Earlier this week we were excited to interview our first SEM-EP graduate from outside of North America,
Candace Jesson, Director of Enrollment Management at the American University of Baghdad.
Beginning our interview with Ms. Jesson, we discussed her experience in higher education and enrollment management and how she found herself in the role.
So about 15-plus years ago I decided to switch careers and jump back into higher education because I'd had such a great experience at the university, from which I graduated...
So I started right from the bottom right, working my way up and had an incredible experience. First working with the Native American Studies Department, then I jumped into the international department in the Faculty of Business, and then just kind of went from there. After sending students around the world for several years, I decided it was time to get back out there and send myself.
So I jumped on board with the University of Calgary in Qatar and then also with College in the North Atlantic. And that kind of just set the rest of the path for being out here in the Middle East region.
Next, we discussed some of the unique perspectives and challenges involved with practicing enrollment management in her situation and what drew her to the SEM Endorsement Program.
What draws me to doing SEM out here in this region is that a lot of the universities I work for are in developmental phases. So it's an opportunity to build. A challenge that is unique to being out here is how do you build when you're trying to blend a local culture and context with a foreign style of education, whether it be Canadian or American. How do you make both of those work? Because a lot of times they do not line up with each other. And so that it's always exciting to deal with.
(Regarding SEM-EP) I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to see if I had been staying abreast of all the recent information, all of the articles, and what everybody else was doing. Because when we spend so much time overseas, you start to wonder if you are staying current, what's happening back home? And this was a great opportunity to put myself to the test.
SEM-EP was also an opportunity to connect with peers and see the incredible stuff that they were doing and look at these problems in a different way. So it was a great opportunity to keep learning.
Closing the interview I asked whether the SEM-Endorsement Program met her expectations, Ms. Jesson replied.
It met all of my requirements. It's a competitive admission process, and takes effort to get into the program. But it didn't disappoint in the sense that I had enough knowledge and understanding that I could bring my own examples and I can bring my own circumstances into the discussions.
I could test it against what I was reading and wonder "Could this work here? Why doesn't it work here? " And then at the same time, I got infused with the energy of the accomplishments of some of the other people inside these sessions and school visits, because hearing some of their accomplishments really rejuvenates your drive.
Are you interested in strategic enrollment management? Explore our SEM-Endorsement Program page and learn more about the course, badge, and how you can enroll.