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Admissions Staff

Will Bell
Title	Associate Director of Admissions
Email	wbell@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5427
What’s the best advice you would give to an incoming student? It’s OK to not know what you want to major in or what you want to do. You don’t have to have everything figured out when you get to college or when you leave it. Have fun, get involved, and enjoy your experience. What Harry Potter House are you in? What’s a Harry Potter House? What’s one TV show or movie that you’ll stop and watch every time it’s on? I enjoy watching sports so I’ll watch most any baseball and NFL or college football game. Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and Seinfeld are some of my favorite shows; I’ll always watch them if they’re on.

Yee Lea Cho
Title	Associate Director of Admissions
Email	ycho02@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5356
What’s the best advice you would give to an incoming student? Ask ALL the questions. There are so many opportunities and resources that exist just to serve you so don’t be afraid to speak up – you may never know if you don’t ask. Do you collect anything? If so, what? Postcards! I love antique/thrift store finds and collecting them from my travels. With an unlimited budget, where would your next vacation be? Iceland, hands down. I’ve only visited once but would go back in a heartbeat. The food is expensive so I’d need an unlimited budget.

Catherine Ellzey
Title	Admissions Counselor
Email	cellzey@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5718
With an unlimited budget, where would your next vacation be? I think I would go to the Bahamas during the coolers months of November-March. I love the idea of beaches, white sands and clear, blue water, but the sun and I don’t get along well. I’d go during the cooler months when the average high is low 80s and stay all winter long! What’s one TV shoe or movie that you’ll stop and watch every time it’s on? National Treasure. I cannot explain how much I love both National Treasure movies. If I find out someone hasn’t seen either movie, I will stop what I’m doing and immediately make them watch at least the first one. I’m still waiting on that third movie! What is something that you think everyone should do at least once in their lives? Everyone should do one thing that absolutely terrifies them at least once. It’s a great confidence booster to conquer your fears and realize you’re stronger than you thought you were. Recently, I went indoor skydiving, and it was a blast. I conquered my fear of falling and heights and I proved I could do anything I set my mind to.

Lauryn Fridley
Title	Admissions Counselor
Email	lfridley@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5199
What’s the best advice you would give to an incoming student? The best advice that I could give to an incoming student is to be yourself and try everything. I made it an effort to get involved on campus right away, and I met some of the greatest people in my life that I will cherish forever. Getting involved and trying new things on campus will help you gain confidence and make your college experience the best years of your life. College is not just about academics, it’s also about the experiences you create and the people you meet along the way. With an unlimited budget, where would your next vacation be? I think my next vacation would be Europe! I would absolutely love to visit the iconic monuments and landmarks. From eating pasta in Italy, waffles in Belgium, and fondue in Switzerland, Europe has so much to offer! You get the best of both worlds by having beautiful beaches to walk on and snowy mountains to climb up. I am also a big fan of the Olympics, so I would love to tour ancient Greece and see where the first games were held, and maybe take a trip down to Santorini. With an unlimited budget, I really don’t see myself coming back! What’s one TV show or movie that you’ll stop and watch every time it’s on? One TV show that I will always watch no matter what is, The Office! I know it’s one of the most popular shows, but it is definitely one of my favorites. I have watched the whole show all the way through at least four times and I have no shame in saying that! I even have a Dwight bobblehead on my desk that I received as a gift from one of my former bosses. If you were turn on any episode of the show, I could most likely give you the story plot and the season it comes from. The Office got me through some pretty stressful times in college, and it’s still a show that I will always turn on to this day!

Jessica Gill
Title	Senior Admissions Counselor
Email	jgill@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5190
What are you most looking forward to in the next 10 years? I am looking forward to getting my Master’s Degree in higher education and continuing to work with students. Outside of my education and professional goals, I have always wanted to own chickens, so hopefully I will have a farm with chickens by then as well. What is something that you think everyone should do at least once in their lives? Travel outside of the country. Even if it is only to Canada or all the way to Australia, I feel like traveling is an education in itself. It is a way to learn about other cultures and open your eyes to how people just like us function and live in different parts of the world. What’s the best advice you would give to an incoming student? Enjoy every moment. You do not need to know every answer to your life now, but once you graduate, you will not get this time back. Focus on your studies, but take time to explore and meet new people or try new hobbies. This is the time to find yourself.

Marley Pensinger
Title	Admissions Counselor
Email	mpensing@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5514
If you could have one superpower, which would you choose? I would like the ability to speak every language so that I can visit anywhere in the world and be able to communicate, and also be able to read books written in their original language. If you could be any animal what would you be? I want to be an otter just so I can hang out with the other otters. They are too cute! If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with your extra time? My favorite hobby is picking up new hobbies so I would use that time to become proficient in at least one of them. I would also use that time to get really good at video games.

Florencia Gonzalez
Title	Program Assistant
Email	fgonzale@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5212
Office	Admissions

Siriki Diabate
Title	International Recruiter & Admissions Counselor
Email	sdiabate@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5805
Siriki Diabate is the International Admissions Officer and Recruiter. He graduated from Shepherd with a BS in Political Science/concentration in International Studies (2014), and an MBA in 2016. While at Shepherd, Siriki was an active student leader serving as the president of the International Student Union. He was also selected to represent Shepherd at the West Virginia Legislature via the Frassue-Singleton Internship Program. While at Shepherd, Siriki worked closely with the TRIO program and with the Department of Political Science to arrange campus visits with ambassadors from various West African countries. Siriki is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Strategic Leadership from Regent University.

Barbara Kandalis
Title	Coordinator of Dual Enrollment
Email	bkandali@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Office	Enrollment Management

Beth Thomas
Title	Regents Bachelor of Arts Coordinator
Email	bthomas@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5725

Kristen Lorenz
Title	Director of Admissions
Email	klorenz@shepherd.edu ( Email )
Phone	304-876-5212