Brandon Mack
Founder/Owner
B.Mack Strategies, LLC (TX)
What drew you to the world of college admission counseling?
I am a proud first-generation college student. I didn’t receive much encouragement or guidance when I applied to college. College was a liberatory experience for me. I learned so much about the world and myself. I wanted to help other students see the world of possibilities that can come through education.
What is your favorite part of the job?
I like working with students and families to understand the process and find out about amazing places they didn’t initially consider. I like seeing the transformation of students and their families as they go through this process. The students become more independent, and the parents become more trusting of their students’ independence.
How has NACAC played a role in your career?
NACAC has kept me in this profession, especially being a part of Guiding the Way to Inclusion (GWI) and the Antiracist Education Institute. NACAC is a community of passionate professionals. Every time I attend GWI I am surrounded by a community of passionate people who want to close educational gaps; create new educational opportunities; and improve the college admissions process and profession, especially for historically marginalized people. I have learned so much from my colleagues through my connection with NACAC via conferences and being part of this community.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our profession today?
One of our profession’s biggest challenges today is the attacks against diversity, equity, and inclusion within various state legislatures. The letters are in the wrong place. Diversity is the outcome. Equity has to come first, and we must recognize that these policies are creating equity for people who have given so much to this country, society, and institutions. These policies are forcing people to confront their discomfort with history, and rather than make changes to improve conditions for everyone, they would instead stop those efforts. This impacts our students and us as professionals as we evaluate our own place and space within these institutions and it forces us to confront whether our workplaces fully support all of us or only parts of us. We give so much of ourselves to this profession, and often, it is not reciprocated in terms of pay and benefits. So, if we are not going to be compensated, we need to be treated extra-right. If both are not present, then why should we stay? We are leaving this profession because we are tired of being abused by institutions that do not care about us through their policies and procedures. Changes need to be made not only for our students but also for us.
When you aren’t working, what do you like to do?
I am an activist, organizer, and all-around angelic troublemaker. If I’m not working, I am engaged in activism related to racial justice, LGBTQ+ issues, and education. I love movies, theater, and all forms of the arts. I also love spending time with my friends and family.
What five words would you use to describe yourself?
Unapologetically all of my intersections.
Published June 17, 2024