On May 1-3, 2022, 45 Admissions Counselors attended the Lutheran Schools Admissions Summit at Lutheran West in Rocky River, Ohio. It was the first event of its kind. Lutheran West had the idea and contacted Michigan District, LCMS Superintendent of Schools Travis Grulke on the feasibility of hosting such an event. Grulke offered ideas and support and the Michigan District, along with several others, contributed with some funds to help cover costs. This ensured that attendance was free; participants only had to pay for their travel and hotel stay.
The focus of the summit was on networking and collaboration through presentations and roundtable discussions. Keynote speakers were Dr. Ryan Bredow, Assistant Vice President at Grand Canyon University; Jon Bahr, Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing at Spring Arbor University; and Charlene Coughlin, President of TWIST Creative.
There were 45 people in attendance, many from the Midwest but some from as far away as Washington state. Of the 45 participants, 15+ were from Michigan.
Rachel Potts, Admissions Counselor at St. Paul, Ann Arbor, was one of the participants. She shares: “It was a great experience! The speakers were fantastic, it was nice to share time talking with everyone, and the food was great.” She adds, “I think one of the things that was most exciting about this conference was hearing that many Lutheran schools are growing and expanding.”
The event was such a success that the organizers hope to repeat it on an annual basis going forward. Next year’s event may be hosted in Milwaukee.
Photo courtesy of Rachel Potts
