For this week’s profile, we decided to sit down with another new face at Emmanuel. Nicole Mollica started working in the admissions office just over a month ago at the end of August, managing the Admissions Ambassador program, events, and much more! Read on to hear about all the hard work she does in admissions, her favorite weekend activities, and some words of wisdom for us college students!
Her Campus Emmanuel: Hi, Nicole! We are so glad to be able to get to know you today. So, we know you work in admissions, but can you start with telling us a little bit more about what your job actually entails?
Nicole Mollica: Sure! My title is the Assistant Director of Admissions and Campus Visits and Events Coordinator. Basically, I oversee all of our recruitment events, so things like Open House, EC Incoming [Accepted Students Day], speciality visits, group high school visits, athletic recruit visits. Pretty much all event planning that goes through the admissions office is my responsibility. And of course, I supervise our wonderful Admissions Ambassadors! I like to view it as the more student affairs side of admissions on campus.
HCE: Wow, you really do a lot! How did you become interested in working in admissions? What led you here?
NM: I completed my graduate degree in higher education from Boston College this past May, and during my grad program last year, I had the opportunity to work at the Boston University School of Education. In that office, I was in undergraduate student services. The school of education at BU was quite small, around 300 students, so our office was really a one-stop shop. We oversaw all admissions events [within the school of education] in addition to the traditional student services, so that exposed me to the admissions side of higher education. I loved the event planning, the organizing, meeting campus partners and interacting with prospective students. I wasn’t expecting to love admissions as much as I did last year, but I’m so happy that that opportunity exposed me to admissions, and now, here I am! I was also at the BC Alumni Association and in student activities at Lesley University during the other years of my grad program.
HCE: Sounds like a lot of great experience, and we’re happy to have you here now! In the month or so that you’ve been with us, what has been your favorite thing at EC?
NM: My favorite thing… Oh, I love the sense of community here, amongst students, faculty, and staff. Walking across campus, students recognize each other, I recognize them, and all the staff members seem to know each other. It’s just that sense of belonging I feel here on campus. Students have their own identity and are able to explore their own interests in a natural and supportive environment. It’s really something I haven’t come across at any other institution that I’ve worked at. So far, it’s really been wonderful here!
HCE: Aww, we love to hear that! That’s definitely something a lot of us students call our favorite part of EC, too. What are you most excited or nervous about this year in admissions?
NM: I was definitely most nervous about my first Open House. I had a couple of nightmares leading up to it in terms of parking and Halo – it was supposed to rain, and I was all worried about poor Halo walking around outside and the costume getting wet; it was bad. [laughs] But now that the first one is over, I have a better idea of how I would like to influence the events that we have on campus. On the other hand, I was most excited to meet all the Ambassadors and all the students I’ll be working with! In the first month that I’ve been here, I’ve really leaned on them a lot for their information and guidance, and for their perspective, and they have been so helpful. I couldn’t be more thankful for them, and I can’t wait to continue to get to know them throughout the course of the year.
HCE: We are excited to get to know you, too! So, on the weekends when you aren’t here on campus, where might we find you? Any favorite hobbies?
NM: Well, I am a spin fanatic. [laughs] I’m an avid spinner over at Turnstyle Cycle and Bootcamp, conveniently located off of Boylston Street. I’m also currently training for my first half marathon, which is the first weekend of November, so I’ll be running a lot in the coming weeks. I also love just walking around Boston and exploring new neighborhoods or new coffee shops. That’s typically my Saturday and Sunday routine: coffee, smoothies, and spinning!
ABOVE CAPTION: Nicole (second from right) and friends after finishing a race
HCE: Sounds like a great weekend to us. Do you have any pieces of advice for us college students, having spent so much time working in higher education?
NM: Yes, definitely! I would always advise my students to put themselves out there, to challenge themselves and explore new interests and new hobbies. Take a class that you might not have foreseen yourself taking as a high school student. College is a great time to explore all those new interests and really grow as an individual. But also take time to reflect on how you are growing as a young adult. These are very formative years, so make sure to take some time for yourself.
HCE: Definitely great advice. Was there anything particularly eye-opening about your college years that prompts those wise words?
NM: I participated in six service trips at BC, similar to the ASB program here at Emmanuel. I traveled to Lynchburg, South Carolina; Florence, South Carolina; and Weirwood, Virginia; each a couple of times. What’s different from our ASB programs here, though, is that at BC, ours were completely student-led and we didn’t have any staff members traveling with us. It was a really great way to meet the community members, and that really opened my eyes to full-time service, which is what led me to do a yearlong service program following graduation. I lived out in Los Angeles for a year, working as a case manager for homeless adults. It was a great experience, but I wouldn’t have found out about it if it weren’t for my service trips in college.
With all that great experience, it’s no wonder Nicole’s been such a joy to work with here in admissions this year. Next time you pass the admissions office in Wilkins, consider stopping in and welcoming her to EC yourself! Thanks for the interview, Nicole, and we’re so glad to have you here!