A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION CHAMPIONING OUR LOCAL WOMEN IN BUSINESS. SUBMITTED PHOTO.

Dr. Penny L. Elkins, Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management

Denise Cook, Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Communications for Enrollment Management

Maria Hammett, Associate Vice President for Student Financial Planning

Dr. Kelly Holloway, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management – Macon

1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon

478-301-2650

info@mercer.edu

mercer.edu

What is your mission?

The mission of the Office of Enrollment Management is to recruit, enroll, retain and graduate highly qualified students at all levels and administer financial aid supporting residential undergraduates, international students and adult students seeking undergraduate or graduate degrees.

How have you shifted because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

The university has adopted health and safety protocols that have allowed us to safely bring students back to campus for the 2020-21 academic year to fulfill our commitment of offering a full college experience. We have heard from many students that they are grateful for the ability to have an in-person experience, even if it looks a little different right now. We also have seen great interest during this undergraduate recruitment cycle since we are able to safely offer in-person campus visits to prospective students while many other institutions are not. In addition, we also have seen growing interest in our online programs available to working adult and graduate students because of the flexibility that we offer while maintaining academic quality.

What is the best business advice you ever received?

Leverage all of your skills and talents with humility and grace, and don’t politely shrink to avoid intimidating others around you.

You might be surprised that: Eight of Mercer’s 12 academic deans are women, including law, medicine, business and engineering.

We hope more women will: Understand and embrace the power of one individual to make positive change in this world. The orange banners across all of Mercer’s campus locations reflect this aspiration with the words, “At Mercer, everyone majors in changing the world.” Mercer’s vision is that we will in fact change the world, one student at a time. As leaders and as women, that challenge also applies to us. We are to be audacious enough to believe that our influence on others matters and we should push back any boundaries to the contrary.

Your advice for women wanting to start their own business in Macon?

Mercer’s Innovation Center, led by Stephanie Howard, offers a variety of resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to get started on a new business idea.

How do you define success?

As leaders, we are keenly aware that helping our students to become successful means that we must equip our Enrollment Management team members to be successful. As we pour into their professional growth and development, we know that they will be better prepared to serve our students.

What are you most excited about right now in our community?

A full college experience includes a vibrant community. We are thrilled that downtown Macon continues to expand with small businesses, culture and cuisine. Mercer Music at Capricorn and the McEachern Art Center are Mercer’s purposeful contributions to a thriving downtown area.

What is the most gratifying part of your job?

Our joy is twofold: 1) Developing personal relationships with our students, getting to know them as people and watching them grow and succeed because of the transformative Mercer experience. 2) Leading professional staff to find not only a career, but a calling.

What has been the most challenging part of being a woman in business?

Taking care of ourselves as much as we care for others. Women often perceive that it is selfish to take care of themselves first because they have so many others that depend on them. Women must make their health and well-being (physical, mental and spiritual) a priority so that they have the strength and energy to manage the many challenges and competing priorities.

We admire women who: Are kind but never weak. Are humble enough to admit that their success depends on their people. As John Maxwell states, “Great leaders empower others around them to be greater than they are.”

Believe in a purpose-driven mission to serve others.

How can women better support each other?

We are deeply committed to mentoring and supporting other women. We must understand that we all rise together, and oftentimes, women can be the very ones who tear down other women. Instead of comparing ourselves to other women – which only leads to competition and judgment – we need to edify each other. Start with a simple act of complimenting another woman and telling her what you learned specifically by watching or listening to her. Developing a mindset of support and encouragement begins with small but significant daily interactions. 

Looking back, we wish we had: Not let others’ opinions influence our daily walk. Fear of failure and others’ judgement can be paralyzing. Mistakes and failure are not only inevitable, they are welcome. If we are not failing, we are not taking the risks and opportunities that will help us refine our talents and gain hidden wisdom along the way.