Meet Darren Drabek '97

Darren Drabek, originally from Walla Walla, Washington, now makes his home in Saratoga Springs, New York where he works as the Associate Director of Admissions at Skidmore College.

How has your experience as an Intern helped you to reach your goals?

During the year as an admissions intern members of the admission staff graciously introduced the professional admission calendar to me. They allowed me to accompany them to college fairs, observe information sessions, and shared both the generalities and specifics of each part of the admissions cycle.

By the end of the year I had a better understanding of the work they do in recruiting, evaluating and enrolling a class of students each year while having the satisfaction of being a key assistant in this process. My internship prepared me to directly enter the admissions profession and allowed me to be a very competitive applicant for several admission counselor jobs. Within two months of graduating, I began my position as Assistant Director of Admissions here at Skidmore College. The professional contacts developed through the admission staff at LC are extremely helpful to this day.

What did you enjoy most about the Internship?

Observing this profession and, at times, being treated like an admissions professional and colleague to the staff.

Do you have any advice for future Admissions volunteers and Interns?

Realize that this interaction you have with administrators and members of the student and non-student campus community can be excellent preparation for many careers in higher education. Being a contributing member of a team that has one of the most important jobs on a college campus can be empowering, satisfying, and exciting, as long as you share in the responsibilities.

What was your favorite thing about Lewis and Clark?

The relationships I developed with administrators was probably one of the highlights. The campus is truly beautiful (and gets better each year) and the commitment to internationalism is exceptional as well.