Stephanie Espina, Director of Undergraduate Admissions: “The First to Roll Up Her Sleeves and the Last to Take Credit"

Every year, Adelphi honors four exceptional employees with a President’s Award for Excellence. According to President Christine M. Riordan, these recipients “have won the admiration of their peers and colleagues by providing a truly extraordinary level of service to the University.”

Candidates are nominated by their colleagues, and these nominations are reviewed by the advisory committee for the President’s Award for Excellence. After reviewing the nominations, the committee submits final nominees to the president.

Each year, a maximum of four people (two union, two nonunion) are chosen to receive this honor. One of the 2020 President’s Awards for Excellence was given to:

Stephanie Espina, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Office of Enrollment Management

In her five years at Adelphi, Stephanie Espina, director of undergraduate admissions, has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments.

She played a lead role in enrolling four consecutive first-year classes that set Adelphi records for both the overall number and the diversity of the students. Fluent in Spanish, she helped demystify the admissions process for first-generation prospective Hispanic students and their families by working with her team to introduce bilingual admissions and financial aid information sessions at key admissions events. She collaborated with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to develop strategies to recruit students from different backgrounds and cultures and raised Adelphi’s profile nationally and internationally. Closer to home, she’s served as president of the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling and on the boards of committees.

Her nominator for the President’s Award for Excellence was spot-on in describing Espina as the “first to roll up her sleeves and the last to take credit.” When asked how she overcame enrollment challenges, Espina defers to her “dynamic and dedicated team. I feel that, in many instances, my job is to secure a synergy within the team and help orchestrate their talents in a way that leads to high productivity and success.”

Where does Espina get her enthusiasm and energy? It comes from the satisfaction of knowing the difference she makes for the students she serves. “I am passionate about helping students and families navigate the college admissions process,” she said. “When you work with a student from the point of introduction through to their first day of class, and then see them graduate and begin their career journey…it’s an incredibly rewarding experience.”

Last year, Espina was named a Forbes 2019 College Admissions Influencer and received the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award. But the President’s Award for Excellence holds special meaning for her.

“I feel very humbled by this recognition and I feel proud to work for the Adelphi community,” she said. “What I love most about Adelphi is working in a place that is open to new ideas as we learn to adapt to the needs of students. Adelphi has wholeheartedly supported my personal and professional growth, which is why I give back to the Adelphi community above and beyond expectation.”