Admission Counselors Reflect on Belonging and Resilience at NACAC's Final Session
At the closing main-stage event of NACAC Conference 2026 in Minneapolis, admission counseling professionals and a University of Minnesota student described personal struggles, successes, and hopes. Speakers emphasized that both students and counselors need belonging, growth, independence, and chances to contribute. One consultant recounted experiencing discrimination and later finding support among colleagues, while a community college admissions director described helping a student pursue college despite weak academic metrics.
At NACAC's 2026 closing main-stage session in Minneapolis, Randy Stamm framed the Circle of Courage—belonging, growth, independence, contribution—as needs shared by students and counselors. Myra Castro recalled a college racial slur and later workplace exclusion, then credited colleagues with sustaining her; she invoked bayanihan, a Filipino tradition of communal effort.
Marquez Young described guiding Robert, whose grades and ACT score made direct admission unlikely, through two years at Sinclar Community College before transferring to North Carolina A&T, where he graduated in December. Alyson Leas recounted continuing recruitment after fire destroyed key University of Jamestown facilities, using team autonomy to proceed.
This closing session may resonate with admissions counselors and students who navigate belonging and resilience. By spotlighting nontraditional pathways and community support, it could encourage practitioners to look beyond grades and test scores and help students see new options. It may also prompt institutions to consider how workplace belonging affects counselor retention and student support. Yet conference storytelling alone may not shift policy or resources; its influence could depend on whether attendees translate these themes into local practice.