Take a moment to meet our newest Board members and learn how being a part of Iowa ACAC has fulfilled their lives professionally and personally!
Drew Shradel, President-Elect
Tell us about yourself, your background, and your current role at Cornell College
I was born and raised in Davenport, IA, and attended Pleasant Valley High School and graduated from Wartburg College with a degree in Communication Arts. I worked in Washington, IA, right out of college as a Sports Director for a small-town radio station before moving to Cornell as an Admission Representative. I have been with Cornell for seven years now and work as the Director of Admission, taking over the year of the pandemic. Nothing has been "normal" in admission as I started and was on the road in a week. My advice for any new person in the profession would be to jump in headfirst. It might be the best way to learn this career.
- What do you like about being a member of Iowa ACAC?
I like that as part of Iowa ACAC I take a step out of my institution and help the state as a whole, along with other colleagues from different colleges and universities. It helps remind me of the bigger picture and we get to make changes that help every student in Iowa have access to college.
- What are you excited about in this new executive board role?
After the pandemic, I am excited to shape this new look of college admission. It will never be the same and there is so much more opportunity that we never thought we could or would do.
- What is one thing that you love to talk about other than work?
Outside of my twin boys, I'm a huge Disney Parks nerd, I also know much more about Star Wars, board games, and Marvel than the average person (or so I'm told). I really like having conversations about anything. I think it's my journalism past that is just inquisitive.
Nick Kettmann, Treasurer-Elect
Tell us about yourself, your background, and your current role at Kirkwood.
I was born and raised in Bellevue, Iowa. After high school I decided to spread my wings and moved to Cedar Rapids to become an Eagle at Kirkwood Community College (See what I did there?). While attending Kirkwood I worked in the Admissions Office and was a Student Ambassador. Upon completion at Kirkwood I transferred to become a Panther at UNI where I dug my claws deeper into the higher ed recruitment world by joining Student Admissions Ambassadors and becoming an Orientation Peer Leader (Did you see it again?). Through my involvement with visit days and orientations as a student I had some amazing mentors within the profession and fell in love with higher ed. I have now been working as an Admissions Advisor at Kirkwood for just over a decade. I also have the honor of serving as the Advisor for our Student Ambassador organization. It all came back full circle and I couldn’t be happier in my position!
- What do you like about being a member of Iowa ACAC?
Networking! There are so many amazing and intelligent people within our profession who are spread out across the state. Actively participating with Iowa ACAC allows me to meet, connect, collaborate, learn from, share stories, and become friends with those who I might not otherwise have the opportunity. Fun fact – my (now) wife and I attended ACU together in 2011 while working for competing institutions. THANKS Iowa ACAC!!
- What are you excited about in this new executive board role?
While attending ACU during my first year in the profession, I discovered the benefits of being involved in Iowa ACAC. Since then I have been involved in several committees and served a term as College Day/College Night Chair. I am extremely excited for my new role as Treasurer-elect! During the past several years I have gotten much more in tune with my personal finances. Shout out to all of my fellow Dave Ramsey podcast listeners while out on the road recruiting! I look forward to dedicating my recently found passion for finances and budgeting to assisting Iowa ACAC. I can’t wait to collaborate with and learn from our experienced Finance Committee members!
- What is one thing that you love to talk about other than work?
A few years ago I would have answered this question with the typical sports, hunting, fishing, or reminiscing with friends about the “good old days.” My answer today is a little different as I look to the exciting times ahead. I recently married my beautiful wife, Tierney (hope she reads this! ;-)). Many of my conversations have now shifted to taking my “adulting” to a new level. We are looking forward to purchasing a house, starting a family, and maybe even getting a dog! I welcome any and all advice out there that you have about being successful in any of these areas!
Juanita Weyenberg, Co-Chair for Inclusion, Access, and Success
Tell us about yourself, your background and your current role at Indian Hills.
Hi, my name is Juanita Weyenberg and I am an Admissions Representative at Indian Hills Community College. I graduated from Indian Hills in 2006 and from Buena Vista University in 2008. I start my master’s in Professional School Counseling through BVU in July this year so I am very excited!
- What do you like about being a member of Iowa ACAC?
Being a member of Iowa ACAC has been a rewarding experience. This last year I served on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee where I helped with the Freddy Miranda Scholarship and the LEAP conference. I love that I have been able to network and meet other admissions professionals and counselors to help students in our state achieve their post-secondary goals.
- What are you excited about in this new executive board role?
I am excited to serve as a co-chair for the DEI committee to continue collaborating with other professionals and serve our students in Iowa. We have an awesome team!
- What is one thing that you love to talk about other than work?
I love nature so anything about parks, trails/hiking, and photography. I have two daughters and we enjoy traveling in the US and abroad. So far our favorite has been Paris and Barcelona.
Marissa Wetrich, Chair for College Day/College Night
Tell us about yourself, your background and your current role at Iowa
I’m a 2011 graduate of the University of Iowa and a 2019 graduate of Kansas State University. While I was completing my undergraduate education I realized my love of college and the excitement that comes with choosing a school while working in the Orientation Office. After college, I got my start in Admissions at Simpson College. After 3 years with Simpson I took on a new challenge and became a Regional Admissions Counselor for my alma mater, the University of Iowa. I’ve worked as Iowa’s Des Moines Regional Representative for almost 6 years of combined time—I left for a short time to work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Business. Working for Iowa, I have been an Admission Counselor, Senior Admission Counselor, and I’m currently an Assistant Director. I recruit in Central and Southwest Iowa as well as Western Missouri and Kansas.
- What do you like about being a member of Iowa ACAC?
I love the connections that Iowa ACAC provides—both personally and professionally. Being a new counselor out on the road can be challenging and sometimes isolating. Being a member of Iowa’s ACAC, attending conferences, and getting involved in the organization really helped me to meet other counselors and create friendships. I joke that during travel season I see more of my ACAC colleagues than my own Iowa team!
- What are you excited about in this new executive board role?
I am excited to work with a great team of admissions professionals from all over the state and build more connections with our high school partners.
- What is one thing that you love to talk about other than work?
This is a tough question because I can talk about anything! I would say my top 4 favorite things to discuss include travel, food, country music, and Hawkeye football! I love to explore new places, try new foods, listen to live music, and of course watch the Hawks every Saturday.
Kayla Van Wyk, Chair for Publications & Marketing
Tell us about yourself, your background, and your current role at Central College.
I grew up in Pella, Iowa and received my undergrad in Communications from Trinity Christian College. I have worked at Central College as an admission counselor and senior admission counselor for approximately 3 ½ years. My recruiting territory is Southeast Iowa and Colorado. I also assist with Central’s cross country and track (distance) teams.
- What do you like about being a member of Iowa ACAC?
I like the opportunities for professional development that Iowa ACAC provides. I also appreciate the chances to connect with other higher ed professionals. It’s always great to learn from the perspectives of others!
- What are you excited about in this new executive board role?
I’m excited to have the chance to meet new people and learn more about the inner workings of Iowa ACAC. I have always enjoyed writing and editing, so it will be fun to put those skills to use in a different way!
- What is one thing that you love to talk about other than work?
I have six nephews, and I love to brag about them
Lauren Garcia, Assembly Delegate
Tell us about yourself, your background, and your current role at Coe.I'm originally from Burlington, Iowa and graduated from Coe College in 2010. I have worked in higher education since then, getting my start at Mount Mercy University. After six years in admission there, I branched out to a student support centered role in the Center for Diversity and Enrichment at the University of Iowa. After two years of helping underrepresented and first generation students transition to college, I realized how much I missed the admission world. I served as the Director of Admission for the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy recruiting both undergraduate pre-pharmacy and professional students to the PharmD program. I had the opportunity to come back to Coe in January 2021 where I am combining all of my past experiences and overseeing the Office of Student Support & Persistence.
- What do you like about being a member of Iowa ACAC?
Some of my fondest memories from my time in higher education stem from Iowa ACAC. I've loved having the opportunity to meet and connect with other professionals that share similar passions and motivations. Plus, Iowa ACAC has given me the chance to develop my own leadership. My first time on the Executive Board with the Inclusion, Access, and Success committee allowed me to partner with other professionals from across the state to start the LEAP Conference for underrepresented high school students. It's been fun to see what can be accomplished when you have such talented admission professionals come together for things that they care about!
- What are you excited about in this new executive board role?
My Masters degree is in Public Administration so I've always been interested in learning more about policies and ethical administration/organizational practices. I'm excited that as an Assembly Delegate, I'll be able to learn more on the policy-side of admission work, but more importantly that I'll also be able to advocate for our students and professionals in the state at the national level.
- What is one thing that you love to talk about other than work?
I love to talk in general, regardless of topic. However, it's really hard to get a word in if I'm talking about my family (especially my dog Sophie), music and concerts, reality TV, and food. I love trying new restaurants and recipes!
Susan Dickinson, Chair for Conference Planning
Tell us about yourself, your background, and your current role at the University of Iowa.After completing undergrad at UNI (Go Panthers!) and a master’s in Student Affairs at ISU (Go Cyclones!), I worked for one year at the Iowa College Access Network before joining the admissions team at the University of Iowa (Go Hawkeyes!). I currently serve as the Assistant Director for High-Ability Recruitment, where I facilitate the process for admitting students to the Honors Program at Iowa. One of my favorite parts of my job is supervising some of our student leaders; I love hearing their stories and being a part of their college experience. Outside of work, I read obsessively (I finished over 160 books in 2020 alone), I love to knit (I’m currently knitting baby hats to donate to the UI Children’s Hospital), and spend time outside with my husband and our sweet rescue pit bull who I am completely obsessed with.
- What do you like about being a member of Iowa ACAC?
This organization has given me so many opportunities to meet and stay connected with some wonderful friends and colleagues across the state! Each year (when we’re able to have in-person conferences), one of the best parts is getting to hug and catch up with former colleagues from ISU and UNI and other friends and mentors from institutions all over the state. This is a great community to be a part of!
- What are you excited about in this new executive board role?
The ACAC conference is something that I look forward to every year, and I’m excited to have a hand in planning the experience. 2022’s conference will be our pilot for having the conference on a college campus, which I think will be a lot of fun! A few goals I have for my next three years in the role are to make the conference even more relevant and accessible for our high school counseling peers, and to increase sessions related to community college recruitment, enrollment management and admissions operations, and transfer. The conference planning committee is full of some of my very favorite people in this field, and I can’t wait for us all to be back together again in Iowa City for the 2022 Iowa ACAC conference.
- What is one thing that you love to talk about other than work?