Admissions Leader Uses Deep Passion for Ole Miss to Recruit

By Clare Heller
Hottytoddy.com intern
ceheller@go.olemiss.edu

Each year, thousands of young people from all over the world consider becoming a part of the Ole Miss family. Martin Fisher, an Ole Miss legacy and alumnus, works on the frontlines with a talented team in the Admissions Office every day recruiting future generations of Rebels.

Born and raised in Greenwood, Mississippi, Fisher spent many Saturdays on the Ole Miss campus attending football games. He is a third-generation legacy at the university, where his grandfather played football and his parents met.

Martin Fisher is the Associate Director of Admissions for Orientation and Campus Visit Programs. Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Communications.

When it came time to make a college decision, Fisher was drawn to Ole Miss and even received the opportunity to be the walk-on kicker for the football team. Academically, the university provided him a place to expand on leadership skills he discovered in high school through a brand new special program, the Trent Lott Leadership Institute.

“I was a part of the Lott Leadership Institute and kind of discovered a new passion while I was here,” said Fisher “I got to know our administrators and decided ‘I want to do what they do every day.’”

After graduating in 2011 with a degree in public policy leadership, Fisher then went on to earn his master’s degree in higher education. While completing his master’s program at night, he worked as an intern for one of the campus ministries during the day. One year later, he applied to be an admissions counselor for the university.

He has worked with Admissions ever since in different roles. Starting as a traveling admissions counselor, he has climbed the ladder over the last few years until reaching his current position the Associate Director of Admissions for Orientation and Campus Visit Programs. He jokes that he wears many hats as he also serves as a faculty advisor for some student organizations and a professor for EDHE 105, a freshman class that facilitates a smoother high school to college transition.

“I get to work with prospective students, new students as their transitioning, and current leaders and students,” said Fisher. “I get to work with students in a lot of different phases, which is a lot of fun.”

Fisher works year-round welcoming visitors and prospective students to Ole Miss. His passion for the university reaches thousands of people who come for daily tours, visit days, and new student orientation. He recognizes all of the opportunity Ole Miss offers and shares it with everyone he meets.

From Greenwood, MS, Fisher is a third-generation Ole Miss student. Photo provided.

“I’m really proud of how our University can challenge the brightest minds, but then help prepare students who were less academically prepared coming to college and set them up for a lifetime of success,” Fisher said.

Making a decision about where to attend college is a huge milestone in any young person’s life, and Fisher realizes that in his role, he has the power to influence that decision.

“I do have the ability to impact where somebody goes to college, which can set up the trajectory of their future,” said Fisher. “I feel very fortunate to be in a position that, I think, matters.”

Deterrian Jones, a student ambassador and orientation coordinator, has worked with Fisher for two years now. He respects Fisher’s ability to be both a leader and supporter in the Ole Miss community, while also keeping the big picture in mind.

“Whether he is giving an information session or training orientation leaders, students are always at the forefront of the work that Martin does,” said Jones.

Fisher believes in the power of a high-quality education and has seen first-hand how it has the power to change people’s lives, which serves as his underlying motivation. He says it all starts with the fact that he believes in what higher education can do for people.

“I think that Ole Miss is uniquely positioned as the flagship university of Mississippi, the premier institution in the state, to educate our state, but also educate people from all across the United States and the world,” he said.

He has developed a strong respect for the university and what it is able to do for its students. One standout element Fisher incorporates into his work is the genuine care that people have for every member of the Ole Miss family.

“From faculty and staff to everything in between, they’re not just friendly, they care about students being successful and setting them up for a future,” said Fisher. “I have become a part of that culture, and it’s one that I have not wanted to leave.”

Over the years, Fisher has shared countless facts and figures to visitors and prospective students. He has memorized information about special programs and financial aid, as well as university history and important dates and deadlines, but most people who interact with him remember how he made them feel.

“His individual interactions leave lasting impacts and work to make Ole Miss feel like home for students and faculty alike, with one of those students being myself,” Jones said.

Whitney Sweeney, Fisher’s co-worker and Coordinator of Campus Visit Programs, agrees that Fisher makes every interaction personal, and that he understands that every person who comes to campus is important.

“Martin has a way of connecting with anyone and making them feel special,” she said.

This job has challenged him and allowed him to grow as a person as he must relate to each new visitor he encounters. An endless stream of prospective students also means that there is no end for this job, and Fisher realizes that there will always be some way to improve.

“The attitude that I take with all the programs I work with is that we can always be better,” said Fisher. “I want to celebrate the small victories, but I also want to always look at it and say, ‘How can we be better?’”