One woman on campus knows how to make everyone’s day with a simple gesture: a smile.

Deb Jensen is the custodian for Gardner and the Facilities building and has big dreams.

“I’d like to have my own craft store, I like to make decoupage,” Jensen said. “Right now I am working on a sign that says “Celebrate” and then hang the months of the year off it and then under each month I will have my grandkid’s names for their birthday.”

There is one thing Jensen loves more than crafts: her grandkids.
“I have two sons and two daughters, but I have seven grandsons, two granddaughters and twin grandsons due in March,” Jensen said.

Jensen attended a country school growing up and graduated from Wayne High. She then worked at Restful Knights/ Pacific Coast Feather for 18 years as supervisor of the pillow department. Then she was at Wayne Public schools for 10 years.

Her and her husband, Dennis, have been farmers for 37 years. Jensen said that she would love to be a farmer full-time, but it did not end up that way.

“I’d love to just be my husband’s hired hand, but life happens and it doesn’t always work out that way,” Jensen said.

Jensen almost lost her 29-year-old son to bacterial meningitis but learned a valuable lesson from the experience.

“It helps you realize that no matter how tough your situation is there is always someone else out there that has it worse and a smile can make all the difference,” Jensen said.

Jensen’s favorite part of working for Wayne State College is the flexibility and the community.

“Wayne State College is very family oriented. I love all the time off that you get at Christmas,” Jensen said. “But most of all I love seeing all the student’s smiling faces.”