Profile: Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson

School Counselor

West Potomac High School (Alexandria, VA)

How long have you been in admissions/college counseling? Share your journey story!  

I’ve been a high school counselor for 9 years, beginning at Thomas Dale High School in Chesterfield County (VA). I also counseled two years at Warren County High School in beautiful Front Royal (VA), and have been at West Potomac High School in Alexandria (VA) for the past three years. My formal education has all been within PCACAC territory – Western Albemarle H.S. in Crozet (VA), JMU for undergrad, and VCU for my M.Ed.  I am a career switcher, having also served in the federal courts for 14 years as both a judge’s courtroom clerk and in IT.  Although the courts and the schools are in many ways almost polar opposites of one another, I love both professions!

How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?  

I owe much of the joy and fulfillment that I get from college counseling to Evelyn White, my director at Thomas Dale. During the first week of school she strongly encouraged me to sign up for the Blue Ridge Mountain College Tour.  I did, I went, and I was immediately hooked in the college counseling part of my profession – it remains far and away the most favorite part of my job as a high school counselor!  I have been a member of PCACAC ever since that tour.

What's your favorite admissions/counseling memory?  

Wow, there are several… okay, a LOT!  These memories tend to come back to one common theme though – witnessing the hard work of some amazing teenagers during their high school years pay off in big ways, whether it be admission to the college of their dreams, scholarship offers, or both.  The fall after my first year of counseling at Thomas Dale I was at a football game at UVA and saw one of my former students playing in the band. When he saw me he pointed at me and exclaimed to his friends, “That’s my high school counselor – the person who got me into UVA!”  Although humbled by his gratitude, I reminded him that his four years of hard work and effort got him there – I just helped with the sales pitch!  He is now finishing up medical school.

What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue leadership (or membership) in PCACAC and/or NACAC?  

Do it. There are opportunities abound to serve our profession and have a good time doing it in PCACAC. The networking with colleagues from both sides of the desk is invaluable, and really a must to do our jobs well on behalf of our students and applicants. Don’t know where to get started? Reach out to anyone you see on the website or to any colleague you know who is part of PCACAC, and you’ll be on your way!

If not working in admissions/college counseling, what else could you see yourself pursuing? 

I work on the high school side, and have long had a strong interest in pursuing a switch to the college side of the desk.  Any time I’m in a college environment, my inner voice tells me, “This is where you belong!”.  One day, perhaps!  Having grown up in a family in which my stepfather’s profession was with an educational travel company, I am also drawn to that field.

What's one thing that most people don't know about you? 

My ‘moonlighting’ job for three years was as a member of the grounds crew for the Washington Nationals. Like a lot of kids growing up playing Little League baseball, I dreamed of making it to ‘The Show’.  Well, pounding and picking up clay from the pitcher’s mound wasn’t exactly what I had in mind as a 10 year old, but it was still a thrill to be on the field before, during, and after games – especially the year they made the playoffs.  One pre-game when preparing the mound I took a pause, looked around at the crowd filling the stands, stood on the rubber, and stared down at home plate.  I was embarrassed when I noticed the assistant head groundskeeper saw that brief moment – but he just laughed and said, “Mike, I do that all the time!”

What's a current trend or future issue you're passionate about right now? And why?  

There are so many trending issues that we are faced with on both sides of the desk. I’m still kind of a technology nerd, and get that from my job at the federal court, where our Clerk made it a point to keep us on ‘the edge’ of technology.  Thinking of, developing, and working with technology that makes processes more efficient and accurate are keen interests of mine – I’ve been the unofficial ‘tech person’ in each school in which I’ve worked!

Special Program...Reply ASAP

As part of the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PCACAC) Admission Practices (AP) Committee’s desire to proactively promote ethical practices, we will be sending out monthly “case studies.” In these cases, we will offer a situation and discuss whether the issue is in compliance with NACAC’s Statement of Principles of Good Practices (SPGP). If you have a question about a situation or SPGP, please contact a member of the AP Committee.

December Case: The following e-mail arrived in Sally Student’s inbox, “Dear Sally, Congratulations on your admission to Holiday University. In the holiday spirit, we have a gift for you! Our Workshop Engineering Department noticed your great efforts in your school’s maker space club. Therefore, we would like to offer you a scholarship of $5000 and a space in the Workshop Engineering Department. Space is limited. Please reply by sending in your enrollment deposit. Congratulations, Jolly Admission Director.”  Sally brought the letter to her counselor. Is this situation compliant with NACAC’s SPGP?

Discussion: While this case may look easy to those familiar with NACAC’s SPGP, there are actually two issues. According to Mandatory Practices II. B. 3, “All postsecondary members agree they will permit first-year candidates for fall admission to choose among offers of admission and institutionally-affiliated financial aid and scholarships until May 1, and state this deadline explicitly in their offers of admission, and not establish policies nor engage in practices whose effect is to manipulate commitments prior to May 1.”

Issue 1: Does Holiday University give Sally until May 1? The answer to this is unknown. For this reason, alone, the counselor should complete a NACAC confidential complaint form to alert the Admissions Practices Committee. Please note, May 1 applies to all programs and institutionally-affiliated financial aid and scholarships even though the Workshop Engineering scholarship/program might be managed through a different part of Holiday University.

Issue 2: Does Holiday University explicitly state whether the enrollment deposit is refundable? The Interpretations section of NACAC SPGP II. B. 3 states, “offers of admission must clearly state whether deposits submitted by students prior to May 1 are refundable or non-refundable.”

Conclusion: Holiday University may or may not be operating with good principles. However, this e-mail does not clearly communicate that fact which makes the e-mail an apparent violation.

Meet the new Admission Practices (AP) Vice Chair

The Admission Practices (AP) Committee welcomes a new Vice Chair - Dale Bittinger. 

The Admission Practices (AP) Committee is charged with an annual review of the Statement of Principles of Good Practice (SPGP) of the National Association for College Admission Counseling and of the monitoring procedures that are used when a member institution of NACAC makes a formal complaint of an ethics violation against another member.  The AP Committee is expected to be aware of evolving new practices and procedures within the admissions counseling community and to recommend appropriate changes in the SPGP to the NACAC Admissions Practices Committee.

Here's more about our new Vice Chair of AP!

Dale Bittinger

Assistant Vice Provost

Undergraduate Admissions, Orientation, and School Partnerships

UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland

How long have you been in admissions/college counseling? Share your College counseling journey story!

Over twenty years.  I started at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) before following one of my mentors to work at Georgia Perimeter College (then DeKalb College) in Atlanta before returning to Baltimore.  I was subsequently hired as the Assistant Director of Transfer Admission at UMBC moving up to ultimately becoming the Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Admissions, Orientation, and School Partnerships.

How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?

While in graduate school – in the counseling program (ironically community counseling and not school)  – I received an assistantship to be an academic advisor.  This lead to my first position at BCCC where I made the move to enrollment management and admissions.

What's your favorite admissions/counseling memory?

I worked with a student – Matt Courson – who moved to Baltimore after being paralyzed in an ATV accident.  He played baseball at Arkansas and went through his rehabilitation at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.  He was told he would never walk again, but he has.  His story – which can be found at http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/tag/matt-courson-human-factor/ - is truly inspirational to all of us and is another example of the diverse student population at UMBC.   

What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue leadership in PCACAC and/or NACAC?

Follow your passion, whatever it may be.

If not working in admissions/college counseling, what else could you see yourself pursuing?

Probably something with youth sports or something completely different – a landscape architect. 

What's one thing that most people don't know about you?

I have a big interest in girls' education and all the messages they receive at young ages.  Most likely this is because I have three young girls currently in school and I want them to have a strong sense of self – whatever that may be.

What's a current trend or future issue you're passionate about right now? And why?

Affordability and the amount of debt students have once they leave college.

What made you decide to join the AP committee?

I have always enjoyed working with Jake Talmage, the AP Committee chair, and consider Lou Hirsh, my “moral compass” in our profession, so the opportunity to connect with them and,  hopefully leave a similar mark, was too good to pass up at this time.

2015 Rising Star Award - Public School Counselor Training

photo from the NACAC website: NACAC President Jeff Fuller presents the Rising Star Award to members of the Professional Development Committee Robyn Lady (chair) and Rebekah LaPlante, and Rosemary Martin.

Not only was a PCACAC individual a recipient of a Rising Star Award this year, we also received an award for our professional development efforts with Public School Counselors!

We had a chance to chat with Robyn Lady, chair of the Professional Development committee.

The rising star award honors individuals and programs that exemplify excellence and dedication to serving the needs of students in the transition from high school to college. How do you feel being offered this opportunity by your peers and colleagues?  

I was delighted to learn that Kelly Farmer, immediate Past-President of PCACAC, wanted to submit a Rising Star nomination for the Professional Development (PD) work that we have been doing for public school counselors in our region. Being selected by NACAC for the award was absolutely wonderful. There is nothing better than be recognized by peers in a profession full of passionate people who are all doing fabulous work.

Can you briefly describe the Public School Counselor Trainings that won the award? 

I have been working in public schools throughout my entire career. As a former counselor and now as the Director of Student Services at Chantilly High School, where I supervise 12 counselors, I am well aware of the need to provide College Admission Counseling training to counselors who work in this setting. All public school counselors have a Masters Degree in school counseling; however, most of them never had a class in college admissions counseling.  Public school counselors are provided little to no funding for PD outside of the actual school system. To that end, with the support from the PCACAC Board, I set out to provide free trainings throughout our region. Most of these trainings take place during a “teacher work day”, when there are no students in the building, enabling counselors to access the training more easily.  The PD committee reached out to several public school systems in VA and MD and provided full day trainings for several of them. The largest two took place in VA.  Last March we trained 120+ Middle and High School counselors in Prince William County and this past August we trained 130+ from Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover Counties in VA. It is our hope that this award will result in more public school systems in VA, WV, MD, DE, and DC to contact us to develop and deliver quality PD to even more counselors throughout our affiliate.

Our profession needs good people to be stewards of access and education. What issue are you most passionate about concerning college counseling and admissions?  

It is hard to pick one issue.  I think the best answer is “I am passionate about the transformative power of a college education” and in turn steadfastly committed to doing everything I can to help more students and families, not only get admitted to college, to stay the course and graduate, and with as little debt possible.

What’s next on the PD committee horizon? What issues do you want to tackle in 2016?

The PD Committee is busy planning upcoming events. We hope to get called upon to plan more public school events for January, March/April and perhaps June.  We also presented at the Virginia School Counselors Association conference. We plan to reach out to colleges that have a Masters Degree in School Counseling degree and hope to train the students in the program. We welcome the opportunity to develop a training or workshop to meet any other PD needs in our region.

What advice to you have to share for others looking to pursue their passions and make a mark in the admissions world?

I challenge everyone to continue to push their own limits. Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes all of us to keep the college dream alive for all students. Think creatively, work hard and embrace the opportunity to serve. Continue to use your talents for good in this profession, celebrate your successes and know that you all make a difference every day.

2015 Rising Star - Rosemary Martin

Each year during the National Conference, NACAC presents Rising Star Awards. This year, PCACAC leader and member Rosemary Martin (Assistant Director, Office of Undergraduate Admissions, University of Maryland) was the recipient of an individual award!

According to the NACAC website,

The Rising Star Award honors individuals and programs that exemplify excellence and dedication to serving the needs of students in the transition from high school to college. 

This award encourages NACAC affiliates to look within their associations, identify and nurture those new members and programs that are deserving of this honor and also encourage the honorees to continue their professional development through membership in NACAC.

We got the chance to sit down with our Rising Star Award recipient Rosemary Martin.

Can you briefly share your admissions experience here (when and where you started, all of your movement).

Like many in our profession, I fell into the world of college admissions. After I graduated from Shenandoah University in 2008, I began to work in the IT industry for a DOD contractor named Iron Mountain. One day I realized this was not my calling (the computers did not speak back to me and I lacked human interaction), I decided to call my college advisor and ask her how to make a career move back to the Communications world. 

She had just received a job notice from the Office of Admissions at SU that they had a position on their newly-developed communication team. Knowing that Shenandoah had once been home to me, I knew it was a good opportunity. At SU I held many responsibilities that included developing the brand and finding different platforms and avenues to spread the SU message.

I also held a small recruiting territory which is where I absolutely fell in love with college admissions recruiting. I knew that although I loved the technology and media side to my position that there was something special about working directly with students and families. About three years later, the opportunity to work with Purdue University as their DC area representative was presented to me. I knew moving to a bigger university and becoming a regional representative would be a great career change. I was with Purdue for almost two years and now have taken a position as the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Maryland. 

The rising star award honors individuals and programs that exemplify excellence and dedication to serving the needs of students in the transition from high school to college. How do you feel being offered this opportunity by your peers and colleagues?

I feel incredibly honored and humbled to know that my peers and colleagues recognize the small but large strides I have made. Especially when I know there are so many of us in our affiliate and other affiliates across the nation doing some ground breaking and life changing work. I am excited to continue to brainstorm and work hard to continue to do work that my peers and colleagues respect and are supportive of. The possibilities are endless!

What thoughts went through your mind when your name was called to receive the award?

Honestly, Si Se Puede! I also hoped that somewhere in the grand universe my parents were able to see me on that stage and knew all their efforts migrating to this great nation did not go unrewarded nor unnoticed. Unfortunately, they passed away prior to being able to see me accomplish a lot of things and I, like many other migrants to this country, appreciate all of the efforts and sacrifices they put forth to give us these types of opportunities. I also thought about how lucky I am to have such a supportive affiliate that embraces each of our accomplishments. They were in the crowd cheering me on which felt fabulous! Lastly, I thought, man I hope I don’t trip as I go onto this stage!

Our profession needs good people to be stewards of access and education. What issue are you most passionate about concerning college counseling and admissions?

Inclusion and Access is something I am very passionate about. Being a first generation Latina and experiencing what it is like to go through the college search and enrollment process have fueled my fire at this moment. I do a lot of work with the Latino community ensuring they are well informed and have all the resources they need to be able to have a successful journey. I am excited to see where my efforts as well as my colleagues that share the same passion can impact the future for Latino students across the board.

What’s next for you professionally? Where would you like to see yourself in 5-10 years?

In 5-10 years I hope to see myself continuing in the college admissions world. I would ultimately one day serve in leadership and be able to share all of my experiences and excitement with a team of great individuals.

What advice to you have to share for others looking to pursue their passions and make a mark in the admissions world?

You will hear people say time and time again to get out there and get involved. It’s true! Decide where your passion lies and get excited about it. Think outside of the box and decide how you are going to make a difference. Don’t be afraid to dream and dream big and go for it! It’s all about how much time and effort you are willing to put in. We are all busy in this industry but we cannot forget that we are here for the students and we have the power to make a difference in the future of each of their lives. Even the smallest effort can be life changing for some.

Just for fun, what’s one thing about you that most people don’t know?

I love music. Like LOVE music. My favorite types of music are definitely Punk Rock, Jam band music, Latin music, and old school Hip Hop.  Everyone already knows I like to dance so that cat is out of the bag! 

Congratulations to Rosemary, we look forward to your continued leadership in PCACAC!

Profile: Rebekah LaPlante

Rebekah LaPlante

Associate Director, Undergraduate Admissions

Virginia Tech (VA)

How long have you been in the college counseling/admissions profession?

15 lovely years!

How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?

I started as an Assistant Director in The Office of Admissions at Radford University (my alma mater) after completing a bachelors and masters degree from RU, both in the communication field. My experience as an orientation leader as an undergrad peaked my interest in working in higher education and then after teaching public speaking courses in grad school, it further verified my interest in working with students in some capacity. I attended a session at my first conference presented by none other than Mildred Johnson (had no idea she would be my future boss at the time) and Barry Bradberry (who I now consider a dear friend) where they discussed the “career” of college admissions and after five years, you may be a “lifer”. Well, I guess I’m a “lifer”. 

What's your favorite admissions/counseling memory?

Thankfully, I have too many to count…however, I would say most of my favorite memories have included the opportunity to share good news with an applicant when I’m able to call and notify them of an offer of admission to VT. I am very fortunate to be surrounded by a great team in my office and of course many others in our profession that I consider friends, so the "favorite memories" are abundant!

What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue leadership in PCACAC and/or NACAC?

Just do it! Ha Ha! If you do it right, it does take more time and effort than most people realize. However, it will be very rewarding and will not only help you to become a better professional, but it will also provide you with the opportunity for service, which I believe is very important in our line of work. Start out volunteering on a committee at our regional level and additional opportunities will likely open up if you are able to do more. You do have to put the time in and seek support from other colleagues either within your own office or reach out to others when needed. We’re all in this together. :-) 

If not working in admissions/college counseling, what else could you see yourself pursuing? 

Hmm…I started college with an interest in broadcast journalism, theatre, teaching and counseling before I settled on communication, so I suppose those would all be possible career pursuits. My true passion would be to open my own bakery and/or brewery or be a DJ (I could still give out college admission advice on the side). 

What's one thing that most people don't know about you?

Lets be honest, I am an open book. I don’t think there is much the organization doesn’t know about me. I am a very positive person (most of the time), love to cook, appreciate a good craft IPA and love to dance! I really love to dance! The one thing not as many people may know is that college was not an automatic option for me. I am a first generation student and as much as my parents supported me, this was a very new venture for them. With the help of a thoughtful high school counselor, my mom and I sort of figured the whole college application process out along the way. And as they say, the rest is history. 

What's a current trend or future issue you're passionate about right now? And why?

A future issue that I am passionate about are the issues that face first generation college students. I am concerned that the gap is not closing, but unfortunately widening between opportunities to assist the students that really need our help in the college admissions process and overall implications for cost/debt as well. I know our organization and individual counselors and college admission professionals are doing what we think we can, but I believe we can do more! I hope to be able to find additional ways to serve this population and focus on the socioeconomic gap as well. 

Profile: Charter Lindley

Charter Lindley

Associate Director of Admissions

Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, VA)

How long have you been in the college counseling/admissions profession?

Randolph-Macon is where I began my official career in admissions in July 2008.

How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?

I was a high school teacher for three years prior to R-MC. I taught students with emotional and learning disabilities, and—really—it was during those years as a special ed case manager that I began counseling students and helping them set higher education and transition planning goals. I just didn’t know at the time that I was getting my start in college counseling/admissions. Soon then—during a time that I was starting to rethink a teaching career—I randomly met a young professional who worked in college admissions, and we got to talking about his job. It was an A-ha!! moment for me. This was a profession meant for me: my passions were transition planning and goal setting for young adults (my graduate school theme), and travel and customer service (years in service industry and retail). I almost immediately applied to an opening and got the job (after some special people in my network got me the interview). Of course, since then, the profession has become so much more.

What's your favorite admissions/counseling memory?

My goodness—there are so many. We have a good time in the R-MC admissions office, especially. There's always laughter among the seriousness... and a good Snapchat is never far behind this time of year. You know, there is a special fondness I have for one particular homeschooling session I attended at the NACAC conference about 5 years ago. That was another “Yes, please, tell me more!!” moment in this profession. Don’t you love feeling that way!? Wait, actually, is it unprofessional to tell you that my favorite memory from my admissions career was on an international recruiting trip, zipping a rental car through the narrow streets of Brussels during rush hour. SO MUCH FUN!

What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue leadership in PCACAC and/or NACAC?

Am I qualified to speak on this subject?!? I don't see myself as a leader within either organization, and I don't intentionally aspire to lead. Anyone else really, really like middle management? That's my happy place. That said, I would give the advice to figure out which current leaders and peers you admire and find ways to engage with them, ask questions, be professionally curious, be generous with genuine praise, and accept challenges. The ACAC community is so friendly and approachable. Also, volunteer however you're able, and don't be afraid to have different ideas.

If not working in admissions/college counseling, what else could you see yourself pursuing? 

Whenever I take career interest inventories I end up with results that say I should be a construction worker or a scientist. I can see that.

What's one thing that most people don't know about you?

I am an introvert. Being around people-- even though I find relationships rewarding-- is exhausting for me. If you know me only professionally, you'll likely be surprised by this because I turn it on in social/networking settings or when presenting to a large audience. This persona is not insincere (my fellow introverts know what I mean here), but being social or high-energy isn't my natural state. As you can imagine, I'm regularly challenged by this character trait in our profession, but it has allowed me to grow and master some skills I otherwise wouldn't have. 

What's a current trend or future issue you're passionate about right now? And why? 

I'm fascinated by the concept of evaluating/ranking institutions of higher education based on outcomes. How can this data be realistically tracked and standardized across the region or nation, who is responsible for tracking it, what type of outcome is considered a "success"? I know I'm meeting more students looking for a professionally-geared, narrowly-focused major. They want a degree that will present them with immediate employment after graduation. And now that the pressure is increasing, what are traditional colleges doing-- specifically what are "Career Services" offices doing differently-- on campuses to faciltate successful outcomes? As this all relates to the college search, the value of a non-utilitarian education, and the future livelihood of higher ed institutions... this is so fascinating to me!