At just a few years out from graduation, Lessley Dennington has already carved out an impressive place in the tech world. As a solutions engineer at GitHub, she partners with major clients to solve complex problems with precision, strategy, and innovation. But her forward-thinking mindset doesn’t end with code — it extends all the way back to her roots at The University of Alabama, where she recently made the decision to include UA in her estate plans.
“It might sound unusual for someone my age,” said Dennington who earned a bachelor’s in 2015 and her master’s in management information systems in 2016. “But I’ve been incredibly fortunate, and I want to give back to the place that helped get me here.”
Dennington’s story is one of pivot, persistence, and pride. Growing up, she dreamed of becoming a doctor, but a pre-med internship after her freshman year quickly revealed that her passions lay elsewhere. Thankfully, Alabama’s acclaimed Management Information Systems (MIS) program gave her a new direction — and one she now calls a launching pad.
“I’m so lucky that UA has such a great MIS program,” she says. “Switching majors was seamless, and it completely changed my life.”
While at Alabama, Dennington, the youngest member of Denny Society, poured herself into campus life. She served as a TA and ambassador for the MIS program, joined the Honors College, was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta, the International Honors Program, and even spent a year as a resident advisor. But more than titles or activities, she says her time at the Capstone taught her balance and perspective.
“I was a total perfectionist in high school,” she reflects. “But Alabama helped me learn that relationships and community matter just as much as academic success. The friends I made there are still some of the closest people in my life.”
Now based in Denver, Dennington remains connected to her alma mater, even from afar — attending virtual panels, mentoring current MIS students, and meeting with UA representatives when they visit the area. Her decision to leave a planned gift is, she says, a natural extension of that ongoing bond.
“It’s a way of saying thank you,” she explains. “I want to help ensure that students like me — who maybe don’t follow the straight path but find their calling along the way — have every opportunity to thrive.”
Dennington’s story is still being written, but her legacy at Alabama is already taking shape — a testament to what happens when talent, gratitude, and long-term vision intersect.