After the Spring Conference is the perfect time to join an Iowa ACAC committee or learn more about what each one does. However, we welcome  new committee members any time. Our Executive Board uses the summer to plan for upcoming events and professional development opportunities during the academic year and continues meeting throughout the year to complete tasks.

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.

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.

Happy Spring! How many ISIRs did you get? I’m kidding, it’s a mess, but that’s not what Spring is all about. In a very short amount of time the MIDWest conference will be here, and we will get to see all of our colleagues and friends from schools not just in Iowa, but from the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin. 

"Hello from the outside
At least I can say that I've tried
To tell you I'm sorry for breaking your heart"
Adele really hit me with the feels while I started writing and made it so fitting to share a verse. The other side is almost what we would imagine as recruiters, schedules, emotions, schedules, and future planning. 

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?

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!

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.

Happy New Year! I know, there aren’t fireworks, champagne or silly hats and glasses, but it’s just as important for us in education.