From serving as a faculty member for pre-conference workshops to sharing best practices, and collaborating with industry peers, Viewpoint School made an impact and gained valuable knowledge at the annual Enrollment Management Association (EMA) conference held in Austin, TX from September 16-20.

Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Laurel Baker Tew, and her Admission team members Casey Andrade, Brooke Vimtrup, and Evan Hassan were joined by Chief Belonging and Community Officer Patricia Jackson, for three days of inspiring conversations and empowering experiences.

 Known as a national thought leader in the world of enrollment management, Laurel served as a pre-workshop faculty member, along with four of her peers, teaching data storytelling, board reporting, and dashboards. 

“Everything about this important annual event speaks to its unique mission: the way it deepens school impact and fosters whole student growth with data-driven insights,” shared Baker Tew. “These incredibly important insights into student learners of today – and their parents – serve and cultivate our communities of enrollment and academic leaders. And, in Viewpoint’s case, they help us meet our world ready promise: creating exceptional readiness for extraordinary futures.”

During this season, we at Viewpoint continue to discuss the evolution of language and how words matter–part of the reason why the ongoing communication and partnership between the Admission team and the Office of Community Life is more important than ever.  

“Being around people who are different from us helps to make us more creative, more open, and more hardworking,” said Jackson. “One of the EMA’s opening sessions, ‘The Great Disruption and the Breakdown of Compacts,’ explored themes such as the loss of boundaries, political neutrality, generational differences, and the theme of the conference, Embracing Change. These topics echoed conversations already underway here at Viewpoint, reflecting some of our back-to-school messaging and emphasis on shared purpose and community alignment.”

To round out Viewpoint’s presence at the conference, Laurel joined all past winners of EMA awards on stage, which was a proud and poignant moment. Laurel was awarded the William B. Bretnall Award at the 2022 Enrollment Management Association (EMA) Conference in Orlando, Florida. The Bretnall Award is given each year to a leader and educator who has made significant contributions to the field of admission and enrollment management. 

In the newest episode of On Point, Head of School Mark McKee sits down with Assistant Head of School for Enrollment, Laurel Baker Tew, to talk about navigating the independent school admission journey. Laurel offers perspective on what families should know as they begin their search, common misconceptions about the process, and how to identify the right fit for each child. Their conversation also explores broader trends shaping the independent school landscape, from demographics and financial aid to innovation, trust, and the growing number of educational options. This episode offers practical advice and thoughtful guidance for parents who want to better understand what sets independent schools, and Viewpoint, apart in 2025 and beyond.

Tune in here

You also can find the On Point podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the Viewpoint School channel on YouTube, and at viewpoint.org/onpoint.