As early as 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, cheering and music could be heard across campus as Cabrini’s student ambassadors and radio station, WYBF, invited prospective students into the Dixon center for Cabrini’s first open house of the year.
“It was one of our best open houses yet,” John Solewin, assistant director of admissions, said. “The student ambassadors did a phenomenal job and it’s always great seeing the prospective students come to Cabrini and see what we have to offer.”
Solewin said that the admissions office begins preparations for the open house at least six months in advance. The open houses in the fall hold extra importance because prospective students are deciding on colleges to apply to and commit to.
Danielle Kinckner, sophomore business administration major and student ambassador, arrived with the rest of the student ambassadors and full of excitement at 7 a.m. She worked hard throughout the day and was pleased to see the outcome for all of the prospective students.
“I think overall the day went really well,” Kinckner said. “My favorite part was probably listening in on the business panel because I like to hear about all the different opportunities and see the excitement in the students when they’re listening.”
The students took part in many different panels and activities throughout the day. After opening welcomes and information, they separated to visit the major of their interest and hear from students and faculty members from the major. After this, student and parent panels proceeded lunch. Along with lunch, students and their families could visit the tables of various clubs and majors throughout Dixon. The day was concluded with optional tours of campus.
Multiple prospective students commented on how much they enjoyed the day. Pat- rick Gilmore and Megan White both said they most enjoyed the student panel. White said, “It’s something I’ve never seen before at any other open houses. It was an opportunity to have a one-on-one with the students which was really nice.”
Prospective students Bryan Dougherty and Amy Gilette enjoyed the opportunities to explore their future majors. Dougherty was impressed by the graphic design labs while Gilette is excited to get extremely involved with the communication department.
Diane Gilette, mother of Amy Gilette, shared her daughter’s excitement for the communication department and looks forward to watching her progress through all of the opportunities available. Gilette said, “There are a lot of opportunities available and I think it would be a good fit for my daughter.”
