Good Morning!
My name is Lewis and I just got done recruiting and developing relationships with schools, prospective students and families in Malaysia. I’m headed to China tomorrow morning and I finally had some to work on my blog entry. I was a graduate of Albion College in 2002. I majored in International Studies and minored in Francophone studies. The skills I developed at Albion are sure paying off in my new line of work. I think I have the coolest job at the college but it’s not all fun and games. I usually have 4 schools visit’s a day and a three to four hour college fair every other day. Moreover, I am in one country or city for only couple of days, sometimes two before I pack up all my bags and materials and move to the next.
Sometimes I am on my own and other times I am with others colleagues in the same field. We are all on the same mission to recruit bright talent from overseas. At the end of the day, we are all committed to help students succeed in their collegiate application process.
When I get spare time, I try to visit local spots to try to learn more about the culture and customs. I feel doing this, helps me relate better to prospective students.
Lewis Cardenas Talking with Prospective International Students
The best part of my job is meeting with prospective students and their families. Sending a son or daughter to study overseas is sometimes daunting but it makes me happy to help ease families by answering their questions as thoroughly as possible.
Last night I met a family at a college fair and their 9th grader who was in an American School System in Kuala Lumpur. They were preparing their college search much earlier than most families but I applauded them for their early start. After talking with the family, I was able to ask the 9th grader what he wanted to study. He said he was interested in business and art and his eyes lit up when he opened up the Albion brochure and picture book. I began to tell him about the opportunities available and what some of our recent graduates and current students have accomplished in both areas. I think I’ll be hearing from the family for the next couple of years.
Another student was looking for a graduate program in Psychology and although she had waited in line for 15 minutes, I was still was able to advise her in picking the right graduate school. She ended up stopping by at the end of the fair to thank me for taking time to help her, even though she saw how busy I was.
It’s been a pleasure spreading my Albion Experience across the globe and I’m really excited about the possibility of larger numbers of international students and Americans Living Abroad attending Albion College next year. Our international students and Americans who were living abroad contribute to the vibrant diversity of our student body. I am so lucky to be part of that mission.
Bio
Lewis Cardenas is the Associate Director for International Student Recruitment here at Albion College. Lewis grew up in Jackson, Michigan. Lewis says that he would eat a bowl full of live crickets for $40,000 if they were oven baked and topped with hot sauce. In his adventurous travels Lewis has eaten Emu and Kangaroo in Australia, Porcupine in Cameroon, and Guinea Pig in Peru with plenty of hot sauce!