Scott Sandoval '91
Associate Director of Admission

Were it not for the encouragement and guidance of his theatre teacher at Alice High School, Scott Sandoval would have never attended Southwestern.

"Mr. Howell believed Southwestern would be a good match for me. I hadn't considered applying to schools away from home, but he paid for my application fee, the SAT registration cost and even drove me to visit the campus. If it weren't for his direction, I'd still probably be in Alice."

Now an associate director of admission at Southwestern, Sandoval dedicates his time to seeking out students with similar potential, but who may not be familiar with the college search process. "I was a first generation college student, and many of the students I meet are in that same position or may not have had the resources to succeed in the past. I tend to look for the 'underdog'--a student who can be transformed by a Southwestern University education and achieve things they never imagined."

Sandoval's recruitment areas include South Texas, El Paso and ten states throughout the Midwest. He typically spends much of the fall semester on the road visiting high schools and personally interviewing 100-150 students. During the spring, most of his time is spent at the University conducting interviews, maintaining correspondence and visiting personally with students who visit campus, reviewing scholarship applications and evaluating applicants.

"The great thing about the structure of our office is that I'm able to maintain contact with students from my area in every step of the admission process. We get to see them through the full cycle, whereas many recruiters at other schools don't."

He says the most rewarding part of bringing students to campus is "when they come back to my office as juniors or seniors and tell me that I helped them make the right choice. That's all you want if you're in my position. You hope that they are a good fit here and they're happy. Students put a certain amount of trust in what you say, so it feels good to know I've done a service for them."

Beyond his role in the Admission Office, Sandoval serves as the advisor for the Hispanic student group Latinos Unidos, which includes many of the students he personally recruited. "It's a neat way to keep in contact with my students once they get here. One of the reasons I stay at Southwestern is that every year I bring in a new group of students that I want to see through to graduation."

Sandoval was a kinesiology student at Southwestern when he first worked in the Admission Office. Soon after graduation, he ran into his old teacher Mr. Howell at a restaurant in Austin. When Sandoval said he was uncertain of his professional future, Howell suggested that with his experience in the area, he should consider becoming an admission counselor. "I guess you could say that he's had quite an influence on my life."

After seeking advice from Vice President of Enrollment Management John Lind about applying for admission positions at other schools, a job coincidentally opened up in Southwestern's office. As a student and a member of the staff, Sandoval has now spent the last 15 years as a part of this institution.

Outside of work, he enjoys playing golf and woodworking, a hobby for which he's purchased "a lot of equipment, but I have no time to use it." A few years back, he and a friend co-founded a small business called The Velozity Group. Together, they tailor business solutions for a number of areas (including higher education) using web-based tools. It's a venture that could become a full-time endeavor some day.

But whether he pursues that opportunity, remains in higher education or even returns to school, Sandoval says his goal in life is simple. "I just want to be happy with good people around me."

-Greg Holland

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