Alyson Leas
Director of Admissions / President
University of Jamestown, ND / Dakota ACAC
What drew you to the world of college admission counseling?
Like many of us “lifers,” admissions was supposed to be a six- to 12-month stop in the road. I knew I didn’t want to use my history education degree to teach in the school setting, so had started to work in museums. As much as I had a passion for history, I never felt fulfilled. Facts learned at the Museum of the Fur Trade weren’t going to change anyone’s life. When I started in admissions, thinking I was just in between museum gigs, it didn’t take me long to realize that the University of Jamestown (my alma mater) was something I was equally as passionate about. Better yet, sharing that passion was fun and fulfilling! Making the college process accessible, easy, and fun was making a visible difference. Add in the bonus of watching students grow throughout four years on campus and I’ve been hooked now for ten years!
What is your favorite part of the job?
I love that in admissions we offer both relief and realization. Relief to parents who are overwhelmed with the college process, realization to students who never thought they were college-bound. To be able to calm nerves and make the daunting college process any less terrifying is always a win.
How has NACAC played a role in your career?
The think the culture around admissions and enrollment on most campuses is that it is an entry-level job for all but the one-in-a-million who stay long enough to rise into management positions. Before I became involved in my affiliate, I had gotten to this point in my career at UJ that I didn’t have anything else to do. DACAC helped me refocus my career on a larger scale, seeing that there is work to do at many levels of college enrollment services. I have learned from colleagues, from workshops, and from travel several ways to expand my knowledge and career.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing our profession today?
At the risk of being inflammatory myself, I’m going to say inflammatory misinformation. If you have no background in higher education, it wouldn’t take more than 10 minutes online to convince you that every single college student has $100,000 in loan debt and no college graduate has gotten a job in five years. These numbers, so very far from the norm, nevertheless are steering students and families away before we even get a chance to explain financial aid and career services.
When you aren’t working, what do you like to do?
I love regional tourism! I am as happy driving to hike Devil’s Tower and explore state parks as I am driving to Stanley, ND, because they have the country’s last operating Whirla-Whip ice cream machine. Give me a World’s Largest _______ and I’ll probably end up with a selfie of it and recommendations for any breweries along the way.
What five words would you use to describe yourself?
Heather McGhee recently had the APC members do a High5 strengths test and I probably can’t get closer than it did: Storyteller, Deliverer, Winner, Philomath, Problem Solver. I know that’s technically six words, so go ahead and throw Rebel in there as well.
Published Nov. 4, 2024
