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!

I felt that everyone at ACU was really nice and it felt like they wanted us to be successful. In the Building Bridges chat, I thought that the “selling points” activity was nice to see what all the different schools had to offer and some of the similarities that we had, especially to other small private schools. I really liked the speed dating activity that we did, I do wish that we could have been more spread out. I felt like I was shouting to talk to the person across from me, and I had a lot of trouble hearing what they had to say. I also feel like spreading out the reps that were from the same school would be helpful, that way we can hear from multiple different schools.

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. 

Working in Admissions 30 years ago, I regularly received letters, postcards, and flyers in the mail from Iowa ACAC with information on college fair registration, the individual fairs, spring conference, the Scenes newsletter, events, etc. I'd read each and every item, save as needed, note on a calendar, hold on to, or toss. We do all of those same things today, but electronically.

I have been advising students over the last 9 years working in admissions at Ellsworth Community College. I heard about the Iowa ACAC Conference but never had the experience of attending one. This year, I could attend the one in Iowa City and it was a game changer. It was so refreshing to hear and meet folks that are passionate about what they do and especially to help young minds.

During his keynote address at the 2023 Iowa ACAC Conference, Dr. Jared Smith talked about turning points. The subject of his newest book, Jared shared some moments in his life that may have seemed small at the time, but wound up shaping the trajectory of his life in really meaningful ways. As I reflect on this conference and my experiences with Iowa ACAC, I wanted to share a few of my own turning points with this association.

Recently I found myself visiting with one of my former tour guides that is a recent Iowa State graduate and is going to FINALLY spend his first summer in Iowa! We got to talking about the things he must do in order to enjoy some of the best parts of our state this summer! I know this list is the tip of the iceberg as far as summer fun in our fair state, but perhaps it will give you ideas of new things to explore!

Are you a new admissions professional looking to kick-start your career in the field? Look no further than Admission Counselor University, also known as ACU. ACU is an annual event hosted by Iowa ACAC’s Professional Development Committee. It’s geared toward new professionals (0-12 months) in the Admissions profession.

As we approach the end of the school year, Iowa ACAC would like to thank our members. Our current organizational membership includes 129 colleges, universities, military, and non-profit organizations and 70 high schools. All of those organizations incorporate 900 members in our Association.

Julie Fopma has had a role in Iowa ACAC for many years. Connect with her at conferences and learn from her extensive experience in higher education!

Maybe you’re sick of hearing this by now, but I am here to tell you again anyway: Get involved with Iowa ACAC!  

After an ice storm that limited travel in much of the state, a small group braved the roads to Des Moines for Visit the Hill, Iowa ACAC and ISCA's shared day of learning and advocacy. While the crowd was small, the camaraderie was great. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who shared their expertise on college and career transition counseling, student financial aid and the ever-changing landscape of debt relief, and especially our panel of students from Grand View and Simpson who inspired us to think about how we can better assist students with their postsecondary search and decision-making.  

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. 

March has always been that time of year for me where I start to feel a renewed sense of energy. Coming out of a heavy winter jacket and being able to feel comfortable once again being outside in a sweatshirt or long sleeve shirt. Bringing back out the bike and feeling the warmth again as the  days begin to get longer! 

As we gear up for another round of travel, I think it’s important to think about how to make the most of your time on the road. Rather than focusing on what you are doing for your college or institution, I want to focus on what you are doing for you! How are you keeping yourself sane and making the most of your time out of the office during the busy yield season?

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. 

Lots of happenings in the world of Iowa ACAC!