By Rachel Williams, NACAC Communications

With the college admission counseling profession facing so many challenges, Angel B. Pérez, NACAC CEO, is sharing research-proven ways to integrate self-care and self-management into one’s professional life. This includes: 

  • Shift your mindset from work-life balance to work-life integration 
  • Put up guardrails or boundaries to make sure you’re making time for the things that are most important to you 
  • Manage your energy, not your time 
  • Find your flow by engaging in activities where you feel completely absorbed and joyful 
  • Use the mornings to set your intention for the day 
  • Shift your relationship to devices 
  • Normalize the delayed “yes” — taking time to reflect rather than immediately agreeing to something 

“The hardest person you’ll ever have to lead is yourself,” said Pérez. “If you don’t deal with yourself first, you won’t be able to give your best to anyone else.”  

Pérez presented this at NACAC’s annual Leadership Engagement and Development (LEAD) on July 17-19 in Arlington, Virginia. LEAD is the leadership development program for members of the Affiliate Presidents Council (APC), which includes presidents-elect, presidents, and past presidents from each of NACAC’s 23 affiliates. 

In addition to Pérez’s presentation, APC members heard from a panel of NACAC leaders about their own journey with self-care and self-management. Panelists included David Hawkins, chief education and policy officer at NACAC; David Burge, vice president for enrollment management at George Mason University and NACAC past president; and Tanya I. Garcia, vice president at The Institute for College Access and Success and an incoming NACAC appointed board member. 

Pérez will present on self-care at the upcoming Guiding the Way to Inclusion conference in New Orleans, and at NACAC Conference 2024 in Los Angeles, where the conference theme is The Courage Within.  

Beyond self-care, APC members heard from other NACAC leaders about the latest developments and resources within the association. Melanie Marquez Parra, NACAC’s chief communications officer, presented on NACAC’s new guiding principles for when the association will make a public statement. CJ Powell, NACAC’s director of advocacy, shared more on NACAC’s recent advocacy efforts and how NACAC is eager to support affiliate groups in their state-level advocacy. For instance, NACAC is available to help draft legislation and attend state Hill Days. APC members also heard from Hawkins and Art Coleman, managing partner at Education Counsel, about navigating DEI-related state legislation. 

For more on self-care from Pérez, listen to a recent podcast episode with Ethan Sawyer, the College Essay Guy, where they also discuss work-life integration and the future of college admission.