RECognition: Destene Wright, REC Experience

Recreation's monthly series to highlight and celebrate our staff

By Shawn Cyr
Assistant Marketing Director

Destene Wright’s favorite part of her job is that no two days are the same.

“Most days are steady, with the regular greeting of patrons, answering questions, or just having a quick conversation,” says Destene Wright, a Facility Supervisor with Recreation Experience. “But then a group of elementary students can come in for a facility tour, and their enthusiasm and curiosity about everything just brings so much light to the gym.”

Most of the time, it’s Destene who brings the light.

“Destene comes to work with a smile,” says Recreation Experience Supervisor Erica Moe. “Her positivity is contagious and helps the team enjoy the work we do.”

A fourth-year cognitive science major in Muir College, Destene spends the majority of her shifts working at the front desks of RIMAC and Main Gym. “I’m constantly interacting with different people,” she says. 

She hasn’t been with REC that long, joining in March of 2025 because she enjoys being active and being around like-minded people — “working at REC lets me combine both,” she says. When asked about her most memorable REC moment, Destene says it was her first shift.

“I chatted with coworkers, and we drank boba,” she says. “I felt like I had been working there forever because of how welcoming my coworkers were.”

When she’s away from the desk, Destene enjoys going on nature walks, swimming, shopping (especially at Fashion Valley or Kobey’s Swap Meet), and doing yoga.

“I always feel ten times stronger when I do yoga,” she says. “Plus, the instructors motivate me to push myself because they know I am stronger than I think I am.”