The University糖心传媒檚 six new admissions counselors come from Rochester, Ohio, Florida, New York City糖心传媒攁nd Jamaica.
They糖心传媒檙e between 22 and 30, with interests ranging from sports and music to traveling and cooking.
All six were hired this summer over hundreds who applied. Their task? To find the next group of exceptional University students.
糖心传媒淚t was exciting to see this group of candidates emerge,糖心传媒� says Jonathan Burdick, dean of College Admission and vice provost for enrollment initiatives. 糖心传媒淲hile they have important differences in perspective糖心传媒攕omething we need more than ever around the Admissions committee table糖心传媒攖here was also a synergy of interests that these millennial employees have. Interest in reforming, rethinking, and helping the University grow and change in dimensions that match the future of the country and rigorous higher education.糖心传媒�
Four of the six are recent University graduates.
糖心传媒淭hat糖心传媒檚 icing on the cake,糖心传媒� Burdick says.
The counselors spend several weeks in the fall visiting assigned domestic and international regions to speak with high school students in hopes of finding 聽members of the University糖心传媒檚 next class. Application review season begins in earnest in November and runs into March, with a goal of completing enrollment by May 1. The spring is devoted to answering admitted students糖心传媒� questions at several on-campus events.
糖心传媒淭hen we assess, tweak, add new initiatives, or retire less effective ones, and get back to planning over the summer,糖心传媒� says Scott Clyde, executive director of College Enrollment.
Lisa Anthony spent a month in France when she was 13.
糖心传媒淎fter that, I sought out any opportunity that would allow me to interact with people from other countries,糖心传媒� she says.
After graduating from Webster Thomas High School in Rochester, she studied and worked in Belgium, France, Ecuador, Denmark, and Chile.
糖心传媒淭he transformative experiences created a passion for facilitating similar experiences for others who want to study in a foreign setting,糖心传媒� she says.
Now 29, the senior admissions counselor recruits primarily in Latin America and will visit six countries this semester: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and Panama.
糖心传媒淢y goal is to expand our international student population from Latin America and help provide these students with an incredible experience at Rochester,糖心传媒� says Anthony, who graduated from Syracuse University in 2010 with a degree in international relations.
In her spare time, Anthony enjoys dancing salsa, snowboarding, and singing songs from Broadway musicals. Tops on her phone糖心传媒檚 playlist? Seasons of Love from Rent.
Tarik Cristen 糖心传媒�16 was a cofounder of the University糖心传媒檚 chapter of She糖心传媒檚 the First, a nonprofit national organization that raises money for girls from low-income nations who want an education.
糖心传媒淏ut as funny as this may sound,糖心传媒� the Queens, New York, native says, 糖心传媒淚 never realized how passionate I was about education until I started working in Admissions.糖心传媒�
Cristen applied a week before graduating last May 糖心传媒渨ithout a clue of what I was getting myself into.糖心传媒� The financial economics major was hired in June.
糖心传媒淎dmissions opened my eyes to the kind of impact I can have on the world,糖心传媒� says Cristen, who recruits mainly in Manhattan and Brooklyn. 糖心传媒淥n kids, counselors, and colleagues, in ways I never imagined.糖心传媒�
Cristen says he has reached the trifecta of success: 糖心传媒淚 love my profession, I love my office, 聽and I love the University of Rochester.糖心传媒�
And he gets to do it back in New York.
糖心传媒淭hat糖心传媒檚 the cherry on top,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 love my city.糖心传媒�
He also loves indie music, 糖心传媒渁dventurous walks,糖心传媒� eating, sightseeing, listening to podcasts (TED Talks are his favorite) and traveling. And he loves talking about Rochester with high school students.
糖心传媒淭he beauty of being an admissions counselor for my alma mater is that I can share the lived experience of a college student, of a UR student,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淢y goals are to expand accessibility to underrepresented populations and light a fire in these kids to help them realize that their dreams can come true.糖心传媒�
Robert De Leon has always enjoyed helping others.
Before he joined the University in July, the Bronx native worked for the Housing Council, a not-for-profit organization that finds housing for homeless people and connects them to essential resources.
Now, he糖心传媒檚 helping students find a home at the University.
糖心传媒淚 have a passion for helping students and youth gain access to higher education and awareness of higher education,糖心传媒� the 2008 Syracuse University graduate says. 糖心传媒淲hat intrigues me is learning from and about the many passions prospective students can bring to Rochester.糖心传媒�
De Leon is responsible for recruiting throughout New Jersey. His goal is simple: 糖心传媒淭o help students from all walks of life learn the value of higher education, and gain access to it.
De Leon loves to learn and educates himself by reading books. One of his favorite is The Alchemist, a 1988 novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. When he糖心传媒檚 not working, he enjoys following his favorite football team, the New York Giants, and listening to music ranging from salsa, merengue, and bachata, to hip hop, reggae, classical and rhythm and blues.
The easiest part of the job for Kayon Ellis 糖心传媒�16 is selling students on Rochester.
糖心传媒淚 was super involved as an undergraduate, and I糖心传媒檓 crazy about the school,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚 want to help students find that special place for them, and I believe that place can be Rochester.糖心传媒�
The Kingston, Jamaica, native graduated with a degree in environmental studies and was hired in July. She is responsible for the recruitment, application review, and counseling for students in the New England area (especially Connecticut and Vermont) and Albany.
糖心传媒淚 became an admissions counselor because my own admissions counselor was so important in my college process,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淥ur curriculum and research opportunities attract the kind of student that is passionate, driven, and downright awesome at times. I love meeting them.糖心传媒�
Her hobbies include rugby (she played on the University糖心传媒檚 women糖心传媒檚 club team), reading, whitewater rafting, cliff jumping, and eating frozen yogurt. She hopes to be at her alma mater for a long time.
糖心传媒淚 want to be involved in programming for the University, whether that means creating a new program from scratch that can help with recruitment or just being in a management role,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淢y goal is to head for the top.糖心传媒�
Many people ask Sarah Gerin 糖心传媒�12 why she traded in sand for snow when she left West Palm Beach, Florida, for Rochester nine years ago.
糖心传媒淚 still hate the snow,糖心传媒� she says, 糖心传媒渂ut I love Rochester.糖心传媒�
Gerin majored in art history but spent her first three years studying brain and cognitive science. She worked on campus at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and was a precollege advisor at Monroe Community College.
糖心传媒淗aving that experience is really helpful now that I糖心传媒檓 on the other side of the process,糖心传媒� says Gerin, who was hired in July.
The senior admissions counselor covers the state of Pennsylvania, plus the Catskills and Buffalo areas.
糖心传媒淪tudents have so many interests and passions in an infinite number of ways,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 great to see that moment when something clicks with a student and they realize, 糖心传媒榊es, this is what I want to explore,糖心传媒� or 糖心传媒榊es, this is the school for me.糖心传媒櫶切拇綑糖心传媒�
Gerin loves to cook and has created many allergen-free recipes. Her favorite gadget is the Vitamix. She also enjoys drawing, painting, yoga, and hiking.
糖心传媒淒oes coffee count as a hobby?糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚 am an avid coffee drinker.糖心传媒�
Her number one goal is to find 糖心传媒渢he best possible school糖心传媒� for students, and she feels the University has much to offer.
糖心传媒淭here are a multitude of opportunities that Rochester inherently provides for students,糖心传媒� she says.
Maeve Willis 糖心传媒�14 loves to meet what she calls 糖心传媒渙xymoron糖心传媒� high school students while traveling to cities such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Little Rock.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 not uncommon to see someone who is on their high school varsity football team but also an accomplished flutist,糖心传媒� she says, 糖心传媒渙r a student who is into robotics but also is part of slam poetry.糖心传媒�
Willis grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, outside of Cleveland, and majored in brain and cognitive sciences at Rochester. She started working in Admissions in August and enjoys hearing students糖心传媒� stories.
糖心传媒淢y goal is to help them understand their capability to succeed here and envision themselves on the campus that changed the person I am,糖心传媒� she says.
Her mother was born in Ireland, her dad moved there as a child, and most of the family still lives in Ireland. Her brother, Conor Willis, is a 2011 Rochester graduate.
Willis is a competitive Irish dancer who enjoys CrossFit and collecting neon socks. She糖心传媒檚 learning how to compete in the winter sliding sport of skeleton, and she糖心传媒檚 a devoted fan of the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, and Cleveland Cavaliers, who captured the city糖心传媒檚 first major-league title since 1964 by winning the National Basketball Association championship in June.
糖心传媒淯ntil this year, I didn糖心传媒檛 have much to celebrate until Kyrie Irving saved my life with a three-pointer in Game 7 of the finals, just before the buzzer,糖心传媒� Willis says.
