Matt Kaberline
Co-Director,
College Counseling
Severn
School (Severna Park, MD)
How long have you
been in your current position at Severn School? How long have you been in
admissions/college counseling?
This school year is my third year at Severn School. Prior to
joining Severn, I served as an admissions officer for a total of six years at
the University of Mary Washington (VA) and Regis College (MA).
How did you get
started in college counseling/admissions?
After completing my MFA in Creative Writing at Emerson College
(Yes, that degree does come in handy when writing letters of recommendation.
I’m kidding, of course!), I was determined to teach writing at a college.
One of my grad school professors reminded me about the volunteer work I’d done
for Emerson during new student orientation. He mentioned admissions as a
path to “getting my foot in the door” at a school and then trying to teach after
establishing myself for a year or two. Little did I know that working with
students closely as a counselor would become a passion that rivals teaching.
What's your favorite
admissions/counseling memory?
There are so many of them to choose from! The memories that stick
out the most all have one thing in common: first generation students. As
an admissions officer and as a counselor, there are few feelings better than
helping students (and their families) realize that a college education can
change their life and it is within their reach.
What advice would
you give to someone looking to pursue membership in PCACAC and/or NACAC?
Take full advantage of these supportive, knowledgeable, and fun
groups! I reach out to my fellow PCACAC members with questions frequently and
they are quick to share valuable insights that help me to best serve
students. NACAC offers a tremendous body of resources that have furthered
my growth in the counseling profession on both sides of the desk.
If not working in admissions/college
counseling, what else could you see yourself pursuing?
Teaching poetry workshops to children, teenagers, and senior
citizens. I am able to pursue this at Severn where I teach our creative
writing class. There’s a great deal of crossover between teaching writing
and counseling students! Listening skills and reacting to emotion are important
in both fields.
What's one thing
that most people don't know about you?
My childhood dream was to go to law school and eventually work in
government or become a judge, but after college I turned down a scholarship to
law school and took a year to figure out the next move in my career path. That
was scary; I’m still in awe of the support and guidance my parents gave me
during that period in my life.
What's a current
trend or future issue you're passionate about right now? And why?
Concussions and their impact on the teenage brain. I suffered
through a few of them when I was a child and now I see some of my students
struggling to deal with the lasting effects of concussions. New research
on the subject is changing how we treat students and help them to return to
learning. I’m very curious to see how admissions officers and college
counselors work together to support students suffering from concussions,
especially when these injuries occur at inopportune times during the college
application cycle.
*** 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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