The Faces That Make Us: Nick Luchko

Ask Nick Luchko what his favorite DSU tradition is and he doesn’t hesitate to say Orientation.

“It’s that moment when the first car rolls up and everybody is jumping up and down. Everyone has one goal, and it’s a great time to see our whole campus come together.” 

As associate dean of students for engagement and leadership, Luchko is one of the first faces students meet when they arrive on campus. 

What initially drew you to this campus?

I started at DeSales in September 2009. This is actually my second time here. I had worked for a year in student activities and residence life earlier in the 2000s. Then, the position of director of student activities opened up. 

Because of my relationships with previous colleagues, I inquired, came in for an interview, and the rest is history. I knew where this University was going, and I wanted to be part of that. For the past 15 years, we’ve done a lot of great things. So it was a really good decision. 

Describe your role here. 

I oversee two professional staff members and a graduate assistant. As a team, we oversee the student activities on campus through the Campus Activities Board, student organizations, Character U, and Orientation. We also oversee the Dorothy Day Student Union, the international trip to Europe, all of the leadership programs, student government, and ENGAGE.

What’s the best thing about being a Bulldog? 

I have the unique position of watching students start out as first years, and then I have the unique position of being at Commencement and watching them walk across that stage. 

For me, it’s a bookend. I feel like my job is to help them write those pages and to help them fill that book—whether it’s sitting down and talking with students who have never been away from home, or it’s their birthday and they have no one here. Our job is to be here for them. 

Your office plans a lot of trips for students. Is there one trip in particular that’s your favorite? 

Taking students abroad is definitely number one. When we go to London and they see Big Ben, their eyes light up. It’s always really cool for me because I know they’re going to have a great week. And that’s a lifetime memory that they’ll have. Being a part of that is important to me.

Advice for new employees? 

Get to know the people that you are going to work with; not just the people you work with on a daily basis but the facilities people, the housekeeping staff, the treasurer’s office, campus police officers, etc.

Putting yourself out there, introducing yourself, and really getting to know this place is going to make you better. Your job is going to be 100 times better because you built those personal relationships.