Hunter College welcomed 150 high-school guidance counselors from all over New York on October 18 as the host of CUNY’s annual Fall Counselor Conference.
The conference is one of the favorite enrollment-management traditions of Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Joseph Fantozzi, who says innovative collaboration among professionals strengthens important relationships and brings many students to Hunter and CUNY.
“I love it when it is Hunter’s turn to host the CUNY Fall Counselor Conference,” Fantozzi said. “It gives our campus the pleasure of showing our partners our pride in our Hunter community.”
President Nancy Cantor addressed the guidance counselors, non-profit leaders, transfer advisers, and community-based organizations, some of whom had come from as far away as Dutchess and Suffolk counties. She highlighted Hunter’s commitment to diversity, affordability, and career-focused education — pillars that make Hunter an exceptional choice within CUNY– underscoring Hunter’s mission to open doors for students from all backgrounds and encouraging participants to work collectively to support and expand access to education.
In breakout sessions, counselors were introduced to CUNY’s new Counselor Portal and TREX, a navigation tool for transfer admissions, reflecting CUNY’s focus on streamlined support services. Some other presentations also included updates by Dean of University Admissions Dr. Sharon Hardy, Hunter’s Deputy Director of Financial Liauty Elie, and Director of Accessibility Soudabeh Shayesteh, who led discussions on resources for students needing accommodations.
President Cantor shared the personal journeys of Hunter student ambassadors including Annabel Savarese and Rosa Rivera, illustrating Hunter’s diversity. Savarese, a Macaulay Honors College junior, studies Public Health, Psychology, and Women & Gender Studies, and is active in the Queer Student Union, while Rivera, an advocate for Women in Computer Science and the CUNY Computer Science Collective, pursues Computer Science and Economics after joining Hunter through the SEEK program. Their stories embody Hunter’s vision: an inclusive environment that propels students toward meaningful careers.
The event concluded with lunch for all participants and a tour of Hunter’s campus highlighting our facilities and even more student success stories.
