Audrey Hill
Transfer Counselor & Professor
Montgomery College, Germantown, MD
Retiring in 2015
How long
have you been in your current position at Montgomery College? How long have you
been there total?
I have been a Transfer Counselor and Professor at
Montgomery College for 11 years. Prior to this I was a Secondary School
Counselor for the Montgomery County Public School (MD) system for 34 years. On June 30, 2014 I will be celebrating my
45th year in education and I will be retiring that day.
How did
you get started in college counseling/admissions?
I taught for 2 years before becoming a school counselor.
In public school counseling, you are a generalist who wears many hats and college
counseling was just one of many responsibilities I did in any given day. After
my first year, I heard about a regional organization called the Potomac &
Chesapeake Association of College Admissions Counselors (old name) and I
attended their Spring Conference. I was fascinated at the amount of information
I received from the workshops and amazed at the wonderful colleagues I met who
were willing to share tidbits to assist me in the college admissions process. I
was “on fire” when I left the conference and
I have been “on fire” ever since.
What’s
your favorite admissions/counseling memory?
I have had many memorable counseling memories during my
career, but I have a “blooper” PCACAC memory that I will never forget. After my
first PCACAC Conference I was appointed Human Relations Chair for the
organization. So for the next PCACAC Conference, I was invited to sit on the
dais for the luncheon. I was seated with
Joe Monte on my right & a man I did not know on my left. After the luncheon speaker the presentation
of the Richard L. Apperson award was the next item on the agenda. Just to make
conversation during this short break in the action, I (in my naivety) asked,
“When did this Apperson guy die?” The man on my left said in a jovial response,
“He did not die…I’m sitting right here”. At that moment Joe Monte broke out
into this loud, hearty laugh, but I was so embarrassed I wanted to slide under
the table.
What
advice would you give to someone looking to pursue leadership in PCACAC and or NACAC?
My advice would be to get involved on a PCACAC committee.
The committees are dependent on volunteer participation. Do not sit back and
wait for someone to ask you to join, “just step-out” and volunteer for a
committee that interests you. By volunteering you get to know the structure and
culture of the regional organization.
This volunteer commitment could then lead to other leadership opportunities in
the Regional and/or National Association.
If not
working in admissions/college counseling, what else could you see yourself
pursuing?
In September, I will be taking a course to become a
Certified Lay Servant (Speaker) for the United Methodist Church. I am currently
a Lay Leader and have been for 18 years. So, now I can give my full commitment
to this once I am retired. Pray for me J
What’s
one thing that most people don’t know about you?
A few of my close PCACAC family know this, but most do
not. I went to college on a Golf Scholarship. I attended Morgan State (MD) from
1965-1969 and played on the Men’s team because there were no women golfers. In
1968, my junior year, the NCAA admitted
black colleges. But they only admitted Women’s Golf & Women’s Tennis. They
did not admit the major sports until later. That year the East Coast Regional
Women’s Golf and Tennis tournament was held at the University of Maryland,
College Park. Participants came from Maine to Florida. Morgan paid the entry
fee for me and one of our tennis players to participate. It was a glorious day!
I won the Golf tournament and our Tennis player won the Women’s Single
tournament.
What’ the
current trend or future issue you’re passionate about right now? And why?
I have two issues that I am passionate about. The first
one is the “Endless Possibilities” at Community Colleges. It took me to work at
a Community College to fully understand the many opportunities afforded to
students. As a Transfer Counselor it gives me great pleasure to work with
student to achieve the goals they want to pursue. And by being the Transfer
Scholarship Coordinator, I am extremely pleased when they get a scholarship to
a 4 year college/university.
The second issue is the rising cost of college. This
issue sets me in a tail spin. I remember as a PCACAC & NACAC officer going
to Capitol Hill during our Legislative Conference & speaker to national
legislators about this issue over 20 years ago. But the price of college
continues to increase by leaps and bounds. Something must be done because
families are encountering stumbling blocks along the higher education path.
What’s
next for you this year, when you retire? What are you looking forward to?
As I have mentioned, I will be serving in the United
Methodist Church, traveling and spending precious time with my 15 month old
grandson. J
*** To Celebrate Potomac Chesapeake's 50th Conference Anniversary, we're highlighting some of our current members. Each week until the conference at The Homestead in Spring 2015, a new member will be posted. Interested in participating? Email Aundra Weissert at aweissert2@washcoll.edu to get started.***
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