Early Spring 2013

Potomac & Chesapeake Association For College Admission Counseling

students, and I’m rewarded by

the knowledge that I am helping

them explore the landscapes of

their futures. Each of you is

multi-talented and would thrive

in any number of occupations.

What keeps you in this profes-

sion?

After the conclusion of the

NACAC conference in Denver, I

had the opportunity to spend a

couple days with my son, who

lives in the city. On a road trip

to the mountain town of Estes

Park, gateway to Rocky Moun-

tain National Park, we stopped

by historic Stanley Hotel—the

inspiration for the supernatural

haunting of Stephen King’s

“Outlook Hotel” in The Shining.

From every window in the ma-

jestic hotel, gorgeous vistas of

snowy mountains and green

pines stretch for miles. My son’s

dream landscape. But as a long-

time resident of the East Coast, I

couldn’t help but pine for a dif-

ferent view—the grays and blues

of the ocean. For me, the ocean

is a permanent, stabilizing force;

I feel calm, at peace, just know-

ing it’s near. And in my profes-

sional life, as much as my per-

sonal life, there’s a landscape

that just seems to fit—that both

inspires and energizes me. Years

ago, following the birth of my

third child and the restructuring

of my position at a private col-

lege, I decided to explore other

employment opportunities.

In the education and training

department of a private com-

pany, I waited for my inter-

viewer in a small lobby. I was

struck by the absolute quiet. I

wasn’t accustomed to the si-

lence. Schools are not quiet;

students fill the halls with their

shouts, their conversations, their

constant rushing from one point

to the next. At that moment, I

knew—I didn’t want to work in

a space devoid of students and

their noise and energy. Not long

after, I accepted a college coun-

seling position at Archmere

Academy, where I remain today.

My daily view is filled with

President’s Message

The Anchor

Inside this issue:

President’s Message 1

PCACAC Conference

1

Candidates for Office

2

Professional Development

8

Movers and Shak-ers

8

Keeping Everyone Honest

9

Advocacy Days 10

Bylaws/Credentials Update

11

The Conference Planning Com-

mittee looks forward to welcom-

ing you to PCACAC’s 48th An-

nual Conference in Norfolk, Vir-

ginia. You won’t want to miss: a

variety of pre-conference and

conference sessions; a tour of

three Norfolk-area colleges and

college drop-in visits on the Pen-

insula; an exhibitors’ hall; a

college fair to connect high school

counselors and college admission

staffers; plus, delicious meals and

a fabulous conference social!

Everything begins on Saturday

with a round of golf followed by a

special Joining Hands for College

Program; conference events end

on Tuesday with our traditional

buffet brunch/business meeting.

Service Project, Project

Reach For the second year, PCACAC

will collect school supplies and

college counseling items for a

high school in need in our re-

gion. The school will also re-

ceive a complimentary confer-

ence scholarship for one of their

counselors.

(Continued on Page 7)

48th Annual PCACAC Conference

(Continued on Page 2)

Carolyn Doyle

be here ten years later. I was

encouraged to get involved with

PCACAC from the start and the

people I have met in this organi-

zation have trained me and sus-

tained me. My first PCACAC

conference was in Richmond in

2003 and I haven’t missed once

since. I certainly don’t remem-

ber what sessions I attended that

first year, but I do remember

learning that PCACAC was an

organization of “huggers” and

that I was inspired enough by

what I experienced to fill out a

volunteer form to get more in-

volved.

A few conference planning com-

mittees later I had the opportu-

nity to run for college delegate

to the national assembly. Dur-

ing my three-year term from

2008-2011 I attended all of

PCACAC’s board meetings and

learned about the inner workings

of the organization as well as the

role state and regional affiliates

play at the national level. I also

served on the Local Arrange-

ments Committee for NACAC

2009 in Baltimore. Currently

I’m part of PCACAC’s Profes-

sional Development Committee

having served on faculty for the

most recent Summer Institute as

well as for a PCACAC inservice

Ten years ago I followed the

same path to the admissions

profession as many of my fellow

PCACAC members and admis-

sions colleagues – that of a tour

guide. I spent most of my under-

graduate years at the University

of Maryland working for admis-

sions and I loved it. As a first-

generation college student, I had

a keen awareness that a lot of

kids with my background had an

uphill battle to make it to college

not because they weren’t smart

enough but because they didn’t

have the right support or advice.

By the end of my sophomore

year I realized that while I en-

joyed the journalism and public

relations classes I was taking for

my major, I was more interested

in how those of us fortunate

enough to be in those classes had

gotten there and how I could

ensure that opportunity for oth-

ers. That realization combined

with the advice of my early men-

tors made me comfortable in my

decision to pursue a career in

admissions – a career I am grate-

ful to love.

I arrived at Stevenson University

(then Villa Julie College) in 2002

with a lot of naïve confidence

and a desire to prove myself. At

the time I never thought I’d still

day for Howard County (MD) pub-

lic school counselors.

Given the amazing professionals

I’ve known as leaders of this or-

ganization, I’m truly humbled to

even be considered equal to the

task of entering the presidential

cycle. My motivation to do so is

the same as that which initially

brought me to this profession – to

guide others and give back. What

separates PCACAC, NACAC, and

our active members from all other

professional organizations I’ve

encountered is our grounding in a

set of ethical guidelines governing

college admissions. If we are to be

taken seriously and by extension

restore the confidence of the public

in the value of a college degree, we

must hold fast to these principles. I

care deeply about seeing new ad-

missions officers develop a moral

compass rather than just a business

mindset and new school counselors

an aptitude for college counseling

along with the rest of their myriad

responsibilities. As one of the

strongest affiliates in terms of hu-

man and fiscal capital, PCACAC is

uniquely positioned to provide that

support and spread NACAC’s mes-

sage. I look forward to being able

to serve this wonderful organiza-

tion in a new capacity and would

be grateful for your support.

President’s Message Continued

Candidate For Office of President-Elect

Page 2 The Anchor

Kelly Farmer Director of

Freshman Admissions Stevenson University

(MD)

PCACAC continues to move

forward on many fronts.

Thanks to the work of our Com-

munications Committee you can

“like” us on Facebook and stay

up to date with the latest con-

versations by joining our E-list.

Our Professional Development

Committee provided another

successful one day Drive-In in

Howard County MD. New

locations are always being

sought for Drive-Ins. Contact

Robyn Lady, Professional De-

velopment Chair at

ralady@fcps.edu if interested.

On March 4th legislative visits

took place on The Hill in Wash-

ington, DC. Our Nominations

Committee includes, in this

edition of the “Anchor, infor-

mation on the candidates run-

ning for election.

We truly appreciate the willing-

ness of our members to volun-

teer for leadership positions.

Remember to vote!!

Please join us...register now for

the upcoming Annual Confer-

ence April 21 – 23 at the Shera-

ton Waterside in Norfolk, VA.

The outstanding Conference

Committee has been hard at

work planning a conference

with informative work-

shops, two lively Cracker

Barrel sessions, a fun so-

cial, a busy College Fair,

and a number of college

tours.

Remember to use our web-

site as the primary source to

stay up to date on

PCACAC’s latest happen-

ings!

**Elections 2013**

It is that time of year when we elect new members of our association’s leadership. This spring we are electing a

president-elect (three year term), a secretary (two-year term), and six at-large delegates, each serving a three-year

term. Thanks to each of these PCACAC members who are willing to contribute their time, expertise and talents to our

association. Resumes for each of our candidates can be found on our website: http://www.pcacac.org/nominations.

After enjoying my experience

as an undergraduate intern in

admissions at William and

Mary in 1992, I decided to enter

the field full-time as a profes-

sional. From 1992-1995, I

worked as an Assistant Director

at University of Vermont where

I also pursued my graduate

studies in Public Administra-

tion. In 1995, I returned “home”

to the Potomac and Chesapeake

region when I moved to the

Johns Hopkins Admission Of-

fice. Although my recruitment

areas included the west coast

and New England during five

years at JHU, I became active

in the region by attending and

presenting at the regional con-

ference.

In 1995, realizing that my love

for the college admission proc-

ess included working more

closely with students, I moved

to the “other side of the desk”

by accepting a college counsel-

ing position at Pine Crest

School in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

While in Florida, I was active in

SACAC including serving on

the faculty of SACAC’s Dry

Run Program for two years,

presenting at annual confer-

ences and serving on local con-

ference committees. I returned

to the PCACAC region in 2005

to be the Director of College

Counseling at St. Paul’s School

outside Baltimore. Since return-

ing, I have been active in PCA-

CAC serving on various panels

at the Annual Conference and

as a faculty member at the 2006

– 2009 Summer Institutes. I

coordinated the 2007 Summer

Institute held at Goucher Col-

lege and served as co-chair of

Professional Development from

2008-2010, through which I

coordinated the region’s Drive-

In Workshops. For the past

three years (2010-2012), I have

served as an Assembly Dele-

gate where I had the honor of

submitting a proposal that was

accepted by the National As-

sembly. I am also currently the

Vice-Chair for Admission Prac-

tices.

I would like to submit my name

for consideration as PCACAC

Secretary. I believe I would be

a good candidate for the posi-

tion for several reasons. Most

importantly, I will bring my

work ethic, experience, organ-

izational skills and interest in

the association. I will do my

best to take good notes and

distribute them as needed. But,

that is not the only job of the

Secretary. I will also do my best

to support the committees that

report to the secretary while

being a leader on the Executive

Committee.

Throughout my career, I have

believed in the importance of

relationships. These relation-

ships exist between students,

families, counselors, admission

officers, professionals and insti-

tutions. Being Secretary of

PCACAC will allow me to help

foster these relationships as

well as to represent our region

as a member of the Executive

Board. Thanks to my back-

ground in working with and at

various types of institutions, I

believe that I have the ability to

view issues holistically, an

important trait for an officer of

PCACAC. I would be honored

to represent the PCACAC.

dents each year and to help them

discover what was important in

their lives. She commented that

my positive, encouraging out-

look had been a good match for

the school. I shared my hope

that I could help each student

find a path to a career that they

would gladly do for free – just as

I had (of course, I was hoping

she would not “dock” my salary

at that point!). She ended up

using that conversation as the

basis for her remarks at gradua-

tion that year. I was so honored

and delighted that she under-

stood my passion for helping

students make critical connec-

tions in their lives.

During my years at West Poto-

mac, I worked with a diverse

Many people spend their whole

lives without finding perfect

jobs. I am very fortunate to be

working in my dream job, and I

have been doing this since 2005.

I love working with teenagers,

learning about their goals and

dreams, and helping them de-

velop plans to reach those goals.

This sounds simple, yet it is

incredibly important, and I have

found my work extremely fulfill-

ing. Before coming to Foxcroft

School two years ago, I spent ten

years in Fairfax County Public

Schools, most recently at West

Potomac High School as the

College and Career Center Spe-

cialist. At the end of my fifth

year, I mentioned to my princi-

pal that I was so lucky to get to

work with 2400 amazing stu-

population – diverse in every

sense of the word. Our students

spoke more than thirty home

languages and came from eco-

nomic backgrounds that

spanned from multi-

millionaires to homeless fami-

lies. Thirty-eight percent of our

students qualified for free/

reduced price lunches. The

racial and ethnic diversity rep-

resented every background and

religious preference from all

areas of the globe, and our di-

versity continued to grow and

change every year. Honoring

each individual and making

sure each student knew that I

was there to listen and to pro-

vide information was what I did

every day.

(Continued on Page 4)

Candidates For Delegate

The Anchor Page 3

Barbara Conner

Director of College Counseling

Foxcroft School (VA)

Jake Talmadge

Director of College Counseling

St. Paul’s School

For Boys (MD)

Candidate For Office of Secretary

(Barbara Conner continued)

When the call came to explore an

opportunity to do college counseling

work at Foxcroft School in Middle-

burg, Virginia, I almost did not take

the call – I loved my job in Alexan-

dria and thought they were looking

for someone else. I am so thrilled

that I have had this opportunity.

Living and working on a boarding

school campus has provided a level

of professional growth that has

strengthened my work as a college

counselor. From the outside, the

lives of my students may seem privi-

leged (and that would be true for

many of my students), but there are

a number of students here (about

25%) who are here on partial or full

scholarships. I do the same things I

have always done – but the pace and

the scope are more individualized.

Instead of offering Lunch and Learn

drop-in sessions for students, I teach

regular classes for juniors which

help students prepare for their col-

lege exploration and application

process. Doing the work I love in

two very different settings has al-

lowed me to reflect on what is at the

core of the work I do.

No matter what my previous job

titles were, the jobs themselves had

basically the same fundamental core

elements – helping people learn,

grow, and reach their goals. When

I was a human resources director in

Alexandria, I managed a staff of

thirty-six people in a retail setting.

Some people worked for me full-

time. Others worked at the State

Department and in the Attorney

General’s office by day and worked

for me during evenings and week-

ends. Working with this education-

ally diverse group – high school

graduates working in our ware-

house to lawyers who were picking

up extra hours on the weekends

allowed me to grow professionally

as a leader and a manager. During

my years as a Facilitator for Fairfax

County Public Schools, I worked to

calm contentious situations where

parents were dealing with school

boundary changes – ultimately

helping families come to terms

with a changing educational land-

scape for their children. For a dec-

ade I worked as an organizational

consultant working with small

businesses and individuals to help

them identify more productive

ways to achieve their goals. This

work was incredibly satisfying

particularly because my clients

could see almost immediate bene-

fits which encouraged them to

build on their early successes.

Those work experiences have

shaped the college counseling work

I do with students: being profes-

sionally knowledgeable about op-

tions for life after high school;

taking the time to get to know each

student so I can best represent her

for college admission, scholarship

consideration, and specialized pro-

grams; providing good, clear infor-

mation to students and families in

timely ways; spending time on

college campuses and at confer-

ences to continue to build my skills

and knowledge. Serving on com-

mittees for organizations which

have strengthened and nurtured me

along the way – specifically on

PCACAC committees – Current

Trends and Future Issues, Profes-

sional Development, and various

Conference Planning Committees

has been such a joy over the years.

I take each of these roles to heart.

Being available, knowledgeable,

and helpful to each student as I

hear her story and advocate on her

behalf...this job plays to my

strengths, interests, and abilities in

strong ways and PCACAC has

been instrumental in my work over

the years. PCACAC has strength-

ened my professional skills beyond

measure.

I am honored to be considered to

represent PCACAC at the NACAC

conferences for the next three years

as an at large Delegate.

three year term as a member of the

Member Relations Committee for

NACAC. In this role, I helped to

coordinate NACAC outreach ef-

forts to public school counselors. I

am currently serving on PCA-

CAC’s Professional Development

Committee. In my role on this com-

mittee, I coordinated a drive-in

workshop for the counselors of

Anne Arundel County, an area that

is not well represented in either

PCACAC or NACAC. Prior to

entering the world of high school

counseling, I served as an admis-

sions counselor at Goucher College

in Baltimore for six years. My ex-

perience on both sides of the desk

has helped me to better understand

the intricacies of the college admis-

sion process and my experiences

within my professional organiza-

tions have enabled me to gain

knowledge to better serve my stu-

dents.

My experiences on the high school

and college side of admissions as

well as my previous involvement

with NACAC at the national level

enable me to better communicate

the needs of PCACAC members to

the national organization. I am

particularly eager to be a voice for

public school counselors. Because

of the demands of large caseloads,

public school counselors of ten

don’t have the time to be involved

in our professional organizations.

However, they can benefit greatly

from the services PCACAC and

NACAC can provide. As a Dele-

gate, I hope to not only represent

public school counselors to

NACAC but also to work to help

connect counselors with their pro-

fessional organizations. I would be

honored to represent PCACAC

counselors and to be a voice for

them at the national level.

Serving as a high school counselor at

a large public high school for the last

eleven years has been an extraordi-

narily challenging and rewarding

experience. I have seen the demands

on counselors change tremendously

during this time and have seen the

critical role that counselors play in

the college admission process. Coun-

selors must truly be jacks of all

trades and able to think on their feet

in order to best serve the needs of

students from diverse backgrounds. I

am eager to find new ways to bring

knowledge back to my students and

colleagues.

For the last five years, I have served

as the chair of my counseling depart-

ment at Broadneck High School in

Annapolis, MD. In this role, I man-

age an office of five other counselors

in addition to working with a

caseload of approximately 300 stu-

dents. During this time, I spent a

Page 4 The Anchor

Jennifer Evans

School Counselor Broadneck High

School (MD)

Karen Felton Director of Admissions

The George Washington University

(DC)

I remember the day as if it were

yesterday; walking into the student

center at Daeman College in my

hometown of Buffalo, NY for my

very first college fair. I had no idea

that my professional career would

lead me to spend thousands more

hours in similar facilities in cities

across the country, albeit on the

other side of the table. However, on

that day, all I knew for certain was

that I was going to college.

As the youngest child of a single

mother who never finished high

school, I was made aware at a very

early age that any decision regard-

ing whether I would go to college

was not mine to make. Even as my

mother sacrificed and struggled to

send me to the school she thought

would best help me obtain the nec-

essary foundation for college, her

belief in the transformative power

of education never dimmed.

Throughout the years, I have often

thought of my mother’s commit-

ment to my education. I feel fortu-

nate that my work as an admissions

officer has afforded me the privi-

lege of meeting students with moth-

ers just like mine – completely

selfless in the pursuit of educational

opportunities for their daughters

and sons. However, I am also re-

minded of her when I meet students

who, although they come from

families who have been college

educated for generations, still be-

lieve that the experiences, growth,

and learning that takes place on

college campuses are important

prerequisites for a full and com-

plete life.

Our commitment as the Potomac

and Chesapeake Association for

College Admission Counseling

must be to all students, those for

whom college entrance will be a

new experience for their entire

family and those for whom the

demands of the college process are

well-known. Certainly, the pipeline

must continue to expand to accom-

modate students who have been

locked out of the college process,

but in so doing, we must also en-

deavor to ensure that we are devel-

oping programs and policies that

provide opportunities for all stu-

dents. I have been fortunate to

work on both the ‘please admit

him’ side of the desk, as well as the

‘we have a record application pool

this year’ side. As a result, as an

Assembly delegate I would bring a

personal insight into the unique chal-

lenges that each individual faces as he/

she strives to balance obligations to the

bottom line, with a commitment to

advocacy and access; to managing

student expectations while still sup-

porting and encouraging their dreams

and aspirations.

As a final point, I would bring to this

opportunity a joyfulness and an abso-

lute passion for this profession – for

the students we serve, for all aspects of

the work we do, for the opportunities

that we help to uncover, and for the

colleagues with whom we may some-

times disagree but with whom we stand

in solidarity in support of students.

Like some others, I have occasionally

considered other opportunities that

would take me away from this chal-

lenging, yet rewarding, profession.

However, each time I have contem-

plated this, a student or colleague will

do or say something which reminds me

that there is no greater vocation then

working to empower students to pre-

pare themselves for their best lives. It

would be an honor to serve this profes-

sion, and my colleagues, as an Assem-

bly delegate and a member of the

PCACAC Executive Board.

tions of high school and admis-

sion counselors. Through reading

these submissions, I was able to

see what topics were trending in

the profession. I was also ex-

posed to the structure and organi-

zation of NACAC, including the

personnel in the organization’s

central offices in Northern Vir-

ginia. I had the great fortune of

attending Annual Conferences in

Pittsburgh, Austin, Seattle, Balti-

more, St. Louis, and New Orleans.

I also attended Leadership Devel-

opment Institutes (LDIs) in Louis-

ville, KY, and Dallas, TX. At the

LDIs, I was able to collaborate

with chairs of NACAC’s other

National Committees on initia-

tives for the upcoming years.

For PCACAC, I began my service

to the organization by volunteer-

ing at the Annual Conferences.

Beginning in 2010, I became the

Conference Coordinator for the

conferences held at Dover Downs,

Delaware; Hunt Valley, Mary-

land; and the Joint Conference

with SACAC at Crystal City,

Virginia. I will also serve in this

capacity for the 2013 Annual Con-

ference in Norfolk, Virginia. As

Conference Coordinator, I have had

the chance to see how

PCACAC’s leadership and commit-

tee structures operate. I have also

gained a tremendous appreciation

for the invaluable work of PCA-

CAC’s Administrative Assistant.

The organization’s finances, goals,

initiatives, history, and vision have

been areas I have explored as a

member of PCACAC’s board.

While I am interested in continuing

to serve in a leadership capacity on

the Conference Planning Committee

(perhaps as a co- or assistant-chair),

I am eager to become a delegate. I

would like to pursue further leader-

ship opportunities within PCACAC,

and I believe the knowledge I would

gain as a delegate would prove use-

ful and necessary to any future posi-

tions I may hold. I believe my prior

experience with the organization and

with NACAC have displayed my

commitment to college counseling

and to being a leader within the pro-

fession. I look forward to any addi-

tional leadership opportunities my

future may hold.

When I began shadowing the

Director of College Counseling

at my school in 2004, I could not

have imagined how important

the world of college counseling

would become in my life in the

years to follow. Now, I struggle

to imagine my life without this

profession in it. Helping young

people to navigate the often-

tumultuous waters of college

admission feels like a calling to

me, and I am always seeking

ways to serve my students more

effectively. To that end, I have

found my participation in

PCACAC and NACAC to be of

utmost importance.

For the past 7 years, I have been

an active member of both organi-

zations. For NACAC, I served

on the Editorial Board for The

Journal of College Admission

from 2007-2012. From 2010-

2012, I served as the Board’s

chairwoman. In this role, I vet-

ted submissions to the Journal,

which ranged from serious, uni-

versity-based research studies to

the anecdotal, humorous reflec-

The Anchor

Heather Jeter Director of College

Counseling The Steward School

(VA)

Page 5

Karen Felton Director of Admissions

The George Washington University

(DC)

I’ve worked in college counsel-

ing for the past 9 years at Sale-

sianum School in Wilmington,

Delaware where I have served

as the AP and PSAT Coordina-

tor and the assistant SAT and

ACT Coordinator. In 1999, I

developed and currently teach a

transition course for the incom-

ing freshmen to assist them

with the adjustment to high

school. One aspect of my job

that I thoroughly enjoy is re-

maining directly involved with

the students by teaching this

transition course as well as our

Junior Advisory program, a

class that instructs the Juniors

on the college process. Also,

being an assistant football

coach and chaperoning school

trips as well as my daily meet-

ings with students verifies my

believe that an educator must

have direct contact with stu-

dents in order to understand

how to best serve them.

From 2008-2011, I was elected

to the Middle States Regional

Council of the College Board

where I represented the state of

Delaware and professionals

involved in School Counseling

and College Admissions. The

council (made up of educators

from New York, New Jersey,

Pennsylvania, Delaware, Mary-

land, Washington, D.C. and

Puerto Rico) is responsible to

represent educators throughout

our region, making recommen-

dations to the College Board on

how to best serve our students.

The council also organizes and

presents the Middle States Re-

gional Forum - a 2 day confer-

ence that addresses educational

issues relating to academic

curriculum, college counseling

and admissions, and financial

aid. In 2011, I was elected to

the leadership of this council

and served as Chair in 2012.

Personally, I enjoy meeting new

people and sharing ideas on

how to best serve students.

Working toward a common

goal with groups of people who

have unique talents and abilities

is where I excel and how I be-

lieve the best work can be ac-

complished. I appreciate the

professional opportunities I’ve

had and I am eager to continue

my active involvement with

professional organizations. I

believe that PCACAC would

offer me that opportunity and I,

in turn, bring experience and a

strong work ethic to an already

outstanding organization.

to education and an emphasis on

social justice and I have found

that at Wilmington Friends.

Over the past two decades, I

have been a member of NACAC

(2006 – present), PCACAC

(2006 – present), and NEACAC

(1988 – 2006). In Pennsylvania,

I was an active member of the

Human Relations Committee and

in addition, I also presented

seminars for new admissions

people at several conferences.

When I first joined PCACAC, I

served as a delegate for three

years (2007 – 2010), and found it

to be a rewarding and enlighten-

ing experience. I have served as

a member of the Planning Com-

mittee for the PCACAC Summer

Institute (2007/2008) and as a

faculty member at that event. I

have also served as a member of

the Conference Planning Com-

mittee and as the Chair of the

College Fair Committee for the

past two PCACAC Conferences

(2011/2012). I have found pro-

fessional involvement to be a

rewarding aspect of my career

and I am looking forward to

continuing to participate in our

professional organizations.

Providing resources, the opportu-

nity to actively engage with col-

leagues, and professional devel-

opment to all members is a vital

and important part of PCA-

CAC’s mission. I strongly be-

lieve, however, that we must

never stray from our prime direc-

tive, serving students. We are at

our finest when we work to-

gether to better support our stu-

dents. While it can be all too

easy to get caught up in the hype,

pressure, and demands of our

profession, there is nothing more

rewarding than doing what we do

best, helping each student to find

the amazing possibilities that his/

her future holds.

Attending a rural, underserved

high school in Pennsylvania

(where 15% of students contin-

ued on to any type of higher

education) instilled in me a de-

sire to pursue an education and

to see the world. Studying

speech communications, psy-

chology, and sociology at Ithaca

College (BA, 1988) prepared me,

as my father so eloquently stated,

“to be nice to people and speak

well.” Therefore, it is no sur-

prise that I chose college admis-

sions as my first career! My

experiences as a college admis-

sions counselor for nineteen

years (Moravian College, 1988 –

2007) and a brief stint as a part-

time independent college coun-

selor (1996 – 2006), have given

me an understanding of the per-

spectives from all sides of the

counseling desk. Most recently,

I have served as the Director of

College Guidance at the Wil-

mington Friends School, an inde-

pendent pre-K-12 Quaker school

in Wilmington, Delaware for the

past seven years (2006 – pre-

sent). I actively sought a high

school environment that empha-

sized educational excellence, a

global perspective, equal access

Page 6 The Anchor

Kathleen Martin Director of College

Guidance Wilmington Friends

School (DE)

Joel Lang College Counselor

Salesianum School (DE)

Please accept this statement in

support of my nomination to

serve on the PCACAC Board as

a college delegate. I am the

youngest of eight children of a

single mother, Anna R. Pennix,

and proud grandmother, the late

Lizzie B. Pennix. I am married

to Lisa Belcher Pennix, and we

have three (3) sons; Damian (22

years old), Jamie (11 years old),

and Jordan (9 years old). I was

the first in my family to attend

and graduate from college. My

faith in God has lead me to

witness and assist others in their

journey to obtain their aca-

demic and career goals.

Throughout my professional

life, I have felt the call to serve

people as the primary driver in

all my work. Those who know

me and have worked with me

will agree with my personal

testimony, ‘I am blessed to be a

Blessing.’

Currently, I serve as Dean of

Admissions and Enrollment

Management at Radford Uni-

versity where I manage and super-

vise dedicated professionals

within multiple offices to promote

student success among students

from enrollment to graduation.

Since arriving at Radford as the

Dean of Admissions, the Univer-

sity has exceeded enrollment

goals each year. I have worked in

the college admissions profession

for the past 13 years, and I believe

my consistent progression in the

field makes me a qualified and

dedicated professional.

I am a unique enrollment profes-

sional because I believe my role at

the University is my calling to

serve in such a capacity. I have a

passion to promote higher educa-

tion to all deserving students. At

Roanoke College, I was instru-

mental in creating the Multicul-

tural Affairs Office while working

as the Assistant Men’s Basketball

Coach and pursuing a Masters’

degree. Prior to working in higher

education, I worked in the Sales

industry for 10 years. I am a

faithful member of High Street

Baptist Church in Roanoke

where I serve on the Deacon

Board, Men’s Usher Board, The

Technology Committee, Sun-

day School teacher’s Ministry,

Pastor Search Committee, Per-

sonal Committee, and the

Power in Prayer Team. In all of

these endeavors I have been

both an active team member,

and a motivational leader.

Because of my unique profes-

sional experiences and educa-

tional background, I have been

fortunate to enjoy success re-

cruiting and enrolling students

into college. I consider my

ability to cultivate relationships

with prospective students, par-

ents, and high school counsel-

ors as one of my greatest assets.

My colleagues consider me to

be hard working, organized,

analytical, and personable,

qualities that are well suited for

the challenge of enrollment

management.

The Anchor

David Weiner

Director of College Counseling

Fredericksburg

Academy (VA)

After graduating from the Uni-

versity of Rochester with a

B.A. in History and Psychology

in 2004, David worked as a

paralegal for two years before

discovering his real passion:

admissions counseling. In

2006, he returned to his alma

mater to work in the admissions

office, assuming a wide variety

of duties, including develop-

ment of recruitment strategy

and participation in the full-

tuition scholarship Renaissance

committee.

In 2009, he moved to the “other

side of the desk” and he took a

as a College Counselor at the

Boys’ Latin School of Maryland.

He credits Jenifer Blair with in-

spiring him to get involved in

PCACAC. In 2011, he became

PCACAC Membership Chair and

he has participated in a wide vari-

ety of PCACAC events, including

Summer Institute where he pre-

sented on the Psychology of the

College Counseling process and

recruitment tips for admissions

counselors new to the profession.

In addition, he has served on the

PCACAC Annual Conference

planning committee for the past

two years; this year, he is Chair of

Sponsorships

David is an avid reader of the

Chronicle of Higher Education,

NACAC, and other periodicals

related to higher education. He is

currently most fascinated by the

impact of international recruit-

ment on selective college admis-

sion for middle-class students

and families. He looks forward

to the possibility of representing

PCACAC as an at-large dele-

gate.

Page 7

James Pennix

Dean of Admissions

Radford University (VA)

48th Annual PCACAC Conference continued

PCACAC members are encour-

aged to bring new school sup-

plies and new or gently used

used supplies college counsel-

ing materials to the conference

for donation.

Appropriate school supplies

include (but are not limited to):

backpacks, book bags, pencil

cases, pens, pencils, copy paper,

construction paper, notepads,

spiral notebooks, planners, mark-

ers, highlighters, folders, calen-

dars, gift cards to Office Max,

Office Depot, Target, etc.

Appropriate college counseling

materials include (but are not

limited to): college guide books

(as your office prepares to order

new versions), college posters and

pennants, and test prep work-

books.

We’re very excited about our

upcoming 2013 PCACAC Sum-

mer Institute, this year at

George Washington University

in Washington, DC. The dates

are Monday, July 22 – Tuesday,

July 23, 2013. Check-in will

begin Sunday, July 21 with the

opportunity to sleep on campus,

which is always convenient

AND fun. Thank you GWU for

hosting and to Barbara Hancock

for chairing this event! Ben

Rouse will coordinate college

tours.

Believe it or not it’s already

time to think about Summer

Institute 2014! The “Request

for Proposal” to host SI 2014

will be available very soon, and

the deadline to submit will be

earlier than in years past. We

hope this earlier selection will

provide extended time for more

meaningful and thoughtful

planning.

We had a very successful PD in

-service/drive-in event for

Howard County, Maryland in

November! It was so success-

ful, in fact, that Howard

County’s leadership emailed all

public-school county specialists

in Maryland encouraging them

to reach out to us and create

similar opportunities for their

school systems. Go team!

We are still engaged in conver-

sation with the Loudoun

County, Virginia school system

to organize a drive-in opportu-

nity for their counselors and/or

career center assistants. We

hope to have something on the

calendar soon.

The Professional Development

committee continues to work

with KYACAC to coordinate a

joint drive-in workshop; we’re

looking at June 2013.

If any member of PCACAC

would like to pursue a specific

group and/or school system for

a drive-in workshop or profes-

sional development day, please

be in touch with Robyn Lady,

PD Committee Chair.

Given the success of the new

“Request for Proposal” for

Summer Institute bids, the PD

Drive-In Workshop Committee

is working on a similar opportu-

nity for institutions that wish to

host a drive-in workshop for the

2013-2014 year. Parameters are

being developed right now, so a

proposal form will soon be

designated to suit the needs of

the organization.

Finally, the Conference Plan-

ning Committee held an excit-

ing meeting in early November.

The online request for session

proposals worked really well;

all committee chairs are in

place, and the committee gener-

ated a lot of fantastic ideas for

an outstanding conference this

spring in Norfolk. We’ll see

you there!

Derek Jay DuBose, currently

Associate Director of Under-

graduate Admissions at George

Mason University, who begins

a new position at the Ohio State

University as Senior Assistant

Director of Admissions/

Enrollment Services in May

2013.

David Weiner, currently Direc-

tor of College Counseling at

Fredericksburg Academy, to

Asst. Director of College Coun-

seling at the Bullis School as of

summer 2013.

Page 8 The Anchor

Movers and Shakers

Professional Development 2013: Reflections and Looking Ahead Charter Lindley, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions, Randolph Macon College (VA)

2013 Summer Institute

July 22-23, 2013

George Washington University

July 24—Optional College Tour

Register now:

www.pcacac.org/summer-institute

Lou Hirsh, Chair of the PCA-

CAC Admissions Practices

(AP) Committee has been se-

lected to serve on the NACAC

AP Committee – Congratula-

tions, Lou!

As much of the college admis-

sions world knows, the ethical

principles that guide our profes-

sion are found in a 17-page

document with the mouth-

filling title of NACAC’s State-

ment of Principles of Good

Practice (http://

www.nacacnet.org/about/

Governance/Policies/

Documents/SPGP.pdf). We

call it “The SPGP” for short,

and NACAC members on both

sides of the desk agree to abide

by it as a condition of their

NACAC membership and their

membership in a NACAC af-

filiate.

While the SPGP outlines many

practices that are either required

or recommended, here are some

that are especially notable. (For

the benefit of any hard-core

SPGP enthusiasts, I have in-

cluded their SPGP section and

subsection numbers). The

SPGP says that colleges must

agree

-That they will “not require or

ask candidates or the secondary

schools to indicate the order of

the candidates’ college or uni-

versity preferences, except

under Early Decision” (II.B.2)

-That they will “permit first-

year candidates for fall admis-

sion to choose among offers of

admission, financial aid and

scholarships until May 1 and

will state this deadline explic-

itly in their offers of admis-

sion” (II.B.3)

-That they will “not offer exclu-

sive incentives that provide

opportunities for students ap-

plying or admitted Early Deci-

sion that are not available to

students admitted under other

admission options” (II.B.4)

-That they will “work with their

institutions’ senior administra-

tive officers to ensure that fi-

nancial aid and scholarship

offers and housing options are

not used to manipulate commitments prior to May

1” (II.B.5)

-That they will “establish wait

list procedures that ensure that

no student on any wait list is

asked for a deposit in order to

remain on the wait list or for a

commitment to enroll prior to

receiving an official written

offer of admission; written

notification may include mail or

electronic communica-

tions” (II.B.6)

-They will “state the specific

relationship among admission

and financial aid practices and

policies” (II.B.7) (For example,

is the college need-blind or

need-aware in its admission

decisions?)

-That they will “notify accepted

aid applicants of financial aid

decisions before the enrollment

confirmation deadline, assum-

ing all requested application

forms are received on

time” (II.B.8)

-They will “not knowingly offer

financial aid packages to stu-

dents who are committed to

attend other institutions, unless

the students initiate such inquir-

ies. Athletic scholarships,

which adhere to nationally-

established signing periods, are

a recognized exception to this

provision” (II.B.10)

-That they will “initially report

on all first-year admitted or

enrolled students, including

special subgroups in the report-

ing of test scores. If data on

subgroup populations are also

provided, clear explanations of

who is included in the subgroup

population will be

made” (II.B.11)

-That they will “not establish

any application deadlines for

first-year candidates for fall

admission prior to October 15

and will give equal considera-

tion to all applications received

by that date” (II.B.12)

I suspect that there are many

school counselors and even

some admissions officers who

are unaware that what I have

listed above are all mandatory

practices – that is, behavior that

all NACAC members must

observe. I also suspect that, in

their conversations with their

students, they have discovered

that there are colleges that fail

to comply with one or more of

them.

It also goes without saying that

most students and parents are

unaware that these standards

exist to protect them. Choosing

a college is a tough and bewil-

dering process. No student or

parent should have to contend

with unethical practices that

make a difficult process even

worse.

So what can you do when a

college fails to comply with the

SPGP? Your simplest and best

recourse is to contact the appro-

priate NACAC affiliate’s Ad-

missions Practices Committee

Chair. We do follow up on

every complaint that is lodged.

My counterparts in NACAC

affiliates and I , as well as our

National Admissions Practices

Committee, have one inflexible

rule for handling complaints:

we keep everything strictly

confidential. When we contact

an offending institution, we

never divulge who lodged the

Keeping Everyone Honest: Some Thoughts from

Your Admissions Practices Committee Chair Louis L. Hirsh, Chair, PCACAC Admissions Practices Committee and Retired Director of Admissions, University of Delaware

Page 9 The Anchor

complaint nor do we provide any

information that could lead that

institution to infer who lodged it.

Fortunately, in most cases, we

are able to resolve the problem

with a simple phone call. Often,

the culprit is miscommunication:

colleges are complex organiza-

tions, and it is not easy to ensure

that everyone is on the same

page.

If it can’t be resolved, then, yes,

there are penalties that can even-

tually lead to an college’s being

banned from participating in

NACAC-sponsored college fairs.

May I close with a special plea?

First, if you encounter what ap-

pears to be a violation of the

SPGP, please notify me

(louhirsh@udel.edu). If the

institution is located in our PCA-

CAC region, then my committee

will follow up on it. If it is in

another region, then I’ll see that

it is referred to my counterpart’s

Admissions Practices Commit-

tee.

Second, I also urge you to report

any practice that appears ethi-

cally dubious – even if you are

not sure that it is an SPGP viola-

tion. The SPGP is, itself, a liv-

ing document. The NACAC

Assembly has in its power the

right to spell out additional man-

datory and best practices. What

is not currently an SPGP viola-

tion may in time become one

because of a concern that you

and others have raised.

The beneficiaries will be the

students and parents we exist to

serve. Frankly, they could use

our help.

Delegate Sophocles requested

additional information concern-

ing the group’s suggestion for a

state-wide website for college

access information, which he

plans to take it to committee.

The group was also encouraged

to visit several offices to re-

quest support for an amendment

concerning the need for an in-

crease in school counselors.

The Virginia Dream Act, legis-

lation that would have allowed

children of illegal immigrants

to receive in-state college tui-

tion, has been introduced for

the past seven years only to die

in a House subcommittee. Dur-

ing the 2013 session, Delegate

Tom Rust (R-86), Delegate

Alphonso Lopez (D-49) and

Delegate Kory (D-38) all intro-

duced bills in the Virginia

House of Delegates this session

relating to in-state tuition privi-

leges for undocumented stu-

dents in the Commonwealth of

Virginia. Del. Rust also serves

in the capacity of Chairman of

the House Subcommittee on

Education. This year the

measure enjoyed bipartisan,

unanimous support in the

House Sub-Committee on Edu-

cation, and then passed the full

House Education Committee

with a 17-4 vote.

PCACAC GRC members

Shirley Bloomquist, Doug

Clark and Jayne Fonash met

with members and staff of the

House Education Subcommittee

on January 22; Jayne Fonash

spoke in support of the legisla-

tion at the January 29th sub-

committee meeting. PCACAC

GRC also worked with the

NACAC GRC staff to launch

an Action Alert to Virginia

members encouraging support

of the Virginia DREAM Act.

In late January the bill was

referred to the House Appro-

priations Committee, which

refused to hear it order for the

bill to get three readings on the

House floor by the crossover

deadline for legislation to move

Members of the PCACAC Gov-

ernment Relations Committee

participated in Advocacy Day

events in Maryland and Vir-

ginia during the 2013 Legisla-

tive Sessions. These efforts

represent a goal of the GRC to

increase state-level advocacy

efforts in our affiliate.

As an association dedicated to

improving college access for all

students, the Potomac and

Chesapeake Association for

College Admission Counseling

(PCACAC) is pleased that

Maryland voters approved the

November 2012 referendum on

the Maryland DREAM Act,

which was signed into law in

April 2011, as it helps undocu-

mented students pursue higher

education and become produc-

tive adults in the workforce by

providing clear, legal paths to

higher education and employ-

ment in the state.

PCACAC GRC members Aaron Alder, Matthew Herman,

Kathleen Richburg, and Samuel

Shoge met with Maryland legis-

lators in Annapolis on January

29. Advised by members and

staffers that there are already

plans to change the verbiage of

the Dream Act, they were pre-

pared to address the issue

thanks in part to support from

the NACAC Government Rela-

tions office which provided a

one-page handout summarizing

the importance of the DREAM

Act and the need to ensure ac-

cess to quality counseling, ade-

quate funding for the state

higher education system, and

support for students in the tran-

sition to post-secondary educa-

tion.

Additional topics discussed in

their appointments included the

role of school counselors as

related to school safety and

mental health initiatives, and

the need for easier access to

cost-of-attendance and financial

aid information for students

interested in Maryland schools.

from one chamber to the other

in the Virginia General Assem-

bly. In addition to support from

PCACAC, the coalition sup-

porting the bill expanded to

include chambers of commerce

in Arlington, Fairfax and

Reston, several colleges and

universities and community-

and faith-based organizations.

Legislators involved in this bi-

partisan effort are encouraged,

believe that this year’s support

will carry over to next year and

will only grow, and plan to

continue their efforts through-

out the coming year. The Ex-

ecutive Order in June known as

the Deferred Action for Child-

hood Arrivals, which allows

children of illegal immigrants

who meet certain criteria to

obtain work visas, helped gen-

erate support for this year's

proposal in Virginia.

PCACAC GRC members

joined affiliate GRC members

from around the country on

Monday March 4th for

NACAC’s Advocacy Day on

Capitol Hill. The PCACAC

delegation included Chloe

Rothstein, Sam Shoge, Aaron

Alder, Eileen Kropf, Doug

Clark, Carolyn Doyle and Jayne

Fonash. The delegation was

able to meet with staff repre-

senting the eight Senators for

our region as well as several

house staffers.

In an effort to strengthen and

expand our state and regional

GRC efforts, the PCACAC

GRC submitted an Imagine

Grant Proposal to secure addi-

tional funding hold the first

PCACAC Town Hall Meeting

in early October 2013. This

Town Hall Meeting will pro-

vide a forum for legislators and

college admission professionals

to share information and strate-

gies to support increased access

to higher education for our

students. Invited state lawmak-

ers will have an opportunity to

update PCACAC members on

state-level programs, policies

Maryland-Virginia Advocacy Days Jayne Fonash, Chair, PCACAC Government Relations Committee, Guidance Director, Academy of Science (VA)

The Anchor

And regulations that impact

the college counseling pro-

fession; educate PCACAC

members to become more

effective government rela-

tions leaders at the state

level; and provide a setting

for PCACAC members to

meet in state groups to iden-

tify and prioritize state is-

sues, and plan advocacy

efforts for 2013-14. The

proposal was approved in the

amount of $1,000; PCACAC

will provide matching funds

in the amount of $1,000. The funding will support

attendance of members from

the four states in our affiliate,

as well as “seed grant" fund-

ing to participants for use in

establishing advocacy efforts

in their home state.

Page 10

Page 11

Research and Publications Com-

mittee and the Technology Com-

mittee. This change impacts the

five different Articles of the By-

laws (Articles VIII, IX, X, XI, XII)

that reference the various Standing

Committees. A copy of the current

bylaws can be found on the PCA-

CAC website. Please feel free to

contact me if you have any ques-

tions. We will vote on the Bylaw

changes during the business meet-

ing on April 23, 2013 at our confer-

ence in Norfolk. Here is additional

detail on the Articles that will be

impacted by the change:

Article VIII Duties of the Offi-

cers

Section 5 d. lists the Standing

Committees that report to the Sec-

retary- we need to add Communi-

cations Committee and remove

Publications and Research, and

Technology.

Article IX Standing Committees

Section 1 provides an alphabetical

listing of the committees (we need

to add Communications Committee

(new item c.) remove the Publica-

tions and Research Committee and

Technology Committees (current

items m. and n.) The change will

also result in re-lettering the other

committees which are listed in

alphabetical order.

Article X Duties of the Commit-

tees

Section 1 provides a listing of the

committees and highlights their

At the fall PCACAC meeting

during the 2012 National Con-

ference in Denver, it was offi-

cially announced that PCA-

CAC’s bylaws were approved

by NACAC’s compliance com-

mittee. As NACAC continues

the work of approving all State

and Regional Bylaws, NACAC

has decided not to make any

new national bylaw changes

this year. While we do not

need to change to our bylaws

based upon NACAC policies,

we do need to make a change to

better reflect the operations of

our committees.

Over the past year, the Execu-

tive Committee, with approval

from the President’s Council,

created an ad hoc Communica-

tions Committee to coordinate

the print and electronic commu-

nications for PCACAC. Previ-

ously these duties were as-

signed to two separate Standing

Committees: Research and

Publications Committee and

Technology Committee. The

President’s Council recom-

mends the addition of the Com-

munications Committee as a

new Standing Committee with

the Research and Publications

Committee and Technology

Committee becoming sub-

committees of that committee.

This recommendation is rather

simple: add Communications as

a new Standing Committee in

the Bylaws and remove the

responsibilities. We need to add

Communications and remove

Publications and Research Com-

mittee and Technology Commit-

tee (current items m. and n.) New

item c. will read:

“Communications Committee

shall create, monitor and manage

the primary communications ven-

ues used by the PCACAC organi-

zation to promote events, activi-

ties and professional networking.

These include our web-

site, Anchor newsletter, Facebook

page and PCACAC E-list.” (This

addition will necessitate a change

in the lettering of the other com-

mittees which are listed in alpha-

betical order)

Article XI Executive Committee

Section 3 d. lists the committees

that report to the Secretary- we

need to add Communications

Committee and remove Publica-

tions and Research Committee

and Technology Committee

Article XII President’s Council

Section 1 f. designates which

standing committee chairpersons

are on the President’s Council.

We need to add new item 3. Com-

munications Committee and re-

move Publications and Research

Committee and Technology Com-

mittee (current items 12 and 13),

this change will also necessitate

the renumbering of the Standing

Committees which are listed in

alphabetical order.

Bylaws/Credentials Updates Scott Mayer, Chair, Associate Director of College Counseling, St. Christopher’s School (VA)

The Anchor

What’s Trending? That’s what we want to know from you! The Current Trends and Future Issues committee keeps an

ear to the ground and a finger on the pulse of the ever-changing world of college admissions. We

want you to tell us what trends you are seeing. Each month, we will post a new poll question on the

PCACAC Facebook site about a hot topic in the field. Keep an eye out for it, and weigh in with your

opinion. At the PCACAC Spring Conference, the CTFI committee will host a panel discussion to talk

about the poll responses and other important trends in college counseling and admission. We hope

you can join us and contribute to the conversation.