College Admission Professional & School Counselor of the Year AwardsIowa ACAC annually recognizes a High School Counselor of the Year and a College Admission Professional of the Year. These honorees are nominated by fellow admission and high school counseling professionals to recognize exemplary work with students in the college admissions field. This year's recipients will be announced at our annual spring membership meeting during the 2025 Spring Conference in May. Winners will have registration, hotel, and travel expenses provided to the 2026 NACAC Conference in Minneapolis, MC, October 8-10, 2026. Do you know school counselors and admissions professionals who consistently provide exemplary service to students? Take time to nominate! Award Nomination Form - Nominations open March 23! Admission Professional of the Year Previous Recipients School Counselor of the Year Previous Recipients
(Shalon Frye, Independence HS, 2025 School Counselor of the Year & Marissa Wetrich, University of Iowa, 2025 Admission Professional of the Year.) Rising Star AwardIowa ACAC recognizes and encourages the work of admission counselors new to the profession, as well as the work of members in creating new programs to serve students in transition. Iowa ACAC wants to give state recognition to these new professionals and new programs, then complete the paperwork to nominate them for the NACAC Rising Star Award. The Rising Star Award honors individuals and programs that exemplify excellence and dedication to serving the needs of students in the transition from high school to college through Association work. Eligibility Categories Individuals - Individuals receiving a Rising Star Award nomination must be voting or non-voting professional members of Iowa ACAC for no more than five years. They must be new members who are striving to make a difference within Iowa ACAC through their work in Association committees. Programs - Programs receiving a Rising Star Award nomination must be new Iowa ACAC programs within the last five years that use nontraditional approaches to traditional challenges. The programs must be practical and replicable by other affiliates.
(Kimberly Grimm, Simpson College, 2025 Rising Star Recipient, receiving her NACAC recognition at the 2025 NACC Conference.) Michael Barron Impact AwardAdmissions Counselors may not always see the impact that they can have on a student. We want to raise up those admission counselors who have received positive feedback from the prospective students and families they serve.
The Iowa Association for College Admission Counseling presents the Michael Barron Impact Award to an admission counselor who goes above and beyond to serve a student or family and make a difference in their college journey. The award bears his name for good reason. Michael Barron didn’t just build a career in enrollment; he built countless futures, one student at a time, mostly at the University of Iowa. There he served students for over 27 years, retiring as assistant provost for enrollment management and executive director of admissions. Michael is a past president of Iowa ACAC. As part of the nomination, you will be asked to include an excerpt from an email, photo of a thank you letter, or share about what stood out from a phone call about your colleague (student information redacted, of course). Nominations open March 23. Iowa ACAC Service Award This award is designed to recognize seasoned members who greatly contribute, or have contributed, to the Association through committee work.
(Dan Schofield, University of Northern Iowa, and Chris Traetow, University of Iowa, 2025 Iowa ACAC Service Award Co-Recipients.)
|
