’s a phenomenal human being and how he treats others is genuinely who he is as a person,” Krylowicz said.
Photo Courtesy Springfield College