Movers and Shakers is your way to share professionally-related news about promotions or moves to other institutions. Congratulations to the following members on their achievements:

Allison Culver to Chicago Regional Representative at Illinois College

Dr. Dani Rollins to Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Northern Illinois University

Jeremy Smith from Admission Counselor at Concordia University Chicago to Non-Resident Recruiting Coordinator at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Share Your News

[jotform id=33383751480860] ]]> https://www.iacac.org/2015/07/movers-shakers-july-2015/feed/ 0 https://www.iacac.org/2015/07/building-bridges-through-collaboration/ https://www.iacac.org/2015/07/building-bridges-through-collaboration/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2015 03:47:54 +0000 http://www.iacac.org/?p=9799

By Farrah Ellison-Moore
Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago

Conference this year was very special to me. I was able to use my talents and experience to involve myself in IACAC as a committee member and conference presenter on “Increasing Access and Opportunity.” I am very passionate about this subject and have made it my life’s work.

During our presentation preparation, my colleagues and I created BENSC – Black Educators Network of Suburban Chicago. This is a committee to address issues as it pertains to African American Students. We saw the value in collaboration as we have previously called on one another to share strategies and information. We also understand what it means to be a person of color in this field—navigating a racially and economically segregated education system. We can no longer shy away from having honest and heartfelt discussions regarding what it means to be a person of color.

We decided that through this committee we would establish a network to provide support, ideas, soundboard, etc. to all educators vested in leveling “the playing field” for African American students. Through our presentation at conference, we were able to introduce BENSC, along with the programs each of us has established at our host schools. We also shared how those programs were developed through collaboration with one another and tailored to meet the specific needs of our students.

We are simply four high school counselors with life experiences that have called us to be the voices for those who are not heard, doing the work for many in Chicago suburban high schools.

By Torrey Eason
University of Arkansas

I had the pleasure of volunteering at IACAC’s Motivate Me Young Men’s Conference this year and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was so refreshing to see so many young men of color investing in their future. With so many negative images and stories circulating in today’s media, I am glad I had the opportunity to serve as a positive influence for these young men in their life journeys. This program highlights the biggest asset IACAC has to offer—our incredible membership! I had the opportunity to work with colleagues who share the same commitment to today’s youth that I do. It was really revitalizing to be a part of this program.

The weather didn’t fully cooperate with us on the day of the program, but that did not affect the participants’ enthusiasm. The young men attended sessions throughout the day about peer mentoring, enhancing their academic performance, and how media fallacies can affect their own self-perception. The program concluded with a tie ceremony during which each of the young men was presented with a blue necktie and was taught how to tie it. I enjoyed seeing the sense of accomplishment on the faces of the young men once they tied their first tie! Learning to tie a necktie isn’t an easy feat, but it was very symbolic of one of the main learning outcomes of the Young Men’s Conference. With a little hard work and determination, anything can be accomplished. This was a rewarding experience for me as a young professional and I’m glad I had the opportunity to be a part of this worthwhile program. For more information, or to help support this program in the future, contact the College Awareness and Preparation (CAP) Committee.

By Kelly Erdman
Lake Forest High School

I had a wonderful experience attending my first IACAC conference! I feel extremely lucky to have been a grant recipient and to have been a part of such an informative event with so many amazing counseling professionals. My experience at the conference started like a student on their first day at a new school; I was feeling excited yet nervous because I’m graduate student new to the profession. I wasn’t sure what to expect or if I’d know anyone there.

I downloaded the conference app to help plan out my sessions for each day and I started with the “First Timers Tips for IACAC First Timers” session. During the session, the speakers did an excellent job sharing their unique stories from their first IACAC conference and made everyone feel welcomed and relaxed. In between sessions, there was coffee in the lobby and booths with interesting products and information on further professional development opportunities. I had the label “First Timer” on my name tag, as a result numerous veteran IACAC members made an effort to say hello or give me a friendly smile throughout the conference. 

The first timers’ luncheon, which followed later in the first day, was another excellent way to meet people and feel more comfortable at the conference with fun entertainment and silly games at each table. Throughout the conference I enjoyed the dialogue in each session, as most were structured so there was time to ask questions and discuss topics within the group. The sessions I found to be the most valuable were the “First Timers: High School Counselor Interviews – Part 1” and “First Timers: Unsolved Mysteries – Secrets of the Admissions Committee.” 

The entire conference was extremely well organized with helpful volunteers available for assistance and directions. I brought my laptop to take notes during sessions, however I learned that IACAC scans your name tag as you enter each session and after the conference everyone gets emailed the PowerPoints for each session they attend. This wonderful and tech savvy feature was incredibly helpful because it made me feel that I could relax and converse more during sessions instead of having to constantly spend my time typing notes.

Ultimately, IACAC was a valuable opportunity to expand my knowledge of college admissions, network, and learn from experienced counseling professionals while gaining an understanding of the trends in college counseling in order to best assist my students. Ultimately, the friendly people and informative sessions were what make IACAC exceptional, and why I will be returning to the conference next year.

From left to right: Cerra Wilson, Traci Flowers, Gabrielle Feldman, and Kenya Taylor
Traci and Gabrielle were the Mentorship Match of the Year for 2014-2015.

By Kenya Taylor
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

The Mentorship Program brings together new and experienced members of the counseling profession. Through mentee/mentor pairings, members are able to make connections that provide support, foster professional growth and development, and encourage the sharing of ideas. During the IACAC Annual Conference, the Mentorship Reception provided a great opportunity for new members, veteran members, and conference first timers to mix and mingle and learn about the Mentorship program. This year’s reception was the largest we have ever had, and it was especially exciting to see so many first timers in attendance. It was an honor for Cerra Wilson and me to pass down our crowns for Match of the Year to Traci Flowers of Loyola Academy and Gabrielle Feldman of Buffalo Grove High School. Traci and Gabrielle connected on both a professional and personal level.

Traci on Gabrielle:

Her background is very impressive and she has a lot of great experiences with college counseling during her internship and with IACAC. She is doing everything right and I am trying to connect her to as many positions and opportunities within the field as I can.

Gabrielle on Traci:

The first time we met for dinner and had so much to talk about. Traci has been (and continues to be) incredibly supportive through my year of a challenging job hunt. She sends me links to job openings and has offered to forward my resume to those people she knows. Additionally, I will be working with Traci on the IAS committee for IACAC.

It was incredible to see the connections that were being made, career advice being given, first timers meeting new people, and members having a good time.

By Danielle Nightingale
Young Women’s Leadership Charter School of Chicago

I am not new to IACAC nor the work of college admission counseling, but this year I was on the other side of the desk! I left the college side and went to the high school side as a college counselor. All of the sessions I attended were beneficial to my growth as a college counselor, but the session that I have already began to implement for next school year is incorporating college essay writing into our English courses.

The actual session title was Integrating College Essay Instruction into Senior English Classes. This session was so phenomenal and beneficial to me. The session presented the partnership between the counselors and English teachers at Vernon Hills High School. I immediately brought back this success to our English department chair.

We are planning for the 2015-2016 school year to implement college essay writing in all of our English classes. Each grade level will focus on one prompt from Common Application or Gates Millennium Scholarship. This will be unit one of each of the English classes. I am excited to see what the results of the partnership at my institution.

Thank you all for providing me with the opportunity to attend conference! I look forward to another year of success.

By Drew Kopitzke
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

The 2015 IACAC Annual Conference was an incredible experience. It provided a wonderful opportunity to come together, both high school and college counselors, in order to network and learn ways to become better professionals. At this year’s conference, I learned about the value of college, high school counselor interview tips, best practices for regional reps, how school counseling has changed, the joys of a career in middle management, and much more. Besides meeting new people and learning, after the conference, I had the opportunity to reflect on the collaborative nature of admissions counseling. While we all represent different institutions, at the end of the day we all have the same goal; to serve our students in the best way possible. There are not any opportunities like the IACAC Annual Conference where representatives from eight different colleges can sit together, reminisce, banter, collaborate and enjoy a meal. To me, the IACAC Annual Conference is a wonderful culmination to the academic year, and I am looking forward to another great year and the 2016 conference!