As the Digital Communications Specialist at the Gephardt Institute, Autumn Dennis is responsible for content creation, graphic design and storytelling—the behind-the-scenes work that is integral for the Institute’s success.
“I love what I do now. It feels like it integrates everything I’ve ever done,” said Dennis. “My whole thing is providing opportunities for students to engage with their passions.”
Prior to arriving in St. Louis, Dennis had lived in Tennessee their whole life. They proudly call Nashville their hometown, although they later moved to Pulaski, Tennessee to attend college at Martin Methodist College.
“Moving from an urban to rural environment really changed my whole worldview,” said Dennis. “Pulaski was a totally different context than Nashville, but I grew so much from it. It changed my entire perspective on how different people live their lives, and it showed me how poverty changes from an urban to rural context, as an example.”
In college, Dennis was involved with the Cal Turner Jr. Center for Church Leadership, through which they assisted with numerous service projects and community engagement efforts.
One such community engagement effort was a student group called the Pulaski Poverty Project, which they piloted. Seeking to address rural poverty, the group hosted documentary showings and speakers. Dennis recalls teaching members to knit scarves and hats to pass out in Nashville.
Dennis also worked as a homeless outreach coordinator throughout college with an organization called Open Table Nashville. The organization utilized a relational model of homeless outreach, trying to disrupt cycles of poverty and get folks into housing.
After graduating with degrees in psychology and religion, they went on to attend Vanderbilt University Divinity School and Eden Theological Seminary.
Prior to arriving at Gephardt, they spent more than 13 years working in small nonprofits, holding roles such as director of advocacy and director of volunteer programs, which meant doing a little bit of everything.
In the latter position, they described working with people from all walks of life.
“I was helping them to figure out what their passions were and the kind of change that they wanted to see in the world,” said Dennis. “My job was to figure out their ideas and the events they wanted to put on, and then helping these ideas come to life.”
In May 2023 they arrived at WashU, where they coordinated the communications and branding of the Department of Political Science, before joining the Gephardt Institute in July 2024.
Dennis didn’t expect to stay in St. Louis for long, originally viewing it as a pit stop, but they fell in love with the city.
“It’s so beautiful here,” Dennis said. “There’s so much rich history and interesting things to learn from.”
“You can take any social issue in the world and apply it to St. Louis in a critical way,” they said. “The culture of St. Louis feels scrappy and resilient. There’s been a lot of interesting struggle that’s happened here, and I feel like I continue to learn from it.”
When asked what advice they would give to people hoping to get involved in civic engagement, Dennis explained: “Start local. It’s common for folks getting interested in getting engaged that they want to save the world and start at an international level. But it’s important to get to know where you are now and where you’re from: the context of your town, your city council and city hall.”
“That’s the stuff that doesn’t get as much press, it doesn’t feel glamorous, but that’s where some of the most impactful change can come from. You’ve got to get your hands dirty. Leave your apartment, close your computer, and go talk to people face-to-face.”