Rachel Southern
Associate Director of Regional Admission
Franklin & Marshall College (PA)
What drew you to the world of college admission counseling?
When I was in college, my dorm “resident fellow” (an adult who lives in the dorm) was an admission officer. I thought that her job sounded fascinating. Then I worked with the dean of admission on the annual play and that reinforced my belief. The process of forming an interesting class, thinking about what each person will add to the environment, always ignited my interest.
What is your favorite part of the job?
Getting out into the world and meeting young people. I love seeing the culture at each of the high schools and meeting both the students and the counselors. It’s fun to see what the students are wearing, what they are saying, what they are doing, and what they care about.
How has NACAC played a role in your career?
When I was a new counselor, my dean felt that it was very important to get involved and participate in both NACAC and our regional ACAC. By attending the conference as a young professional, I was able to make so many connections, many that I still have to this day. This feeling of community and connection has really stuck with me. The idea that we are all in this together and that we all care about students first, holds us together and energizes us. Other organizations, I think, are more individualistic — what can the organization do for me? This one, I think, is more: What can the organization do for US or for the STUDENT.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our profession today?
There are so many challenges right now. It’s hard to pick the “biggest” one — they will all impact us immensely, but in different ways. I do think that the eroding of the public’s faith in higher education is possibly the root of these challenges (i.e., if the public had faith in higher ed, then they wouldn’t be threatening academic freedom, cutting research funding, threatening endowments, etc.). People are trying to fundamentally change higher education to address this crisis in faith, and I don’t believe that the changes are going to improve the system. As is the case in so many instances, the people making the laws are not the people involved in the institutions affected, and their understanding of the impacts of their laws is often very poor.
When you aren’t working, what do you like to do?
I love to cook, hang with my dogs and my husband/extended family, and practice my Swedish by watching Nordic Netflix shows.
What five words would you use to describe yourself?
Passionate, enthusiastic, analytical, concerned, and warm.
Published Jan. 26, 2016