Meet Regional Admissions Counselor Ali Jeffers
Photo above: Ali, Tim, Will, and Barrett Jeffers during Christmas 2019.
Regional Admissions Counselor Ali Jeffers of O’Fallon, IL, is firm believer in the liberal arts college experience. Discover what she tells prospective students about Westminster and how it’s the little things that make the biggest difference in the long run to students who choose to attend the College.
Where are you from originally?
I am from Virden, IL, a small town approximately 30 miles south of Springfield, IL.
What region do you cover in your day-to-day work for Westminster?
I work in the southern half of St. Louis County and the surrounding metro area counties in both Missouri and Illinois.
How has the pandemic changed your daily responsibilities?
COVID has definitely made the job different. During the fall, I usually would visit approximately 80 to 90 high schools and do several college fairs. This year, there was no travel. Many colleges and universities are recruiting students in a whole new way by offering virtual meetings with students and parents and virtual presentations, to name a few. This is working well, but I miss visiting my students and high school counselors face to face!
What is easy for you at this job?
Talking! I love to talk and meet new people. I enjoy that more times than not, and there is always something we all have in common. The world truly is a small world after all (I love Disney too). In addition to talking, I also attended a small, private liberal arts institution much like Westminster, so my college experience was fairly similar to the Westminster experience. That’s why I love working for the College. I made lifelong friends with not only my peers but also faculty, who I still keep in touch with today.
What do you emphasize to high schoolers about Westminster College?
At Westminster, your opportunities are endless ― do not let the size of the institution deter you from looking at Westminster. The College truly gives students the luxury of being able to get involved in any interest you may have. You want to double major and double minor while playing a sport or being involved in another activity? GO FOR IT! You want to study abroad while completing a double major and getting an on-site internship your junior and senior years? Yep, you can do all of that at Westminster!
What is your favorite aspect of the College?
The campus, particularly the Hill, is truly beautiful. The fountain, the Hill, and the Columns are gorgeous year-round, but particularly in the spring. I also love where we are located. We are in a small- to medium-sized town with plenty of restaurants, stores, etc., but if students are looking for larger cities to visit, we are only 30 minutes away from both Columbia and the state capital, Jefferson City.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Well, right now my main hobby includes being a mom to a 3-year-old and 1-year-old. Especially during COVID, I haven’t had too much time, between work and parent life, for much else. In the “normal” world, I enjoy going to the movies, scrapbooking, decorating (Christmas is my favorite: I put up my tree well before Thanksgiving), walking, and yoga. Occasionally I will sign up for a 5K or 10K race (again, pre-COVID), but it has been awhile since I’ve run.
Family/significant other?
I’m married to my husband, Tim, who also used to work in college admissions but now is in the world of banking. We got married on our alma mater’s campus. We have two boys. People often ask us if we have pets. To that, my answer is, “We have kids. That’s plenty for now!”
What is something about yourself that nobody else knows?
Man, that is a tough one. I love musicals and was even in the drama club in high school. I also have two different-colored eyes: one blue, one green. I also love all Asian cuisine … sushi, Thai, Chinese. I LOVE it all!
