How do I describe the RIDE? I moved to Iowa 7 years ago from the beautiful State of Hawaii. The first question students asked me was “Why” and the second question after I sat down with them to do their career planning was “What’s this college or that college like?”

Working in College Admissions for the past 14 years has been incredibly rewarding in so many ways. Yes, we face burnout, spend a lot of time on the road, and put in extra hours—often for less-than-ideal pay. However, I believe in the work we do, I see the impact we have on students, and I never wake up dreading my job. For me, that is a true blessing.

Back in the day, we got all our Iowa ACAC updates by snail mail—postcards, flyers, newsletters. Now it’s all digital (yay for less paper!). But I know how easy it is to feel buried in emails and miss things...I know I overlook sometimes.

Spring is just around the corner, and you know what that means—it's almost time for the Iowa ACAC Conference!

The new year has brought a sense of reflection and gratitude for being part of this group. One of the reasons that I appreciate being part of the college admissions and school counseling community is the sense of purpose, resilience, and tenacity of the individuals in these professions.

LEAP 2024 Conference took place on Wednesday, November 20th at DMACC. This year's conference featured a keynote address from Jordan Brooks from Iowa State University who challenged students to manifest their dreams and how knowing themselves can help them find a college and career that combines their passions and interests.

The 2025 conference planning team is hard at work, and we're buzzing with excitement about creating an unforgettable experience for all attendees. As the chair of this amazing team, I’d like to personally invite you to join us at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa this coming May for what promises to be an inspiring and fun-filled event: “Bridging Together in Higher Education”.

My collegiate athletic experience was unconventional. Hesitant to continue track and field, I turned down an athletic scholarship. Missing the sport I’d known my whole athletic career, I walked on to the team my sophomore year of college. That first season was humbling, to say the least. I picked up throwing equipment for the first time ever. A former sprinter turned thrower. I failed, multiple times. Fast forward to my junior year- I was the outdoor conference champion and school record holder in shot put, and made my mark as a top 5 all-time performer in three throwing events. I was not a NCAA Division I, a Division II athlete, or even an athlete in the NCAA. But the opportunities, connections, and skills I gained along the way I will be forever grateful for.

As the Admission Professional of the Year recipient, I was given the opportunity to attend this year’s NACAC conference in Los Angeles. While the schedule was very robust with lots of awesome sessions and events, it was a bit overwhelming. Reading all the options and coming up with my game plan felt a bit like cramming for a test. I’ve made some cliff notes (does anyone even use these anymore?) so you won’t need to cram for a NACAC conference in the future.

• Step 1, open your NACAC emails.
• Step 2, actually read said emails. No really, pre-conference emails have a wealth of information, and it helps to look at your options in snippets and come back to it often.
• Utilize the conference app. It allowed me to filter sessions specific to the content I wanted to learn about and build my own schedule. It also sent me reminders of the things I was most interested in doing.
• Don’t be afraid to walk out of a session- Yes, I just encouraged you to leave but for good reason! There are many things happening at the same time such as sessions, learning labs etc. I found myself wanting to attend multiple things and since I was flying solo, I cut out early to make it to everything on my list.
• Take the initiative to introduce yourself to someone new. I promise, the benefits far outweigh the fear of talking to strangers! I met two counselors from Vancouver Island, Canada, we had invigorating conversations that branched outside of just ‘work talk’ and now it’s on my travel bucket list. You should Google it; this place is like visiting Europe without flying over an ocean to get there.
• If you’re invited to an after party (most are hosted by sponsors/exhibitors), go! While these events are not hosted or sponsored by NACAC, they are another great way to network and have fun and, let’s be honest, having fun with our colleagues is icing on the conference cake!
• 

LEAP Conference will take place Wednesday, November 20th from 9:15am - 2:00pm at DMACC Ankeny Campus. This free event is  tailored to students grades 10-12 who are the first in their family to pursue a college degree and from other underrepresented populations. Attendees will feel empowered to develop plans for their future as well as understand the value of leadership and academic success.

In July, the Iowa Association for College Admission Counseling hosted Admission Counselor University (ACU) at Buena Vista University. New counselors from any college or university in Iowa were able to attend.

Having just graduated from Central College, Admission Counselor University (ACU) was a quick return to the classroom for me. I went into our time at Buena Vista not knowing what to expect and left with a variety of experiences and lessons. I learned more about my responsibilities as an admission counselor, found and created connections, and had a great time while doing it!

My path to admissions was a bit of a curvy road – undergrad (4 years), Juilliard School (6 months), law school (4 weeks!), graduate school/teaching/overseas study/research administration (10 years) – and then, a chance phone call that set me on the highway to a career in college admissions. That was 24 years ago. Most of the best things in life are unplanned.

As we prepare for another year of college admissions and a new year at our K-12 schools in Iowa, Iowa ACAC continues to work toward serving our members to best support students and families in the college admissions process. As a school counselor and College/Career Transition Counselor, I know how important relationships are to this process - not only with our students - but with all of the professionals who support students along the journey to college. Having just finished with the R.I.D.E., our students in Iowa are incredibly lucky to have a wide range of postsecondary options. We have an institution for every student, whether it be within the state of Iowa or just across the border.

There are never two days that are the same. I just come prepared each day to do my best to meet the needs of students, whether that be an emotional need, physical need, academic need or just a kind person to recognize their existence!

Looking at colleges for the first time was not the experience that I thought I would be having. Instead of taking in the schools and hearing about  classes and activities, I was worried about something that most kids don’t have to worry about.

On the morning of May 14, 2024, I was a little preoccupied with my 28^th birthday coming at me quickly. Reviewing my work inbox, I read a subject “Re: Iowa ACAC – Congrats!”. My IT department has put me through lots of training on what to do with spam. So, my first thought was to do some research on what this ‘ACAC’ acronym is. My research concluded that the Iowa ACAC was pretty legit and the conference seemed real. The email even referenced making a social media post! Although, for some reason, I made the executive decision that it made more sense for this to be spam, and I ended up deleting the email. A weekend passed, and one day my supervisor, Dana Chrisman, eventually gathered all of my fellow admissions office mates and congratulated me. Dana explained that a counselor I had worked with had written the most thoughtful recommendation about my visit at one of her high schools.

It’s been a challenging winter for students and their families as well as college admissions, financial aid administrators, and college access professionals. Thankfully it’s officially spring! I’ve decided to have an optimistic outlook on the “Better FAFSA – Better Future” situation and tell you about what ICAN will be up to in the next few months.  

Happy Spring! How many ISIRs did you get? I’m kidding, it’s a mess, but that’s not what Spring is all about. In a very short amount of time the MIDWest conference will be here, and we will get to see all of our colleagues and friends from schools not just in Iowa, but from the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin.