Kourtney Goodwill, assistant director of Admissions at Northern Michigan University, was selected as a 2024 Rising Star Award recipient through the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). The award honors individuals and programs that exemplify excellence and dedication in serving the needs of students as they transition from high school to college.
“I was shocked, but I'm very thankful,” said Goodwill, who attended the NCAC national conference in Los Angeles earlier this fall. “I have committed to this as a career. It was rewarding to find out, and exciting.”
Goodwill is a regional admissions counselor based in her native state of Wisconsin, helping to recruit first year and transfer students to NMU. While she works remotely, she visits campus during high-energy events such as Wildcat Weekend and other recruitment initiatives.
“Kourtney demonstrates to our newest colleagues entering higher education what the trajectory of hard work and focus on students' success can mean for their future,” said her NMU colleague, Lucas Abromowitz. “She provides fresh new wisdom and energy to our seasoned colleagues.”
Goodwill is involved in the Wisconsin Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC) and the NACAC. She has attended conferences, pursued professional development opportunities, and found ways to help students navigate the college admissions process. This year, she planned the NACAC fair in Milwaukee.
A 2018 University of Dayton graduate, Goodwill earned her bachelor's degree in international business management. Her many student jobs throughout college convinced her that she wanted to continue working in higher education. She began her career in college admissions at a university in Ohio.
"About a year later, I returned to my home state of Wisconsin to pursue my master's degree in educational leadership and policy analysis at UW-Madison, and graduated in 2020," she stated in her bio. "I've always enjoyed being part of the higher education atmosphere and now I get to continue to live that experience through the eyes of incoming students."
Goodwill was one of 23 individual Rising Star Award winners nationwide this year. The NACAC, founded in 1937, is an organization of more than 28,000 professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students as they make choices about pursuing postsecondary education.