HFC welcomes Director of Admissions and Recruiting Niko Kanagawa

HFC has announced that Nickolai “Niko” Kanagawa will join the College as Director of Admissions and Recruiting in July.

Kanagawa has 15+ years of experience in higher education. Most recently, he was Associate Director of Undergraduate Nursing Recruitment at the University of Detroit Mercy, where he spearheaded the effort to revamp and revitalize recruiting for transfer students, Second-Degree Option nursing students, and RN-to-BSN students. Primary partners were community colleges, including HFC, and hospitals.

“A community college is an appealing option for me in higher education. I had good working relations with HFC and others during my time at UDM and the University of Michigan-Dearborn,” said Kanagawa. “Throughout the interview process, I was excited about the opportunity to help build a sustainable team, with an eye to the future. I am focused on long-term implementation of best practices and building up HFC throughout the region. It’s not just about numbers, but rather demonstrating the College’s commitment to being a true regional partner and a good neighbor in providing educational opportunity to all.”

Kanagawa will begin at HFC on Monday, July 7. HFC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Rhonda DeLong will be his immediate supervisor.

“I appreciated Niko’s energy and his dedication to the student-focused mission of admissions and recruiting, and the College, during the interview process,” said DeLong. “He has a passion for both student and team success. He will lead a robust list of strategic priorities that will help us move forward with our service-focused Admissions and Recruiting team. We will also focus on being a great partner with other teams who do such valuable work across the College, and we will grow our external partnerships and initiatives. There is so much opportunity for innovation and service in this space. We’re excited to welcome Niko to HFC.”

Higher education can be a lifetime avocation

The eldest of two, Kanagawa was born in Dayton, OH, and raised in Rochester Hills. He lives in Brownstown Township with his wife of 13 years, and their two daughters. Kanagawa is a member of several professional organizations, including:

• The Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling (MACAC)
• The Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers (MACRAO)
• The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN)
• The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)

Kanagawa is a graduate of Rochester Adams High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in German and international studies from Albion College with a minor in Asian studies. He later earned his master’s degree in public administration and policy from UM-Dearborn.

He speaks fluent English and German. After graduating from Albion, Kanagawa was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Heidelberg, Germany, where he taught ESL at Helmholtz Gymnasium and researched the impact of extracurricular activities on post-secondary education. Afterward, Kanagawa returned to the United States and worked for RSMR Global Resources in Chicago.

“When I came back from Germany, I started as an executive recruiter in the private sector for renewable energy and project finance. My departure from that role coincided with the economic downturn of 2008. Then, a friend at Albion told me the College was planning to develop the Chicagoland market. They recruited me to help because I knew Chicago and I was an alumnus. This was a whole new environment for me. There’s a saying about higher ed: ‘You’re in for a season or a lifetime.’ I turned out to be one of those lifers,” he explained.

Kanagawa enjoyed his time as Assistant Director of Admissions at Albion.

“It was about being able to open students’ eyes to the power and impact of a liberal arts education. I had a wonderful experience at Albion: I made lifelong friends, I studied in Germany as a Fulbright Scholar,” said Kanagawa. “To be a spokesperson for my alma mater, a place that meant so much to me, this was the opportunity to build something from the ground up.”

Understanding the needs of students and meeting them where they are

After leaving Albion, Kanagawa also worked at UM-Dearborn for nearly a decade.

His immediate goals at HFC include learning its vast array of programs, services and teams, and evaluating the areas where College recruiting and partnership-building has been successful and where it has opportunities to grow, both internally and externally.

“I bring a diverse skill set, years of experience, some strong relationships, and an understanding of the regional higher education landscape,” said Kanagawa. “I will come in with an open mind and a willingness to do whatever it takes to benefit students. That can take many different forms, including attending events at area high schools, building relationships in the community, or working with students and families navigating college for the first time. I want them to find the place that will allow them to reach their maximum potential.”

He continued: “It’s about fostering an understanding that education is something within their grasp, and that it is available for everyone. It’s also about the human connection to help people understand what college can mean for them, especially when some think higher education may be out of reach, unaffordable, or not worth it. I want to make sure they’re asking the right questions, and we’re helping them find the right answers for their specific situation.”

HFC Executive Director Tracye Y. Davis served on the search committee that recommended Kanagawa as a finalist. She is looking forward to working with him.

“Niko was an obvious choice,” said Davis. “He brings to HFC his experience of leading teams, developing, and executing strategic enrollment plans. However, more important was his modern, refreshing, and relevant approach to enrollment, starting with truly listening to and understanding the needs of our students. I remember him discussing meeting students where they are and determining if they were looking for ‘a gateway where they wanted to stay,’ which is a crucial factor for HFC in complementing the student journey while also achieving retention, completion, graduation, and transfer outcomes.”