I recently attended the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) National Conference in Baltimore. Over 5000 high school counselors, college admission professionals, independent counselors and exhibitors attended. Over the course of four days, I was able to connect with hundreds of professionals who are committed to helping students gain knowledge and information and navigate the often rocky or overwhelming transition to college.
I attended my first NACAC National Conference in late September 2001 in San Antonio, TX. Yes, right after 911 I flew to Texas. Even though the attendance was drastically reduced, I was none-the-less hooked. Why you ask? The opportunity to network with thousands of colleagues from all over the world, to attend presentations facilitated by talented and knowledgeable professionals and to learn about the latest trends and issues in the profession are key reasons why attending the National Conference is critical to my success as a school counselor. In addition, many counselors take advantage of the numerous college tours in the surrounding area offered before, during and after the conference.
Okay, so call me a conference geek, but attending a professional development opportunity like a national conference is like no other. Many of my peers are either resistant to or unable to get out of their offices for such things. It baffles me as to why this would be the case. Yes, I understand that attending such an event can be a financial challenge when budgets have been severely limited and many counselors have lost their jobs. There is also a burden for the school counseling office when someone is out for multiple days at a time. No one fills in to do my job when I am out, unlike a substitute teacher who is hired when a teacher is out. Others may argue that students suffer as a result of my being out as they will have to wait to see me, unless of course it is an emergency. Still others are just not conferences goers.
I would argue that I am a better school counselor as a result of my presence at the conference. The cutting edge information that I receive, relationships that I develop with colleagues on both sides of the admission desk across the world and product updates are irreplaceable and in fact allow me to give my students an edge over their peers in other schools in which counselors do not attend. Yes my students may not get an immediate answer to a question when I am out, but I feel they benefit more by what I bring back to them.
Professional development conferences also allow me to grow as a professional and give my school some much needed attention that it is often lacking. Monson High School is on the map because I attend a national conference. Additionally I often present sessions about issues that affect school counselors. In Baltimore I presented about resources that can help school counselors improve their services and how to use data to improve their college counseling programs, both topics which have relevance and direct impact on student success. As a result of my presentation, I obviously have had to do research which helps me grow professionally.
On a more personal level, national conferences also give me an opportunity to connect with friends whom I have met at previous conferences. I may only see these associates just once a year at the conference, but the friendships and relationships are crucial to making the conference more than just learning about what is new in my profession.
So what did I learn in Baltimore? There were no real hot button topics this year. Standardized testing and colleges going test optional are still a buzz for some. Others were focused on the economy and how students will be able to afford higher education. But the tried and true sessions such as finding a college for the B/C student or using technology to develop “the list” are still big draws.
Next year I will be in St. Louis, September 30 – October 2. I’ll figure out some way to pay for it and yes, my students will miss me for a couple of days, but they will survive just like they did this year and undoubtedly will be better because I was there. Will I see you there?
