9.29.04

From left, Kimberly Fober and Amy Simpson are the two newest members of the Admissions team

Planning Admissions events with a mission in mind

The newest member of the Erskine College Admissions staff joins a team whose mission begins with "representing Erskine College accurately," and she fulfills her duties as admissions coordinator for campus events with that mission in mind.

"The admissions office basically deploys human billboards for the college," said Kimberly Fober, who joined the staff this past summer. "Our mission is to be ready constantly to represent Erskine the very best we can and as honestly as possible."

Fober, a 2004 graduate of Agnes Scott College, only recently relinquished the role of college student herself, and she uses that experience in her new position. Her job entails scheduling both private visits and weekend admissions events, and she said she is using her organizational skills and other talents as she learns more about the college admissions process.

"I have to keep things super organized or I'll have people visiting next November instead of next week," said Fober, whose bachelor's degree is in business and economics. "I have relied heavily on my people skills as well."

"It is very important to our recruiting efforts that these events both large and small be well planned," Director of Admissions Bart Walker said. "We are excited to have Kimberly on our staff."

High school students and their parents are gathering information to make a potentially life-changing decision when they attend college admissions events, and Fober does her best to make their Erskine  visit a productive one.

"Nervous parents and seemingly indifferent students can calm down and get excited, respectively, when they have a great experience with the people they encounter," she said.

The first impression a prospective student gets from contact with an admissions counselor is important, Fober said, and she sees her role as supplementing and supporting the work of the counselors.

"My job serves to detail the students' perception of Erskine, adding those touches here and there that can add up to an experience that convinces them to enroll," she said.

In addition to scheduling visits and events, Fober helps manage the Erskine Ambassadors, student volunteers who assist with admissions tours and events.

A mission statement for Erskine admissions, posted in the office, calls not only for "emulating Christ in the pursuit of knowledge joined with morals" but also spells out the goal of attracting, recruiting and admitting "high-caliber students who, by possessing the ideals of Erskine, demonstrate the potential to excel."

For Fober, this means looking for a good fit. "We want to find those students who genuinely need to be here, who would thrive in this environment," she said.

The working environment at Erskine is a happy one for the Hartsville native, who grew up in Gray Court and enjoys the small community of Due West.

"The pace of life is just right, and it is so nice to have green spaces around," she said. "I really like the fact that I am still in a college atmosphere — students and the constant activity keep things exciting.

"I am so glad to be here, and I thank God for the opportunity to be part of this community."

Fober's fellow staff members include the next newest member of the admissions team, Amy Simpson of Greenwood, a 1999 Erskine graduate who came on board in January as a part-time data entry clerk.  The mother of a 16-month-old son, she juggles her job with the demands of marriage and motherhood. "This gives me a great opportunity to be back in a place I love and to be able to do my most important job — being a mama," she said.

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