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Introducing our new President, Bryan Gates
Introducing our new President, Bryan Gates
We are thrilled to have Bryan Gates stepping into the role of President for MACAC this coming school year. Click to read more directly from Bryan on his goals for his term as MACAC President!
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My name is Bryan Gates and I work in Admissions at the University of St. Thomas. As I step into my one-year role as President of MACAC, I feel deeply grateful for the trust, encouragement, and community that make this organization so special.
This association is built on service, people giving their time, admission counselor road warriors, school counselors with students lined up outside their doors, advocates making space for students. We are built on relationships that stretch across types of schools, desks, CBOs and generations of professionals.
And despite the seriousness of our work, there is also joy. Joy in community. Joy in mentorship. Joy in the shared challenges and exhaustion. Joy in seeing students discover who they are becoming. That synergy is what makes MACAC special. The collective power of this membership matters.
This year is especially meaningful as we are preparing to host the NACAC National Conference in Minneapolis this October. Minnesota should be in the spotlight. Minnesota is a community where national questions about education, equity, access, and belonging are being worked out at the local level every day. Our neighborhoods reflect both the complexity of our work and the hope that drives it. I cannot imagine a better place for our profession to gather, reflect, and grow together as we host the National Conference this October.
As President, my goal is simple: to support and elevate the incredible work already happening across this organization. Key priorities this year include:
Hosting an outstanding NACAC experience that highlights Minnesota and our profession.
Staying accountable to our strategic plan
Building a strong and diverse pipeline of future leaders
Supporting the long-term success of MACAC Educational Fairs
Continuing to create a joyful, connected, and engaged membership community
Above all, I hope MACAC remains a place where people feel supported, inspired, and connected.
If there was ever a year to get involved, through volunteering, committee work, or attending your first conference, this is it. I look forward to meeting more of you, celebrating our work together, and welcoming our colleagues to Minneapolis this fall.
Thank you again for the opportunity to serve.
Day on the Hill 2026
Day on the Hill 2026
The annual Day On The Hill lobbying event took place on March 24th. Twenty-three MACAC members held over forty meetings with legislators to discuss funding for school counseling and the Minnesota State Grant. They also shared stories about the benefits and challenges of the PSEO program. It was a day to interact with those who represent us in the government and have important conversations about our organizational values!
MIDWest 2026
MIDWest 2026
MIDWest conference was held this year in Madison, Wisconsin at the Madison Concourse Hotel. This event provided attendees with valuable insights, featuring a talk by keynote speaker Dr. Christine Whelan (UW-Madison) titled Choosing Purpose in College and Admission Counseling. Thirty-three additional sessions provided insight. These included a session titled, "This is GEPCArdy" Triva, Ethics, and the Wild Wild West, presented by our Admissions Practices Committee. MACAC's own Anti-Racism Committee spoke on the newly approved Land Acknowledgment (see below). MIDWest also offered opportunities for attendees to connect with one another!
MACAC Land Acknowledgment
MACAC Land Acknowledgment
The MACAC Land Acknowledgment was approved by the MACAC Board on April 16, 2026.
TO BE READ AT ALL MACAC PD EVENTS:
Land acknowledgments, at their core, aim to honestly address history; encourage education, growth, and accountability; and most of all, build partnerships. The effects of settler colonialism are not remnants of the past, but persist with us in the present. Only through working together can we live up to American ideals of democracy, equity, liberty, and justice. The Minnesota Association for College Admission Counseling (MACAC) operates within the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary territories of multiple Indigenous nations, including the Ojibwe-Anishinaabeg and the Dakhóta peoples of the Oceti Ŝakowiŋ (O-ché-ti sha-kó-win). MACAC condemns historical transgressions committed against Indigenous peoples, including the largest public execution in American history in Mankato, the 23 Minnesota boarding schools that sought cultural genocide, and the 1850 Sandy Lake Tragedy. MACAC further recognizes the dynamism and vitality of Minnesota’s Indigenous communities, highlighting Minneapolis as the home of the American Indian Movement, whose influence and legacy continues into the present. MACAC calls on its members and member institutions to engage in continuous learning about the histories of the lands we inhabit, as well as Indigenous frameworks, from the legal personhood of land, water, and sacred spaces to an understanding of these lands as living, spiritual entities that sustain us across past, present, and future.
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TO BE PRESENTED VISUALLY (VIA PPT SLIDE OR PRINTER ON A HANDOUT) AT ALL MACAC PD EVENTS:
Recruitment, admission, and retention of Indigenous students are shaped by institutional practices and policies, and these systems have the power to meaningfully support Indigenous sovereignty and student success. MACAC encourages members and institutions to take admissions-related actions that support Indigenous students and communities. These efforts may include—but are not limited to:
Establishing financial assistance for citizens and descendants of Indigenous nations
Actively recruiting and retaining Indigenous faculty and staff
Supporting or creating cultural spaces that offer refuge and community for Indigenous students, as well as educational opportunities and multi-cultural connection experiences for non-Indigenous students
Building sustained partnerships with Tribal Nations and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs)
Developing and maintaining robust, action-oriented institutional land acknowledgments
Supporting or participating in Land Back initiatives
Such policies illustrate recognition of and support for Indigenous identities and experiences, which will directly enrich admissions work
Minnesota Education Fairs: The Numbers
Minnesota Education Fairs: The Numbers
MACAC Awards
MACAC Awards
Congratulations to all of our 2026 winners!
Outgoing MACAC Members— We will miss you!
Outgoing MACAC Members— We will miss you!
Admissions Counselor Institute | July 27-28 | College of St. Benedict
MACAC Chats | September 23 | Virtual
National Conference | October 8-10 | Minneapolis, MN
National College Fair | October 5-6 | Minneapolis, MN
Follow MACAC on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop about upcoming events and member highlights. Information can also be found on MACAC's Programs and Events page.
Curious about other opportunities out there?
MACAC has a free member feature that lists roles you may be interested in!
Log into your MACAC account and look for Career Center.
Are there events, committees, and/or individual members that you would like to see featured in future newsletters? Contact the Communication Committee to share your ideas!
Email: comms@mn-acac.org.
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