As we launch into a new school year, I hope your batteries are charged and ready to engage a new class. As college seekers begin the whirlwind that is their senior year, it is always wise to remember that this is their first time navigating the college search. With all of our experience and knowledge of what they will face this year, with our attempts to streamline or shortcut our processes, we should remind ourselves to engage these young people by matching their excitement and apprehension about this journey. Share in their ups and downs, their victories and defeats, as if it is the first time you have been a part of the process.
We too, as WACAC, will face a new journey this year and I have both excitement and apprehension about what lies ahead.
I want to thank the WACAC Board for their outstanding work this summer. Please take a minute to familiarize yourself with your 13 National Delegates, your 11 Committee Chairs, and the 4 Executive Board Members. WACAC is strong and has a lot to be proud of – we are a very active ACAC. Our over 2,200 members maintain a high level of activity throughout the year, and our new WACAC Profile will give a strong sense of how prolific we are.
We will soon announce that 2017 will mark the 50th anniversary of WACAC. We will take time to honor and reflect on the miles that previous WACAC leaders have logged to get us where we are today. And we will do our part to move forward the ideals of college access for all.
At this year’s summer retreat, we celebrated our different work styles, and we considered how teams assemble, grow and mature. We also set an ambitious agenda for the next year. Much of the activity will be to continue the amazing momentum and programming created by previous boards. In the next year, as we look to serve our Mission, and we set to implement our strategic plan, it is our hope that we fully engage all our members, and that we bring new members to the fold. We hope to courageously face new challenges, as we find new and better ways to harness the potential of what we can accomplish as an organization.
I look forward to WACAC standing strong and proud as we welcome the 2015 NACAC Conference to San Diego. The conference will be the largest in NACAC history and potentially could bring close to 7,000 to our region. It is so exciting to see over 1,100 WACAC members already registered for the 71st annual conference. It should give us all in the profession great pride that we may also see a record number of public high school counselors at the conference.
Here’s to an exciting year ahead!
Respectfully, Ed Devine
“All Journeys have a secret destination of which the traveler us unaware.” Martin Buber