Colleagues in our profession are like relatives you only see once or twice a year. When we do finally get together, the conversation flows as if it never stopped. We share stories, we share feelings, and we share the common bond of being in a challeng- ing and meaningful field. In San Diego in 2015, I felt like I officially joined the NACAC familia, if you will, as I attended my first NACAC conference. My New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling (NJACAC) family was the catalyst to finding my now extended family and friends at the national level. I was the baby of the family then, with only five years of experi- ence, but I continued to attend my annual regional affiliate conference and the NACAC conference, and in that time, I grew up. I eventually went on to become president of my
regional affiliate and no longer was the baby of the family. It has been my pleasure to serve as a leader to a new generation, and to help them find the same sense of joy and community in our work that I have found. Even with all the challenges that affect our profession, there is no work I would rather do. It’s true that the challenges we face can feel daunt- ing, but every year I am thankful to attend professional develop- ment conferences, including the annual NACAC conference, where I am reminded of the strength and spirit of our community. The NACAC conference has helped me bounce back at times when I found myself questioning why I was still in this field. The energy I felt around my extended higher education family at that first NACAC conference in 2015 — I still feel today. Learning from the
experiences of others is refreshing and empowering. Students are the reason we do this work, but the strength of this community is what enables us to do it. Let’s lean on one another; sup- port each other. As we get into the annual conference swing, be present with one another. Be present in the conversations that will take place — some easy and others, perhaps a lit- tle more difficult — but together, we are better. And together, we can face the challenges ahead. Carlos Cano is director of under- graduate admissions at the Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ) and an ACAC College Fairs Coordinators SIG co-leader.
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