HFC welcomes new admissions recruiter Britney Underwood
After interviewing with HFC, Britney Underwood, the College's new admissions recruiter, says she felt a rapport with the people she had met.
“I was really drawn to the team. I enjoyed the interviews,” said Underwood, of Canton. “I want to pursue a career in higher education, particularly the admissions field.”
Underwood began her new role in mid-January. In her position, she reports to HFC Supervisor of Admissions and Recruiting Jeremy Guc.
“We are very excited to have Britney join our team as an admissions recruiter,” said Guc. “As she grows into her role, I look forward to watching Britney help ‘transform lives and build better futures’ of prospective students by connecting with them and helping them get started at HFC.”
AmeriCorps experience at LTU inspired her to pursue higher ed
Underwood is an alumna of Northwestern High School – now called Detroit Collegiate Preparatory Academy at Northwestern – which is part of the Detroit Public Schools. She attended Kentucky State University, a historically Black institution, on a band scholarship. She played the saxophone in the KYSU Marching Band and joined Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority. In 2014, Underwood graduated from KYSU, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in criminal justice.
Underwood spent three years in the AmeriCorps program, a voluntary civil service program founded in 1993 that is supported by the federal government, foundations, corporations, and other donors engaging adults in public service work with a goal of “helping others and meeting critical needs in the community.”
Through AmeriCorps, she worked in the Office of Career Services at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield for three years. This inspired her to pursue higher education as a career. She went on to earn her master’s degree in higher education from Grand Valley State University in Allendale.
“This was where I gained an interest and passion for working with and helping students,” she said. “Since then, my passion has only grown, and I've been able to hold other roles in the field of higher education, including working in the Office of Multicultural Affairs as a graduate assistant, creating a diversity curriculum with the recreation center, engaging in reflective learning with honors students in Ghana, and co-instructing a course.”
Making the most of remote work
Since she joined HFC, Underwood has yet to set foot on campus. She is working remotely due to the global pandemic.
“Even though everything has started off virtually, I really appreciate the time Jeremy and my team have taken to get me acclimated in my role. It feels like a great fit, and I am fortunate to have a great team,” she said.
In her position, Underwood is responsible for the recruitment and admission of students to the College. Other duties in this role include building partnerships with community agencies and schools to determine the training or education needs of their constituents and students.
“I will also educate prospective students on the programs and services offered by HFC and guide them through the admissions and enrollment process,” she said. “I am learning quickly and thoroughly, thanks to Jeremy. The best part of my job so far has been connecting with my team and learning new information. I am grateful for the opportunity to work at HFC and I hope to grow in my role, connect with more colleagues, and become a successful admissions recruiter!”