VWC welcomes Hinshaw as new dean of admissions
by Clayton Mercurio

Virginia Wesleyan College welcomes Rick Hinshaw to its campus community this semester as the new dean of admissions.

Hinshaw grew up in North Carolina and attended Mars Hill College. There he majored in history and minored in business.

Hinshaw began his career when he received an internship to work for the admissions office at his own college. While there, he spent 12 weeks traveling the United States recruiting students. It was at this time that he realized he would pursue a career in this field.

Before arriving at Virginia Wesleyan, Hinshaw was able to experience this type of work at four other colleges.

Hinshaw has many interests which include his two children (ages four and seven), and his wife,whom he describes as being “pretty nifty.” He enjoys all kinds of music, loves to travel, and believes honesty is his best character trait.

Hinshaw said that God and many people have influenced his life, including his mentor and college history professor, Bob Milendo.

One of Hinshaw’s first impressions of VWC was the feeling of “true community of the students, faculty, staff and administrators.” He noticed that most of the people at VWC regard their work as a passion and express a “real love for this school.”

Hinshaw hopes to focus on the “college vision” by increasing enrollment. He believes VWC should use all of its campus community members to communicate with others because everyone has the ability to influence enrollment.

“Every student at VWC is an enrollment manager,” he said.

One of Hinshaw’s pet peeves is when he hears students say “if I don’t like it there, I’ll transfer” about VWC.

“Four years out of a lifetime is a small commitment and if we take care of our students they’ll take care of us,” he said. “When the going gets tough, you have to learn from those hard times and not back out.”

Hinshaw believes that VWC should be very proud of its diverse student population, international opportunities and changing demographics. He considers the ideal student to be prepared to succeed in college classes and want to develop skills and abilities for a lifetime of success.

On a special note, as the new dean of admissions, Hinshaw would like to welcome current students to be a part of the enrollment process. He believes that contact with all potential students makes a difference in our college community.