David "Butch" Hamilton
Dir. College Advising/School Counseling
St. Mary's Ryken HS
How long have you been in your current position at St. Mary's Ryken HS? How long have you been there total?
11 years.
How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?
I was tour guide as an undergrad (Allegheny College ’85) and thought admissions might be a good field. Received a master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education and entered college admissions at the University of Delaware. Eleven years there and now eighteen on the college advising side.
What's your favorite counseling memory?
Every once in a while, a senior will stop by my office to tell me where they are attending in the fall. Even before they say the name of the school, they excitedly tell me all the little things they love about their destination. In my eyes, that signifies they have “respected the process” and the process respected them back. It is not only a great fit but perhaps it signifies an even better fit once they enroll, persist, and graduate in four years.
What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue leadership in PCACAC and/or NACAC? Find a topic or cause that you care deeply about and volunteer on a committee that tackles that issue. Learn, contribute, have fun and repeat!
If not working in college counseling, what else could you see yourself pursuing?
Training and competing full-time for CrossFit events and obstacle course races. Sitting on a beach and watching the waves roll in on a sunny day would get boring pretty quickly.
What's one thing that most people don't know about you?
I have visited over 215 different colleges and universities.
What's a current trend or future issue you're passionate about right now? And why?
As Chair of the PCACAC Current Trends and Future Issues committee, I would say every current trend and future issue grabs my attention. To choose one, I would say that our profession needs to evolve ahead of a rapidly changing higher education landscape.
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