Emerging Leader Scholar Spotlight: Matt Stalzer

When his supervisor shared that he had been nominated for the Emerging Leader Conference Scholarship—an opportunity to attend College Board Forum—Matt saw it as a powerful affirmation.

“The idea that someone believed I had a future in this work was a huge vote of confidence,” he says. “I’ve always loved professional development and building my skills, which is one of the reasons I moved from operations into visitor engagement.”

Seeing the Bigger Picture

Attending Forum came at a pivotal point in Matt’s career. While he had developed strong expertise in his day-to-day role, Forum exposed him to the broader ecosystem of enrollment leadership.

“For the first time, I could see the bigger picture—how leadership teams think about policy, how institutions respond to uncertainty, and how emerging technologies are shaping our field,” he says. “It humanized leadership and helped me see where I might fit in the future.”

One session on leadership transitions and navigating uncertainty particularly resonated. Hearing seasoned leaders speak candidly about the future of talent in enrollment management reassured him that there is a path forward for professionals committed to the field.

“It made me feel like there’s a way to stick with this work and grow in it.”

Finding a Community of Peers

Equally impactful were the relationships built within the Emerging Leader cohort. Connecting with other early-career professionals—many of whom had not originally planned to enter admissions—highlighted both the diversity of paths into the profession and the shared commitment to staying in it.

“I love connecting with people who do what I do,” Matt says. “Some people use this work as a springboard into other fields, but it was inspiring to meet others who are devoted to enrollment management long term.”

Those connections, he notes, will likely continue as their careers evolve and intersect across institutions.

Bringing Confidence Back to Campus

Since returning from Forum, Matt has noticed a tangible shift in his confidence and engagement. Inspired by the experience, he applied for—and was accepted into—a new professional development initiative within his division.

“I don’t think I would have felt confident applying if I hadn’t attended Forum,” he says.

He now contributes more actively in staff meetings, sharing insights from policy discussions and broader industry trends he encountered at the conference. The scholarship didn’t just expand his knowledge—it expanded his sense of what’s possible.

“It showed me the wider array of opportunities in this field,” he reflects. “For the first time, I could clearly see people who were in the same place I am now five or ten years ago. That was incredibly motivating.”

Investing in Emerging Leaders

For supervisors and enrollment leaders considering nominating someone for the Emerging Leader Conference Scholarship, Matt’s advice is simple: Do it.

“It gives perspective you can’t get just by staying in your office,” he says. “You can take someone who has promise and show them the future they could have in this field. It made me more serious about the work I do and more excited about where it can lead.”

By investing in emerging professionals today, institutions help build a stronger, more connected future for enrollment management.