By Gabrielle Thomas ’22

Mykella Mitchell, senior admissions counselor for Diversity, Access, and Equity at Arcadia University, was selected as one of 16 admissions professionals in the United States to the inaugural cohort of the Coalition Ambassadors for the Coalition for College. As part of the inaugural cohort, Mitchell will work with the Coalition in its mission to support lower-income, under-resourced, and/or first-generation; to provide responsible financial aid; and to bolster students’ success in college–and beyond. 

The Ambassador program builds on the Coalition’s work to connect its 150+ member schools with community-based college access organizations, as well as expanding the kinds of direct outreach and support provided to students. In addition to connecting with community-based organizations and students via in-person and virtual events, Coalition Ambassadors will build connections with each other, as well as leaders in the college access and enrollment management fields. 

“Our hopes for this program are two-fold,” says Stacey Kostell, CEO of the Coalition for College. “Reaching and serving more students is our first priority, especially as under-served communities continue to disproportionately face the effects of the pandemic. Longer term, we hope to continue to shift the field of admissions and enrollment management toward more equitable practices, and we believe that a professional development program that centers access and equity is an important part of that work.”

Mitchell, who joined Arcadia’s Admissions Office in 2018, dedicates herself to helping minority students gain access and inclusion to higher education. In her role, she works with prospective first-year undergraduate students from Philadelphia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. Mitchel is also the Social Action and Justice Education Fellowship liaison (SAJE) and the Gateway to Success liaison. She earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University.