Interview with John Franklin

Q. How long have you been working in admissions here at Grace?

I have been working for 4 ½ months in Admissions at Grace

Q. What is your favorite part about the job?

My favorite part is the personal interaction with the prospective students. I love having a positive impact on kids and I enjoyed my experience at Grace College, so this is a perfect combination of those two!

Q. What do you do for leisure?

Play-watch-discuss sports and spend time with family/friends

Q. Are you currently reading any books? If so, what?

I have to admit that the only thing I usually read is an ESPN or Sports Illustrated magazine J. But my favorite book is Mere Christianity by CS Lewis!

Q. What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your life?

Trying to live out my favorite passage of the Bible, which is Eccl 7:13-14a: “Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other…” We must understand that ultimately God is in control. No matter the fun or the tough times, He has a purpose for it all. Too many times in our finite minds we think we know what should be going on, and yet we don’t see the Big Picture. Nice to know we can rest-assured in His hands.

Interview with Matt Little

Another one of my great friends and co-workers! I so enjoy working with Matt and he brings great life and laughter to the office.

Q. How long have you been working in admissions here at Grace?

About one year. However, I also worked as a Student Ambassador for three.

Q. What is your favorite part about the job?

2 come to mind first: 1) The people! The students we’re welcoming to Grace, the students already at Grace, my fellow Admissions workers- all of them are incredible. I look forward to coming to campus just so I can interact with them day after day. 2) The opportunity I have to make the college search process easier on families. I remember the stress and anxieties that I felt when I was looking. Serving a family in order to lessen these challenges is incredibly rewarding.

Q. What do you do for leisure?

I love nature, I love the arts, and I love (most) people, so anything involving one of these three is leisure for me: a walk through the woods, watching an old film, going to a coffee shop with friends, etc.

Q. Are you currently reading any books? If so, what?

2 actually: Desiring God by John Piper and Leading with a Limp by Dan Allender.

Q. What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your life?

So many memories of shared wisdom come to mind. It’s almost impossible to choose. However, one morsel of truth that made a huge impression on me in college, and still impacts me today, is the following statement by Alan Redpath:

“"There is nothing- no circumstance, no trouble, no testing- that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has come past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift my eyes to Him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing for my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will ever cause me to fret, for I shall rest in the joy of what my Lord is."

Interview with Jenn Gaylor

Jenn is one of our delightful admission counselors here at Grace ( and I love working with her!). Here's a little bit about her....

Q. How long have you been working in admissions here at Grace? I have been working in admissions at Grace for 1 year.

Q. What is your favorite part about the job?

I really enjoy the incredible team I get to work with and being a part of impacting students through their journey of choosing a college.

Q. What do you do for leisure? Where to start : ) I enjoy spending time with my husband and dog Bruiser, running, boating, shopping, conversation with friends over a great cup of coffee, movies….just to name a few things.
Q. Are you currently reading any books? If so, what? Currently reading: Good to great, Cold Tangerines, Pagan Christianity, 10 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, and Romans (oh gosh…just realized I need to finish these, lol)
Q. What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your life? Make sure you always have Home Field Advantage! You will not be successful in life, if you are not “winning at home”.

Quiet Office

I don't know if it's as quiet as Cara mentioned below. Earlier today I heard alot of laughs when someone poured a portion of their bottled water into my shoe...the shoe that one of our fabulous admissions counselors untied.

Perhaps it's quiet, but there is some mischief going on in the admissions office these days. But it's all in good humor as the admissions team continues to recruit great students for the Fall. I predict it is going to be an exciting summer and a good Fall with hundreds of new students attending Grace.

Christmas and Parties!!

I love all the holiday and the parties that go on. Even if you see people on a regular basis, it is still fun to get together and just laugh and relax. This is a picture of some of the admission staff at our office party last Friday night. The highlight of the evening was the white elephant gift exchange - where do people come up with their gifts? Of course some people had brought a nice gift which everyone fought over. I think I walked away with the prized worst gift award! Merry Merry Christmas! Hope all your white elephants are full of laughs!