Stacey Cunitz
Director of College Counseling
The Crefeld School (PA)
What drew you to the world of college admission counseling?
I believe that all students should have the opportunity to approach college choice from a place of integrity, strength, and confidence. I love helping students and their families approach the application process with a sense of excitement and curiosity about building a plan that will increase their opportunities in the world and lead to a greater sense of self.
What is your favorite part of the job?
It’s hard to choose! On the one hand, I really love helping students to find unusual colleges that they never knew existed. But probably my favorite part is helping students with their college essays. Helping students to write (and often re-envision) their own stories can be such a powerful experience. I love the part when they look at the final product and know that they have shared themselves in a way that feels empowering and authentic.
How has NACAC played a role in your career?
Being part of NACAC, and especially committee service, has introduced me to people that I otherwise would never have had the opportunity to meet. Working alongside people from different institutions in different roles and in other parts of the country/world has allowed me to develop a greater understanding of the challenges colleagues and students face on a more national, and even global, level. Whether it’s through the NACAC Exchange, the national conference, or email communications and webinars, NACAC keeps me up to date on current trends, opportunities for advocacy, and the most effective ways to help my students. For me, my memberships in NACAC and PACAC are symbiotic and each one has helped me grow as a professional. My experiences in NACAC helped prepare me to take on the role of president of PACAC.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our profession today?
Affordability and equity. A college education should help students from all backgrounds to increase their opportunities and live lives that enrich their families and communities. Student debt, food insecurity, and trying to juggle full-time work and full-time school all work against these goals. All students deserve to have their own experiences reflected in their education, as well as the freedom to fully engage in college and make the most of the experience without worrying about how to pay for it.
When you aren’t working, what do you like to do?
I love spending my free time with my family and friends and if that can happen on a beach, even better! I am also an avid knitter (not compatible with the beach) and I love to read.
If you could be any fictional character, who would it be and why?
I would love to have the brilliance of Christina Yang (Grey’s Anatomy), the bravery and empathy of Lauren Olamina (Parable of the Sower), and the audacity of Roy Kent (Ted Lasso).
Published Sept. 12, 2022