50 for 50: Barbara Conner

 

Barbara Conner

Director of College Counseling, Foxcroft School (VA)

 

How long have you been in your current position at Foxcroft School? How long have you been there total?

 

I have been at Foxcroft School as Director of College Counseling for almost four years - I came midyear and my fourth class of seniors just graduated - time flies!

 

How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?

 

 I was working in Fairfax County Public Schools when I learned about the College and Career Center Specialist position in each of the high schools.  When I read the job description, it sounded like they had designed a perfect job for me and as soon as one of the jobs became available, I applied.  I was hired at West Potomac High School in Alexandria, Virginia and spent five years working with the incredible students and families in that school community. During my final year at West Potomac, I had a cadre of 23 weekly parent volunteers whose time and dedication allowed me to work with the students (2100 in all) in meaningful ways.

 

Prior to this, I worked in different areas including as a human resources director, an organizational consultant, a parent liaison, and a special education coordinator.  The common element I have found throughout my career is that I enjoy working with people, helping them discover their strengths and their goals then helping them develop strategies to achieve their goals.  Making connections has always been important to me.

 

What's your favorite counseling memory?

 

Wow - this is a tough question - there are so many incredible moments, conversations, and events which mark my time in college counseling.  When I left West Potomac, the parents hosted a bon voyage celebration and I was honored and stunned by the hundreds of previous students, current and former parents, and current students who attended.  To see the impact my work had on these individuals was humbling.  During the celebration, one of my football players came over picked me up off the ground and whispered, "It won't be the same here without you.  Those Foxcroft students better know how lucky they are to be getting you!" which made me cry. I will cherish that memory as one of my most poignant.

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

 

Being involved in PCACAC has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my professional career.  I want everyone to have this experience.  Imagine an organization where when you walk into a meeting, people cheer and hug you.  The networking opportunities are unparalleled and the opportunities for personal growth are boundless.  How do you make this happen in your life?  Step up. Volunteer.  Talk with current PCACAC leadership to learn about the different opportunities.  Fill out and submit the online volunteer form found on the PCACAC website.  No matter what your interests, there is a PCACAC opportunity for you.

 

If not working in college counseling, what would you do?

I plan to do this forever, but if I HAD to change fields, I would go back to being a Human Resources Director.  I loved the staff development and training aspect of that work and found it very fulfilling.

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

 

The saddest/coolest thing I've done - being a pall-bearer for my grandfather. With my brothers and cousins, I was honored to make that final walk with him at his funeral. Spending every summer on Cape Cod was the binding fabric of my early life which included 12 U.S./international moves (my Dad was in the Army).  Summers meant spending time with my Papou fishing on the boat, sitting with him at Fenway, or watching him regale a roomful of aunts, uncles, and cousins with hysterical jokes while tears of joy streamed down his face. He taught me about honor and integrity.  He showed me the value of family.  He lived his life fully every single day.

 

Current trend/future issue I am most passionate about right now?

 

 

Changing the language we use when talking with students about college exploration and the college application process.  The old model of "reach/zone/safety" no longer works in this unpredictable admission landscape.  When the old models no longer reflect the current reality, it is imperative that we adapt.  I've done this by using a different approach with my students for the past few years - Five First Choice Colleges.  By asking students to focus on at least five schools that MATCH their current academic profile, their social/cultural goals for college, and their financial realities, I have begun to shift (slowly, but steadily) the way our students and families approach the process.  My goal is better outcomes and less stress for students. I don't want to be a lone voice in the wilderness on this important facet of our work, so I will be submitting an article for the PCACAC website soon and I hope this will begin a conversation among folks on both sides of the college admission desk.

*** 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.***

50 for 50: Greg Moon

Greg Moon

Admissions Counselor, Longwood University (VA)

How long have you been in your current position at Longwood? How long have you been in college counseling?

I have been working as an Admissions Counselor at Longwood University for two years. 

How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?

I was coming out of an internship in the fast-paced city of Chicago. Working in that city environment made me a very ambitious and poised college graduate. It made sense for me to have a job where I could both network and travel.

I grew up in the town of Farmville, VA where Longwood University is located. I always loved the community of people in the town of Farmville and I simply had to apply for the job because I knew it would be an enjoyable entry-level learning experience. Meeting new people and growing as a young professional were two things I really wanted.

Since having the job, I learned that not only do I have the ability to grow as a marketing professional, but I can also give back by guiding both students and parents through the college admissions process.

What's your favorite admissions/counseling memory?

There are so many fun memories I have made with colleagues at college fairs and high school counselors during my visits, but what I’ve really enjoyed most is having a current student at Longwood come to my office to let me know how much they are enjoying their college experience. You never want to steer a student in the wrong direction and it really helps to sometimes have a reminder that the extra effort you give to a student can make a huge impact.

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

Take advantage of the conferences offered annually through the PCACAC and NACAC organizations. These conferences are the one place where you can be exposed to the different committees and leadership opportunities available. If new to the profession, make sure to leave an impression with every professional you meet during those conferences. You never know what leadership or committee position could become available.

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

On the way back from a NACAC College Fair in April I stopped at a local venue and auditioned for a chance to become the next Bachelor on the ABC TV show. I really felt in my place while I was there, so if not in college admissions, I could definitely see myself as the next “Bachelor”!

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

I’m a really good “Van-Dancer!” On the way back from a college baseball road trip, a group of teammates and I made a Van-Dance YouTube video to  Ke$ha’s “Tik-Tok” single that received over a half a million views.

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

The use of Social Media in college admissions is one of the more intriguing trends I’ve found throughout my time at Longwood. I use it very often as an Admissions Counselor to interact and connect with students. More students wish to be constantly in contact with their friends and up to date on trends and news. Social Media gives them the ability to do so. I have also found that Social Media is an effective method to not only bring a college campus to the student, but also to create more excitement on visitation days.

I would hope that more prospective students understand that when they make their Social Media profiles public, Admissions Officers have the ability to monitor their activity. In the future, more students should use their public profiles as a way to brand themselves as a job-ready professional.

*** 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.***

50 for 50: Christopher Miller

Christopher Miller

Co-Director of College Counseling

Glenelg Country School (MD)

 

How long have you been in your current position at Glenelg Country School? How long have you been in college counseling?

 

This is my third year at Glenelg Country School and my eleventh year as a college counselor.  I spent my first three years after graduating from college working in admissions.

 

How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?

 

My career in college admissions and counseling actually started with a simple favor for a friend.  When I began my first semester as a student at Oberlin, I already had a close relationship with one of the admission officers because she and her husband worked at my high school for a few years and one day she asked me if I was free to help her with an evening “phone-a-thon,” calling prospective students and answering their questions about Oberlin.  It sounded like it would be fun (and it was!).  From that point on, the rest pretty much fell in line.  I helped coordinate special campus visits programs and events for the next few years and I eventually worked as an intern in the office.  I even had the chance to represent Oberlin at a few NACAC fairs.  It felt natural to try out the college admission profession full-time after graduation.   Still, there was a part of me that wanted to teach and work in a high school, and I knew that I would make that transition at some point.  So after working in admissions for a few years, I moved over to counseling.

 

What's your favorite admissions/counseling memory?

 

This is a really tough question because there are so many “favorites.”  However, here is a moment that stands out from two years ago.  After counseling so many students and attending so many graduation parties year after year, I finally got the chance to invite a few former students to my graduation party when I finished graduate school.  This was the first time that they and their parents had the chance to meet my parents and extended family.  It was great for me to see these two worlds come together (because most of my family lives in NJ and they don’t visit that much) and it was a lot of fun.  What caught me completely by surprise, though, was how complimentary and effusive my students and their parents were to my parents regarding the impression I made on them while they were in high school and how my counseling made a difference for them.  This profession is not one where you seek tons of gratitude, nor should you expect it, but when you do get it, it can mean a lot more than you can fully explain.

 

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

 

Think about all of the advice that you give to students regarding leadership and start following some of it!  It doesn’t matter where you start or what you get involved in, you just need to be sincere about wanting to make a difference and start doing it.  Talk to people, ask lots of questions, and listen.  There are plenty of great people doing lots of great work.  They share the same interests you do and they want to work with you.

 

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

 

This is the easiest question on here: Acting!  I would love to be on stage or on camera working with other artists.  I acted in high school and I should have done more of it in college.  I would love to come back to it if I get the chance.

 

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

 

 I was one of the founding members of a step team in high school.  Our mentors were all members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and it led me toward joining the fraternity.

 

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

 

I am not sure if I can use the word “passionate” yet but my interest in this topic continues to grow.  Every so often, I see investigative news reports or documentaries that highlight disparities between the expectations of college athletes in their respective sports and in their academic coursework.  I find it particularly troublesome when some of the colleges and universities mentioned in these reports are schools we regard for having high academic standards and offering quality learning environments for all of its students.  In short, these athletes are being admitted to college to get an education and contribute to the social fervor of the greater community, but they are not graduating at high rates nor getting the academic, leadership, or career guidance necessary for them to successful in life after college.  These stories tend to hit close to home because many of the students at the center of these stories are young men of color, particularly African-American men, which are most often associated with recruitment for the biggest revenue-generating sports, such as basketball and football.  As an African-American male, I understand the history and the barriers that exist for my population to earn a college education (especially at low-cost to the family) and I think it is fantastic that opportunities like college athletics exist to afford these students the chance at higher education.  But I also think that we can do better as counselors and higher education administrators to make the recruitment of college athletes more transparent and legitimate by truly putting the student first and by giving them quality academic support and career advising so that their retention and graduation rates increase.

 

 

*** 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.***

50 for 50: Michael D. Carter

Michael D. Carter, Ph.D.

Director of College Counseling,

St.Stephen's & St.Agnes School

Immediate Past-President of PCACAC (2013-14)

How long have you been in your current position at St.Stephen's & St. Agnes ? How long have you been there total?

I have been in the College Office of St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School for thirteen years, the past ten as Director of College Counseling. I have worked at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School for a total of sixteen years, the first three as a member of the history department faculty.

How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?

Having served in the U.S. Army after graduating from W&L and doing some time in the corporate world before grad school and ultimately finding myself at SSSAS, I was open to the possibilities of administrator positions. Joan Holden, Head of School, approached me after Brian Leipheimer (now Director of College Counseling at Collegiate School in Richmond and a former PCACAC board member) announced that he was relocating to Richmond. She offered me the chance to become a College Counselor, which I was happy to take. I have been in that role ever since. At the time, Lisa Pence was the Director of the College Office and I learned a tremendous amount from her in my first three years as a counselor. When she left to take on the position of Upper School Director at Holton-Arms, I moved up.

What's your favorite admissions/counseling memory?

My favorite college counseling moment happens each year in December, when students from my high school who graduated in June, return to visit and tell the members of my office about all of their college experiences as freshmen.

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

If someone were interested in pursuing a leadership role in PCACAC or NACAC, my advice is twofold; volunteer and step outside your comfort zone. What I mean is this - volunteer, but be undaunted about it - don't just fill out a form, meet people in the organizations, start conversations, and be persistent about your desire to serve. Second, be willing to take on responsibilities that you might not initially feel drawn towards. Any opportunity to serve, regardless of the capacity or issue involved, is a chance to gain experience and meet more people in the field. It also creates opportunities in the future.

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

If not in college counseling, I would be back in the classroom teaching history and coaching.

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

Most people probably don't know that I am an avid waterfowler. Anything involving ducks and geese immediately gets my attention. I am very involved in Virginia Ducks Unlimited, an organization that supports wetlands conservation.

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

The current trend or future issue that I am most concerned about is the rising cost of college and how that will continue to dominate the landscape of the college process. Access to a higher education is becoming more and more difficult and I believe that there is a polarizing effect on our campuses that is already taking place.

*** 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.***

50 for 50: Mike Oligmueller

Mike Oligmueller

Director of College Counseling, The Potomac School (VA)

How long have you been in your current position at Potomac School?

Three years

How did you get started in college counseling/admissions?

I was a speech therapy major in college, but early in my senior year, I realized that I did not want to be a speech therapist. I then wandered into the career placement office (which was what it was called in 1983), and a counselor suggested that I try college admissions; it was a career that required a bachelor's degree but not in a specific major. After applying for about 100 positions (not all in admissions), I got a job at Wabash College as an admission counselor.

What's your favorite counseling memory?

Having a student tell me on her high school graduation day that I was like the dad she wished her father had been able to be.

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

Run like the wind! Show up and listen more than you talk. 

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

Retirement.

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

I paid for my first year of college with the money I made from raising and then selling a herd of pigs.

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

The increasing difficulty of many families to afford college. I believe that higher education is a path to changing lives, and it seems that a larger percentage of students in this country, as a result of not being able to attend or finish college, will not be able to live the lives they may want to live.

*** 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.***

50 for 50: Audrey Hill

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.***