Caroline Bequette, an admissions advisor at Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC), was recently named president-elect of the Kansas City Collegiate Admissions Professionals (KCCAP). Her term as vice president began on July 1, and will conclude at the end of June 2022.
Bequette joined KCCAP soon after she started at CUKC in 2018. While she has held committee positions in the organization, this is her first time holding an office. Nevertheless, she is pleased that her colleagues believe so strongly in her abilities.
“I feel honored to serve as president-elect, since I was nominated and elected by my peers,” Bequette said. “Coming from a smaller institution, and being newer to higher education, it feels great to know that my growth as a recruiter and a leader has been noticed since I joined the group. It makes me excited to serve and to help KCCAP reach new goals over the next two terms.”
KCCAP is comprised of those working in higher education, primarily in the Kansas City region. It offers a variety of informational opportunities and professional development resources to a broad range of organizations, businesses, and corporations that seek to promote diverse learning.
“The mission of KCCAP is to serve potential postsecondary students, human resource professionals, and our membership, with a commitment to provide information about higher education opportunities in the Kansas City metro area that are developed with the working adult in mind,” Bequette said.
Bequette recruits students for all academic degree programs at CUKC, but her primary focus is on the College of Health Sciences. Being affiliated with a group like KCCAP broadens the audience of potential students and increases name recognition for CUKC and its programs.
After the disruption caused by the coronavirus, many groups and organizations are still trying to return to a regular routine, and KCCAP is no different. But with a fresh start after the pandemic, Bequette anticipates a busy upcoming year for KCCAP.
“Our main focus for the 2021-22 year will simply be getting back out in the community and holding education fairs now that places are opening back up,” Bequette said. “We did a few virtual events last year, but this year we hope to reconnect with the businesses we’ve served in years past, and start getting in front of prospective students again. We also have goals to eventually set up a scholarship fund for students in Kansas City, so that will definitely be a priority during the 2022-23 term.”
Bequette said working with other recruiters in the group is a great place to share ideas and grow their profession. Although some of the programs she promotes at CUKC are offered by other member institutions, there is no competition among the KCCAP membership when it comes to prospective students. They remain focused on the larger picture.
“We all want to help individuals reach their education goals and find the program that works best for them,” Bequette said. “By working together, we are able to accomplish that and refer students to one another in the future. We want to remove as many roadblocks as possible for students looking to further their education, and it is easier to do that as a team.”
After completing the upcoming year as vice president, Bequette will ascend to the presidency of KCCAP in July of 2022.
