by Lindsey Valdiviez

The incoming freshman class for the 2013-2014 looks to have a similar number of girls as this year’s freshman class, according to director of admissions Roseann Hudnall. 

After incoming freshmen enroll at St. Teresa’s Academy, Hudnall places every freshman in an advisory in which she will stay for four years. Hudnall says the main factor she considers when placing freshman is a girl’s personality and how it would correlate with an advisor in the future.

“Most of the time I try to get to know the freshman as she shadows,” Hudnall said. “I also try to get to know them through their parents when [the parents and I] talk on the phone and things like that.”

If parents happen to make a request, Hudnall says she does whatever she can to satisfy their inquiries.

“I honor parent requests if at all possible,” Hudnall said. “I’d say I get 10 [requests] a year from parents. I always make them give me three choices. But it doesn’t always work for every request.”

According to a survey, eight of the 31 advisors surveyed said they have requested for certain incoming freshmen to be in their advisories in the past. However, none of the advisories have girls that have all been requested. Rather, there is a mix of girls that have been requested and girls that have been chosen by Hudnall.

Social studies teacher Denise Rueschhoff, who has been requesting some of her advisees for 12 years, said she does so to maintain the togetherness she believes her advisory has.

“I have found that camaraderie is really important and I’ve always had a very close knit advisory,” Rueschhoff said. “I feel like things go smoother.”

According to Rueschhoff, she will request for a freshman if her advisees make suggestions. 

“Usually it’s just recommendations from my current advisees,” Rueschhoff said. “They’ll be like, ‘See if we can get so and so in our advisory’ from girls they know in middle school.”

Though Hudnall tries to work with advisor’s requests, parent requests are always her first priority.

“Once in a while, [teachers] will ask,” Hudnall said. “If [teachers] have a good reason for requesting, I will try and honor that, but a parent’s suggestion will always override an advisor’s request.” 

Junior Katie Tampke, who is in the Rueschhoff advisory, said that the dynamic of their advisory changes when they know an incoming freshman.

“I think a lot of times, if we know the girls coming into the advisory, it makes us generally more excited for the incoming freshmen,” Tampke said. “We love all of them the same when they get here though.”

Tampke also believes her relationship with Rueschhoff is different since she knows that Rueschhoff requested her.

“I knew from the very first day that I was wanted because I knew before I came she requested me,” Tampke said. “We are close but I don’t think that it’s just because she requested me. And she definitely doesn’t treat the girls who were requested any different than the ones who weren’t.”

Of the 22 advisors who said they have no input into who is in their advisory, 10 of them did not know that it was an option. 

Additionally, Hudnall reads personality descriptions of an incoming freshman from elementary school teachers to match her up with an advisory. Though parent and advisor recommendations are considered, the benefit of a student is always Hudnall’s main priority.

“If there is a really darn good reason for a request, we try to do that,” Hudnall said. “Everything we do is what is in the best interest of the student.”