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.

At first, I was expecting something like most conferences - introductions and speakers and then go on with the day. But boy was I wrong! The introductions were pretty fun and the speaker came up with an activity that pretty much had people standing on their chairs cheering for others they didn't know until that day.

I have attended plenty of conferences in the past, but this one really stood out to me. People were talkative, open to discussion, and receptive. The sessions were good, not too short or too long. I really liked how in some cases, when the speaker was over with his/her time, they closed the session and we were allowed to talk or discuss themes related to what they exposed instead of keeping us inside the classroom listening to them for an entire hour. I don't have a specific favorite one, but the ones I attended really helped me to do my job more efficiently.

The night activity was pretty fun as well! I wasn't expecting sooo much laughter and fun while hanging out with our reps. Definitely a conference that I would come back to! If you are thinking about coming to one, please do! Do not hesitate, you'll love it.

Roger Lugo
Coordinator of International & Multicultural Connections