Kent Barnds,  Executive Vice President of ExternalRelations: Advancement | Communication | Enrollment | Planning for Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.), shares how he started as "an accidental admissions person" and become the person with the longest title in the history of the ALP, and what he has learned along the way by becoming a college parent. Great mysteries will be revealed in this episode, including the origin story of Kent's ubiquitous bow ties, what the "W" in his name stands for, and who can lay claim to being the pizza king of the Quad Cities.

Rapid Descent

• Walkout songs: Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Lorde covering the original Tears for Fears
• Best recent read: They Said This Would be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing Up by Eternity Martis
• Eager to read next: The Generosity Crisis: The Case for Radical Connection to Solve Humanity's Greatest Challenges by Nathan Chapel, Brian Crimmins, and Michael Ashley
• Favorite podcast: Marketplace
• Favorite thing to make in the kitchen: Pizza
• What he uses to take and keep notes: sticky notes and notecards stuffed into an ever-expanding green folder
• Memorable bit of advice: When his uncle (college admission giant Delwin Gustafson) asked him if he was ready to see the dirty underbelly of his alma mater [as an admissions professional].
• Bucket list: To take a nice long week's vacation with his life partner, Jenny.

Theme music arranged by Ryan Anselment.

Many thanks to the National Association for College Admission Counseling for supporting this podcast through the NACAC Podcast Network.

The ALP is supported by RHB. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment