Terra State announces new VP of student affairs and enrollment services
Terra State Community College would like to formally announce the addition of Garien Hudson to the admissions, advising and enrollment services department.
Hudson, formerly of Fort Wayne, IN, will join Terra State as vice president of student affairs and enrollment services. Previously, he served Capital University as Director of Admissions since 2017. Hudson received a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Social Studies Education from Taylor University and Master of Science in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Hudson started his higher education career at the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, IN as an admissions counselor, progressing later to senior admissions counselor and then assistant director of admissions. He then moved on to Purdue University Fort as assistant director of multicultural recruitment. In 2014, he came back to the University of St. Francis and served as the director of student retention and diversity programming.
After 14 years in higher education, Hudson reflects that his career path chose him and not vice versa. His goal was to teach high school social studies while coaching football, to one day become a school athletic director. After graduating during a time of scarcity for teaching jobs, Hudson’s wife found a newspaper clipping that was advertising an admissions counselor position. This was the start of his very successful career at public and private institutions across Indiana and Ohio.
Hudson credits his experience for allowing him to see the transformative nature of students and being there to see their newfound outlook on life.
“A lot of that has to do with just the way higher education is set up to help people explore different opportunities, whether it's career passions or personal development and growth,” said Hudson, “It’s really intriguing to watch that progress and then be able to come alongside people on that journey.”
At Capital, Hudson took pride in the time and dedication given to building cohesive teams within admissions. Capital saw one of their best years of enrollment in 2019, setting records of the most applicants and enrollment numbers in university history.
At Terra State, Hudson hopes to continue the mindset of aiming to exceed enrollment objectives and position Terra State to have a conducive admissions model that becomes industry standard. Focusing on building a strong foundation of trust will help Hudson and his team create closer relationships with students and families. He also hopes to become more involved in the campus community and be a part of the positive community image of Terra State.
“Terra State is the full package as an institution because of its certifications, degree programs, CCP, online and in classroom instruction, housing, athletics. When you consider the cost of Terra State as an added value, you just don’t see that often,” said Hudson, “It’s a combination of things that makes Terra State what it is that really jumps out to me and speaks volumes. Terra State truly checks many boxes and addresses many concerns families might have when weighing the option of pursuing higher education.
In his free time, Hudson is involved with his church. He also likes to stay active with his wife and three children at nearby Metroparks and enjoys going on family hiking trips in Hocking Hills.