Back in the day, we got all our Iowa ACAC updates by snail mail—postcards, flyers, newsletters. Now it’s all digital (yay for less paper!). But I know how easy it is to feel buried in emails and miss things...I know I overlook sometimes.

Working in College Admissions for the past 14 years has been incredibly rewarding in so many ways. Yes, we face burnout, spend a lot of time on the road, and put in extra hours—often for less-than-ideal pay. However, I believe in the work we do, I see the impact we have on students, and I never wake up dreading my job. For me, that is a true blessing.

Spring is just around the corner, and you know what that means—it's almost time for the Iowa ACAC Conference!

The new year has brought a sense of reflection and gratitude for being part of this group. One of the reasons that I appreciate being part of the college admissions and school counseling community is the sense of purpose, resilience, and tenacity of the individuals in these professions.

LEAP 2024 Conference took place on Wednesday, November 20th at DMACC. This year's conference featured a keynote address from Jordan Brooks from Iowa State University who challenged students to manifest their dreams and how knowing themselves can help them find a college and career that combines their passions and interests.

The 2025 conference planning team is hard at work, and we're buzzing with excitement about creating an unforgettable experience for all attendees. As the chair of this amazing team, I’d like to personally invite you to join us at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa this coming May for what promises to be an inspiring and fun-filled event: “Bridging Together in Higher Education”.

My collegiate athletic experience was unconventional. Hesitant to continue track and field, I turned down an athletic scholarship. Missing the sport I’d known my whole athletic career, I walked on to the team my sophomore year of college. That first season was humbling, to say the least. I picked up throwing equipment for the first time ever. A former sprinter turned thrower. I failed, multiple times. Fast forward to my junior year- I was the outdoor conference champion and school record holder in shot put, and made my mark as a top 5 all-time performer in three throwing events. I was not a NCAA Division I, a Division II athlete, or even an athlete in the NCAA. But the opportunities, connections, and skills I gained along the way I will be forever grateful for.

Looking at colleges for the first time was not the experience that I thought I would be having. Instead of taking in the schools and hearing about  classes and activities, I was worried about something that most kids don’t have to worry about.

On the morning of May 14, 2024, I was a little preoccupied with my 28^th birthday coming at me quickly. Reviewing my work inbox, I read a subject “Re: Iowa ACAC – Congrats!”. My IT department has put me through lots of training on what to do with spam. So, my first thought was to do some research on what this ‘ACAC’ acronym is. My research concluded that the Iowa ACAC was pretty legit and the conference seemed real. The email even referenced making a social media post! Although, for some reason, I made the executive decision that it made more sense for this to be spam, and I ended up deleting the email. A weekend passed, and one day my supervisor, Dana Chrisman, eventually gathered all of my fellow admissions office mates and congratulated me. Dana explained that a counselor I had worked with had written the most thoughtful recommendation about my visit at one of her high schools.

Dear BIPOC Professional, 

This month will mark my 12^th year in Admissions, and while I love my job and working with students, one of the biggest reasons I’ve stayed in  Admissions is because of the people I’ve been fortunate to work with or alongside. Recently, during one of my Iowa ACAC committee meetings some of my committee members remarked about how different the landscape of admissions travel has become over the years. When we had first joined the profession, connecting with admission reps from other schools for lunch in-between fairs or a social hour after a day of travel was the norm. A few of us reminisced about the good ole days in Shenandoah! These types of stories seem to be fading, and it made us all wonder why?

Has your admissions office recently hired new admissions professionals this semester? Are you looking for a way to refresh your basic knowledge on college admissions, tips for the travel season, or admissions best practices? If you answered yes to either of those questions, then you need to keep reading!

LEAP was back for 2023 and, oh my, was it missed!  After a 3-year hiatus due to Covid and a shortage of bus drivers, it was great to welcome students once again. LEAP is held on a different campus each year and we were grateful to be hosted by Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids.   Our hope is that students get to know what it is like at each campus and learn about what each institution has to offer.

Over the last three years, the Iowa Department of Education has worked to expand access to professionals who understand the college admissions process for underrepresented students in high schools across Iowa. In the spring of 2021, the department opened up it’s first grant opportunity to allow community colleges and high schools to partner to add College/Career Transition Counselors (CCTC).  Now, 2 ½ years later, there are nearly 50 CCTCs across the state with nearly every community college employing at least one school counselor. By the end of this school year, there are plans to have a CCTC at every community college serving at least one high school. As the network expands, it is important to understand the role of this new person at Iowa high schools and how college admission counselors can partner to increase student enrollment in college.

I want to introduce you to Janine Baeza and myself, Juanita Zavala, Co-Chairs for the Inclusion, Access, and Success committee. Janine is the Associate Director of Freshman Recruitment & Access at the University of Northern Iowa and I am a College and Career Transition Coach (CCTC) at Indian Hills Community College. Our committee works to identify how to better serve and support underrepresented high school students with their post-secondary plans.

My name is Marissa Wetrich, and I’m your Iowa ACAC College Day/Night Chair! I also serve as one of the Assistant Directors of Admission at  my alma mater, the University of Iowa. I still hit the road and attend many Iowa ACAC College Fairs. 

The Professional Development and Practices Committee is excited to provide you with the latest updates from our committee and a few essential details about what’s to come this year from our area!

Despite 100 degree temperatures, 2023 ACU attendees powered through their curriculum, listened and engaged in the phenomenal presentations by our “professors,” and made ACU 2023 an event to remember. 

Is it summer yet? It’s funny how we work all year long for a very short period of time where we all sit anxiously and wait for the numbers to start going up and can’t wait to just rip the band-aid off. 

Do you work with Latinx students? Or struggle with resources to give them such as scholarships? Or perhaps wonder what terms to use such as Hispanic or Latino/a? Sometimes it can be confusing, especially if working with undocumented or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students.