Tag Archives: Northwestern College

My Favorite Places

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Random 5 Friday is a weekly meme over at A Rural Journal.

Today I want to tell you about my five favorite places!

1. Pine Haven Christian Assembly, specifically anywhere in or near the bay.  I have had incredible conversations with both God and friends here.

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2. My family’s farm in Kimball, Minnesota.  This is where I grew up and where my parents still live.

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3. Northwestern College, 100 acres on the shore of Lake Johanna, where I have lived and learned and loved and worked since 2000.

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4. Barnes & Noble.  In the presence of books, I am among friends.

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5. My apartment, which we lovingly refer to as Cair Paravel.  The stories those walls could tell!

Where worlds collide: Dora (real life) dressed as Mrs. Weasley (for a Potter midnight show) in front of my Narnia wardrobe (and art)

Where worlds collide: Dora (real life) dressed as Mrs. Weasley (for a Potter midnight show) in front of my Narnia wardrobe (and art)

Where are your favorite places?

Life of a Recruiter

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Random 5 Friday is a weekly meme over at A Rural Journal.

Today I want to tell you five random facts about my job as an admission counselor, as several people have asked about this.

1) There is no Admission Counseling major.  In my office, we’ve had recruiters with degrees in communications, psychology, history, journalism, physical education, kinesiology, and business.  What we’ve all had in common though is great communication skills and a deep love for Northwestern College (soon to be University of Northwestern — St. Paul this coming July!).

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2) We go where the teenagers are: high schools, college fairs, church youth groups, youth events, and music festivals.  When we’re there, our job is to collect names and make people love Northwestern.  My goal is always to have people walk away from my table or booth or tent thinking, Those people were awesome.  

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3) Admission counselors wear a lot of hats!  At various times, I work as a salesperson, class advisor, friend, guidance counselor, public speaker, scholarship advisor, and shoulder to cry on.  (Yes, I’ve had a lot of people cry in my office– kids and parents!)

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4) Recruiters are always on.  It’s not a 40-hour-per-week kind of job.  Any time I meet a quality teenager, my mind is already thinking, I wonder if he/she has made college plans…  I end up answering college-related questions at home, church, coffee shops, any random place.

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5) I love working for a small school that I truly believe in (my own alma mater!) because of all the incredible relationships I’ve developed through this job.  Some of my past recruits are now my closest friends.  (Did you know I was my roommate Desiree’s admission counselor back in 2003-04?  I didn’t know then that I was recruiting a future best friend!)

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I’ve written elsewhere about “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of recruitment, but the most beautiful thing about this role has been all the friendships.  I feel really blessed!

P.S. If you know of an amazing teenager who is looking for a top-tier Christian education, send them my way or direct them to Northwestern’s website.
Prior to July 1, 2013: http://www.nwc.edu
After July 1, 2013: http://www.unwsp.edu

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