Look out, U.S.A.! Union’s newest enrollment counselor, Karla Whitmore, may be coming to an academy near you.
Whitmore comes to Union from Upper Columbia Academy in Washington, where she worked as an administrative assistant. Her first encounter with Union College took place when she attended AcroFest last fall. She was so impressed with the campus that she looked up Union’s job board to see what positions were available. Finding an enrollment counselor position that fit her interests, she applied — and the rest is history.
“The thing I enjoy most about being an enrollment counselor is guiding the kids to get to their end goal,” Whitmore said. “I want to make registration and move-in day the most seamless process ever, which means I’m working with students ahead of time to get all the things done.”
Whitmore will be traveling to academies across the country to recruit students to Union and help them with the application process. She said, “I get to meet new kids at each new school and to see parts of the U.S. that I’ve never visited before. I’m looking forward to it.”
Whitmore and her husband, Curtis, have been married for over 20 years. They have two children: Russell and Chloe. Russell is starting his journeyman career to become an electrical lineman, and Chloe is currently a senior at Upper Columbia Academy.
In their free time, the couple enjoys gardening, walking and exploring the area on their Harley-Davidson motorcycles. “You can smell so much on the bike,” said Whitmore. “The grass, the rain coming, the freshly-worked fields, all smell incredible.”
Whitmore, who is from Alberta, says that the open skies of Nebraska feel very familiar. “Nebraskans and the people at Union are some of the friendliest people we’ve met. They’re just overall welcoming — at the churches we’ve visited, the staff at the university, even the people in the grocery store.”
By Annika Cambigue
English and Communication major