By Katie Hanson ’25
When Keila Fisher ’21 began working for the Office of Admission as a student ambassador three years ago, she didn’t think she would still be there—now as an admission counselor—three years later. Inspired by an interest in building the Scripps community, Fisher quickly fell in love with the position.
“Once the pandemic started, and the end of my College career was off-campus, I really wanted to stay connected and finish my physical time at Scripps,” Fisher says. “Then, this job opportunity popped up right at the perfect moment. I applied and now I’m here, staying connected to Scripps and doing work that I feel passionate about.”
Fisher initially worked as a summer intern, giving tours to prospective students and reading every accepted application to help write Vice President for Enrollment Victoria Romero’s move-in day speech. She went on to conduct interviews, hold virtual office hours on Admission’s Instagram channel, help with information sessions, and lead Wednesday afternoon teas via Zoom. In her final year as an admission ambassador, she focused on helping students navigate the college search process during a pandemic.
Only weeks after graduating with a dual major in psychology and theater, Fisher accepted the admission counselor position. While she initially doubted that her degree would play a strong role in her day-to-day tasks, she says that she’s found it to be incredibly helpful.
“On the theater side, I feel like I’m doing mini performances for whoever pops into my Zoom or shows up on campus,” Fisher says. “Then, there are the psychological aspects of listening and learning from people: As I look at applications, I’m really seeing what I can take from the words and create a picture of who I’m reading about to see them as a fuller person than just what might be on the transcript or numbers on the page.”
Each admission counselor is responsible for a certain region to ensure that students from all over the world become acquainted with Scripps. Fisher is responsible for connecting with students in North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, parts of LA, San Diego, and the Inland Empire. While she only “traveled” virtually this semester, she connected with college counselors and students from various schools in each of these locations. The Office of Admission held entirely virtual information sessions and interviews this fall, while all tours were in person.
Although she had years of experience as a student employee in the Admission office, Fisher says she’s surprised by how much she’s learned in her new position. Her work has opened her eyes to what The Claremont Colleges as a whole offer, and she’s excited to continue learning more about the campuses every day.
Yet, throughout her experience, Fisher says some things have stayed the same. She still finds immense joy in helping craft the future of Scripps, especially as an alumna. With applications having come to a close, Fisher looks forward to seeing the next class come together.
“We’re all very excited for the future of Scripps,” she says. “There’s some great people in this group.”