By Autumn Walden, Editor, AACRAO Connect, Content Strategy Manager, AACRAO
The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers opened its 110th Annual Meeting in Seattle with a powerful, emotional, and profoundly inspiring keynote by Paralympic Team USA champion Lex Gillette—leaving a packed audience of over 1,700 higher education professionals on their feet in a standing ovation.
Before Gillette took the stage, attendees were welcomed by AACRAO President Kristi Wold-McCormick, who declared the meeting officially open. Her message encouraged participants to connect, reflect, and invest in their professional growth. She honored first-time attendees, student participants, international guests, and the many volunteers who make the annual meeting possible.
The plenary session also celebrated the 100th anniversary of AACRAO’s flagship publication, College and University (C&U) Journal. Editors Christopher Tremblay and Heather Zimar reflected on a century of publishing thought leadership and research. A video traced the journal’s evolution from its origins as The Bulletin of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars in 1925 to the respected publication it is today. In a surprise recognition, Zimar was honored for her 23 years of service as managing editor, having edited more than 700 articles across 73 issues.
Following a video tribute to this year’s AACRAO award winners, the spotlight turned to Lex Gillette, a five-time Paralympic Team USA medalist and the current world record holder in the long jump for totally blind athletes.
Gillette captivated the audience with his deeply personal story of losing his sight at age eight due to recurring retinal detachments—and learning to navigate a world he could no longer see. With the support of his mother, who taught him independence and resilience, Gillette embraced a new reality and began building a vision that had nothing to do with physical sight.
He recounted how a teacher of the visually impaired introduced him to the long jump and taught him to track his strides by listening to a guide clap and call out directions. “That was absolutely frightening to me. Running as fast as you can, not being able to see anything at all, and having to trust someone else,” Gillette said.
Throughout his talk, Gillette emphasized the distinction between sight and vision. “When you have a vision, you're able to see beyond your current reality. You're able to see what it is that you can do, where you can go, and who you can become,” he said.
He connected his experiences to the work of AACRAO members, likening their role to that of his track guide—offering direction, structure, and support to help students take flight. “You're providing that direction, providing the cues, empowering others, motivating others, inspiring others,” he said.
By the end of his remarks, attendees were visibly moved. The standing ovation that followed wasn’t just for Gillette’s athletic achievements—it was for the clarity, conviction, and humility with which he taught everyone in the room to “see” differently.
Thanks to Lex Gillette, attendees were reminded of the power of purpose, the resilience of the human spirit, and the impact of community. As Gillette said, “Just because you can’t see success ahead doesn’t mean it’s not there.”