Mia Rogers is Lake Forest Academy’s new college counselor and Associate Dean of College Counseling. Formerly she worked at Hamilton College as a Senior Assistant Dean of Admission and the Director of Diversity Recruitment.

“I was recruiting students, traveling a lot to visit high schools in the fall (LFA being one of the schools that I would visit every single year), and reading applications,” Rogers said about her time at Hamilton.

Before working at Hamilton, Rogers attended the school and helped with the office of admissions as a student. Rogers worked as a host for prospective students, a tour guide, and a senior fellow.

“I loved my campus job. I majored in theatre and comparative American studies, but found my most meaningful experience was working in the office of admission,” she said. “So afterwards I kinda felt like ‘ugh this would be great if I could do this as a job’ and one of my bosses was like ‘you can do this as a job.’” 

Rogers decided to cross over from the college side of admissions to the high school side because she felt she was drawn to LFA’s mission.

“I don’t think I would’ve crossed over for any school, but Lake Forest Academy in particular was, I would say, in the top five boarding schools that I had visited across the country, and one of the schools where if there was ever an open position, I would be absolutely happy to work there and feel that the job would be meaningful for me could have some amazing connections with students on campus,” Rogers said.

Since she has moved to the Lake Forest area, Rogers has enjoyed walking on the preserves by campus as well as preserves that  border Lake Michigan.

“I’m a huge walker. I like to hike. Illinois is very flat though, I have to say I’m mentally acknowledging that. It’s not the Adirondacks by any means.”

Although she hasn’t found her favorite food or work spot in the Lake Forest area yet, she is open to suggestions.

“I haven’t found it yet, but I am open to suggestions if anyone wants to email me places to check out. I am happy for them. Especially if it is something I can do in a socially distant way,” Rogers said.

The part of LFA she is enjoying the most so far is the same thing that drew her to want to work at LFA when she was working at Hamilton.

“One of my favorite parts of LFA is whenever I would come to visit in the fall, or even for the case study this past January, the students I would meet with were always just so amazing, like just so engaging…I feel it is the same way with the students who are my counselees. I just really enjoyed getting to know everyone, getting to hear more about their summers, their life, why they’re at LFA, what they love about the school, what they would maybe change. It’s just been a fun time,” Rogers said.

In the coming years at LFA, Rogers is looking forward to experiencing first-hand what LFA is like when there is not a pandemic going on. 

“I’m really looking forward to experiencing the LFA community as it usually is and really seeing everything that it has to offer,” Rogers said.