In the Undergraduate Admissions Department, there was an unusual amount of commotion outside the door to Annabeth Williams’ office. They had arrived about the same time that I had. It was a young lady in red leading a family of five through the back room offices, with the mother eagerly asking rapid fire questions about chapel services and class scheduling while her high-school-aged son followed nervously with his hands in his pockets. As the student ambassador led them into the back offices, the voices faded away, and I remembered I was that same kid only three years back.
There will always be that one friend that decides to plant their feet in their hometown, declaring, “This is where I’m gonna raise my kids.” I’ll never understand it. Most people I know have told me they’re going to move to someplace new and exciting. But what’s even rarer is finding your first after-college position at the very same school you graduated from. This was the case with Williams, one of Union’s new undergraduate admissions counselors.
“My original plan was to go far away,” Williams said. She smiled and leaned back in her chair. “But that was not the Lord’s plan.”
That hit me hard. Every college student, freshman, senior or 5th year has some sort of envisioned dream about what comes after college. Whether that’s the ultimate dream job or the ideal state to live, each student tends to latch onto that vision and try to stick with the plan, until one day, the day comes when they walk the stage, only to find their feet being moved in a different direction.
Williams explained that after three years of serving as a student ambassador, the university approached her and asked if she was interested in a position in the admission’s department.
“I was not thinking about that at all,” Williams laughed. “I kind of had my plans and decided what I wanted to be doing, which was not this. But it was very clear that the Lord had other plans, and after lots of prayer, this was where I landed.”
Williams accepted the position as an undergraduate admissions counselor in June, only a little more than a month after graduation in early May. Although her work as a student ambassador was similar to the work she does now, Williams explained that the change was not smooth, despite the position’s similarities. Like all major transitions in life, there was a period of uncertainty and uneasiness in the early weeks of Williams getting accustomed to her new job. It got worse when she began to see students arriving on campus on move-in day.
“I think it is intimidating to transition right from being a student to a staff member because it’s a weird balance of, you know, well some of my best friends are still students here!” She said with a laugh. It was clear that she still wasn’t used to it.
Williams then explained how the process is much more complex than leading Union-interested families on tours around campus.
“Being an enrollment counselor is very different. There is lot of behind-the-scenes work that we do that I don’t think a lot of people understand. I’ve been learning every day.”
But Williams’ work doesn’t end on campus. Being part of student admissions involves a lot of travel, especially in the fall and winter months, which she describes as “enrollment seasons.” But Williams emphasizes that her job isn’t just looking for new folks to attend the next fall semester. It’s also a way to share the Gospel with families.
“This job is definitely a ministry,” Williams said earnestly. “I get the opportunity to share the Gospel with families and talk about the Lord and how He’s working here in my life and at Union.”
Listening to Williams talk about this unusual experience, I had to put myself in her shoes. Recently I revisited the high school I graduated at for an alumni celebration. Watching all of the younger kids running around with so much energy and commotion made me feel out of place and a little uncomfortable, despite the fact that I had been one of those same kids only a few years before. Then I imagined myself working at that school in the front offices, seeing my younger friends pass me by in the hallways and corridors.
But Williams explained that after those first weeks, she found that although it was strange, there was a wonderful sense of freedom watching her friends grow from an outsider’s point of view. For example, she can still go to Cobo or Barefoots with all of her friends like before, only this time, she is there to listen and support them as they finish out their own college career.
“It’s really cool to be in this position where I kind of get a front row seat to what they’re doing and what they’re leading in and what they’re a part of. And they get to tell me all about it!” Williams said with a warm smile. “I get to play a supporting role in what they’re doing and continue to celebrate them from a different perspective.”