I’ve always liked who people can be when they have a world of possibilities and new human experiences awaiting them. That described my feeling at the end of the first day of Verto Education Admissions Representative training, and it was one we were able to explore throughout the four days we spent together.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where we started bonding as a group: tour hike through Northern California’s mountains, the endless grilled meats, or maybe the collective sense of empowerment after remembering that we can change higher education through the power of travel. We would all be on our own throughout the next three months, but that didn’t stop us from fostering a sense of community and teamwork throughout all we did. Especially with the food.
Fun fact about Verto training: you have the chance to hone your culinary skills with your new coworkers. We divided into teams of four to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily throughout the next 3 days. For anybody who wants an easy training in this regard: sign up for all three meals on the first day, and then never have to worry about anything again after that. We cooked everything from bacon and eggs, quesadillas, mashed potatoes, and a few things in between. Be warned that Mitch can and will fire up the grill at any given point to bring the entire group meats.
As we sat surrounded by assorted Martha Stewart-esque decor, we learned about the different aspects of Verto’s model and the job functions we’ll be doing. How the partnerships with our consortium universities worked; how to handle different scenarios we would face with parents and students; and how to harness the power of storytelling to perform our roles effectively. If we can make a student the protagonist of their own story with Verto and higher education, then they can take the world from where it is now to what it could be later on. We had the chance to listen to the stories of our partner organizations and universities as well.
Rustic Pathways CEO Chris Stakich gave us best practices for his sales pitches with different groups. Admissions representatives from schools like James Madison University and Macquarie University brought us into their world, explaining what awaited a student after (and possibly during) their international education experience. The most memorable speakers spoke passionately, believing in everything that their organization stood for. I have full confidence that each of us representatives will promote Verto the same way in our respective regions.
If we can make a student the protagonist of their own story with Verto and higher education, then they can take the world from where it is now to what it could be later on.
The key to our future success?
Verto is something that each of us, to some extent, wishes that we had in college. Heaven only knows how much money we dropped on all our schools’ admissions fees, how much anxiety built up waiting to hear back from said schools, and how little information this author retained from his freshman year 200+ student geography class. With no application fees, an admissions decision in two weeks, and individualized mentorship available during the first semester of college, it’s no wonder why Verto will rise to be an established name in higher education. Why would a student become a nameless number in an introductory biology class when they can actively participate in hatching sea turtles in Costa Rica? Our stories are ones that students can take with them not only back to their college campuses, but to job interviews and beyond. Verto’s alumni won’t be entering their schools as the second or third semester newcomers, but rather as the new standard that their classmates strive to achieve.
That’s our training in a nutshell. It hasn’t even been 24 hours since parting ways with everybody, and I’m already missing them immensely. We’ve already had one victory in our group with Deanna’s home visit today, and I can’t wait to see what else everybody can achieve. We might not be huddled around the bonfire discussing each other’s biggest strengths, but I know that I’ve built a strong support group with my colleagues at Verto Education. I can’t thank Ben and Mitch enough for not only facilitating that type of environment, but actively participating in it. We’re going to form the cornerstone of the company’s culture, success, and growth. With our individual talents and collective drive, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t be able to provide all students with a better freshman year.
