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Mentorship Match of the Year 2013
Rosa Reiber and Julie Nelson
Mentee: Rosa Reiber
Undergraduate Admissions Counselor
Concordia University Chicago
Why did you join the IACAC Mentorship Program?
At my first conference in 2012, I attended the Mentorship reception. At the reception, I felt welcomed into the association and had a chance to learn more about the Mentorship program. I had been looking for a way to get more connected in my career and to meet new people, and as a newbie starting out, I knew I could definitely use the advice and guidance that a mentor could offer. I was talking to Russell Harris and he learned that I didn’t yet have a mentor. He immediately introduced me to Julie Nelson and the rest is history.
How have you connected since you were matched?
Since Julie and I were matched, we have met for lunch, emailed back and forth during busy seasons, checked in on Facebook, etc. I was welcomed over to her house to meet and have dinner with her family. Since my whole family still lives in Florida where I am originally from, I very much appreciated and welcomed the time spent with her family!! Since we both LOVE musicals, that is something we have been able to bond over. We saw Cabaret, watched the Tony’s together, and an upcoming adventure before Fall travel begins is to see one of our favorite musicals, The Last 5 Years! I look forward to how our friendship will continue to grow over the years!
What have you learned from Julie?
If anyone knows Julie Nelson (and let’s be real, who doesn’t know Julie Nelson?!), one thing they will immediately notice about her is her confidence. She is able to be incredibly confident in her skills and abilities as a counselor, all the while remaining one of the most humble and genuine people I’ve met. Julie has taught me to trust myself and my abilities and to have the utmost confidence in who I am and what I can offer to my institution, to the profession, and to the families I work with on a daily basis. Sure, there will always be obstacles to overcome—being an admission counselor is hard work! However, because my confidence has grown over the past year, I have found a sincere passion for my work! Even the times that my confidence is shaken, I know I have not only Julie, but also many other unofficial mentors in the field who can help to get me on the right track again!
What advice would you give other members?
If you are not a mentor or a mentee, do it!! Like I mentioned in my speech at First Timer’s lunch this year, “We’re all in this together.” By becoming a mentor or mentee, or really by cultivating the relationships that are in front of you, you set yourself up nicely to never feel like you’re alone. Even when it’s the middle of Fall travel and you’re staying in a Hampton Inn by yourself in the middle of nowhere Illinois for the third consecutive week with zero cell reception and hardly any options for quality dining….you’re still not alone. There are people who have been there and done that and would love to come alongside you in your journey as a counselor. There is an extreme amount of comfort in that.
How has your membership in IACAC enhanced your professional development?
Attending Summer Institute right before my first Fall travel season started me off on a really good foot to begin developing in a professional sense. After spending those few days with other new colleagues and the Leaders of SI, I immediately felt connected to a profession that I kind of just fell into (who didn’t?!). Making those connections early on helped me to get better acclimated to what it takes to be a counselor and it was nice to know that I had already made connections of people I knew I could reach out to for help. Since then, I am proud to be starting a second year on the Mentorship Committee and will step up this year as the co-chair for the First Timer’s committee. It is wonderful to be recognized in the profession as someone people want to count on and I’m excited to take on the new challenges!
Mentor: Julie Nelson
Regional Recruitment Director
Xavier University
Why did you join the IACAC Mentorship Program?
When I first started in admissions, I was pretty much a rowboat on an ocean. My school was out of state, this was before the days that cellphones were ubiquitous, and I didn’t have a strong female role model in my office. I needed to connect on a professional level with someone who could explain exactly what I was supposed to be doing. As the years have progressed, I have been both a mentee and a mentor, and find I still have much to learn and teach. I know that I simply could not have been successful without the support of my mentors (both formal and informal), and I want to always be the person who supports our newest professionals, whether that’s by helping them sharpen their skills or just being a sympathetic ear. I pride myself on taking my job very seriously but not taking myself too seriously, so I always try (like Mary Poppins) to find the fun in any task I am assigned.
How have you connected since you were matched?
Rosa and I actually matched ourselves, on a recommendation from another colleague. We have much in common, so those first conversations were incredibly easy. We’ve met for lunch, talked on the phone, emailed back and forth, and found ways to connect on a personal level, too, whether by seeing movies and plays together, singing together at the First Timers luncheon, or simply hanging out. I feel blessed to have found her, and feel like we’ve been friends forever.
What have you learned from Rosa?
Rosa has rejuvenated the sense of awe I have always had about this job. In some small way, we affect the lives of every student we meet, whether they enroll at our institutions or not. Rosa and I share a common understanding that what we do ripples out to the greater community. In a lot of ways, my work ethic has improved by being Rosa’s mentor. Because she is so good at keeping her students in the forefront, I often find myself thinking that I need to continually do more or be better at making my phone calls.
What advice would you give other members?
Just do it. As much as your loved ones support you, they will never really understand exactly what we do day to day. Having a mentor or a mentee (or both) opens you up to different ideas, provides a sense of belonging, and hopefully, encourages you to see this profession as a career, not just a stop along the way.
How has your membership in IACAC enhanced your professional development?
IACAC has given me so many opportunities to let my light shine. Even in my first few years as an admission counselor, I felt that my opinion was valued, and regardless of how small or big the task I was assigned, my participation in IACAC committees served the greater good of the organization, and ultimately, the students we serve. I know I simply would not be the professional I am today without the encouragement and friendship I have found from the members of IACAC.