Featuring:

Heath Einstein
Recruitment Coordinator at Oklahoma State University

How did you first become involved with TACAC?
I moved to Texas in 2008 from New York where I had served on the New York State ACAC board. I knew the best way to engage professionally was to join TACAC. It so happens that a role as government relations co-chair was open and so I jumped at the opportunity to put my public policy degree to use.

What inspired you to pursue a career in your field and what do you enjoy most about your career choice?
Like many, I fell into this career more than pursued it. As a campus tour guide and admissions intern, I loved connecting with prospective students and sharing my experience. In much the same way, what I most enjoy now is mentoring younger professionals who may be at a crossroads between whether this is a job or a career.

How has being a TACAC member been beneficial to you and your career?
In addition to learning industry best practices, TACAC membership helped me forge meaningful and lasting relationships. Many in our organization are those I consider dear friends, people I can count on for more than just professional advice.

What do you think are the most important qualities for success to you and your career?
The qualities that most directly impact my success (to the extent that I've had any) include servant leadership, empathy, positive energy, humility, and open communication.

How do you think you impact and inspire students?
My goal in any interaction with students is to make them feel more confident in the college search process than before the conversation started. I often (attempt to) use humor as a way to break the ice since I'm now the age of our students' parents whereas when I started, I was just a few years older.

How do you stay current and informed in your field?
I spend a lot of time reading trade publications (InsiderHigherEd, The Chronicle of Higher Education, etc.), on social media, and talking to counterparts to stay abreast of industry trends.

What are some of the biggest trends or developments that you are seeing in your field?
FAFSA, AI, changes in privacy laws that affect student search, fallout from the SCOTUS decision, and the "enrollment cliff" are a handful of issues that impact our work on a daily basis.

How do you balance work life and personal life?
I have learned through trial and error to set firm boundaries with my time so that my friends and family do not feel like I'm distant when we are together. I give 100% at work and 100% at home. I never want to look back and wonder what I've missed because I was reading an email during one of my kids' activities.

What are your future aspirations for your career?
I started a new role in May. During the search process I mentioned how strange it is that it might be the last interview I ever have. Of course, I hope to have many productive professional years left and so I don't know if that's actually true. However, I haven't thought about what comes next aside from excelling in my current role at TCU. We are at the early stages of a new strategic plan and so there is still much to accomplish here.

Prior Member Spotlights

Ann Marano
Crystal Riles
Roquee Forson
Toni Chandler
Kriston Burroughs
Ally Landis
Crystal Riles
Kasey Kerlick
Mandy Marchesini
Heath Einstein
Allie Brown