Marlene Arellano

Additional Info

How long have you been in your current role? : I have been with Davidson for nine years, all of which have included overseeing access initiatives for the Office of Admission & Financial Aid. I’ve been in the current iteration of my role with partnerships for just over a year.

How did you get started in this field? : As a first-generation college student, I was always drawn to access-oriented work in higher education. And though I was never a tour guide in college, I did accidentally fall into a year-long fellowship with the Office of Admission & Financial Aid my senior year in college and have been in the profession ever since. I was drawn to do this work at Davidson specifically because of our office’s philosophy and approach to reading and evaluating applicants.

What brought you to this particular role? : There are so many wonderful community-based organizations out there and I was drawn to the opportunity to collaborate with them. My role also includes a variety of other responsibilities that ensure I’m doing my part to help Davidson’s efforts to recruit talented students from across the country and the world. And I get to do it with a team I love and learn from every day.

What is your best piece of advice for someone new to the profession? : Curiosity goes a long way in this profession. I made it a goal early in my career to ask questions about all the moving pieces, and that ultimately helped me land on different teams throughout the years. It gave me a range of experiences that positioned me to be suited to take on more and more, year after year - plus it’s fascinating to see how all the dots connect as we work to enroll a class.

What brought you to SACAC? : SACAC does such great work in supporting me and my colleagues across the southeast. And as this region of the country continues to become more and more popular among prospective students, I think it remains even more important to support one another in doing this work ethically and meaningfully.

What has been (or what you hope to be) the most impactful part of your SACAC membership experience? : Kudos to the SACAC team that facilitates Dry Run. I’ve loved sending young staff to it over the years and I hope to one day have the chance to participate as faculty.

What is your favorite part of your job? : My job brings news challenges every year, many beyond my control, and that encourages me to be both creative and adaptable. I love having to find new ways to do this work better year after year.

What have you learned about the students you serve during the past year? : Students are stressed more than ever about finding a college home. It’s easier than ever to fall down a rabbit hole and lose sight of how much of the process they still have control over. But I’ve also learned that students appreciate honesty more than ever. So, whether it’s about the application process or my institution specifically, I err on the side of being as honest as I can. I think that yields better conversations and reminds students they’re in the driver seat more than they realize.

Given unlimited time and funding, what one initiative, program, or service would you implement today : With all the time and funding in the world, I’d make it so that any student who had an interest in visiting Davidson was given the chance to do so with a parent or mentor. We’d fund it for any student who couldn’t otherwise afford it. Finding a college home isn’t just about the student, it’s also about their loved ones seeing and understanding for themselves the community that awaits their student.