Ken Koopmans is the new executive director of career services as of March 11.
Vivian Hughbanks | Collegian
Following former Career Services Director Michael Murray’s transfer to the planned giving department in institutional advancement, Ken Koopmans began working in Hillsdale’s career services office March 11.
Koopmans said he discovered Hillsdale about a decade ago while he was complaining to a friend about higher education.
“My friend mentioned Hillsdale College, and I had never heard of it,” Koopmans said. “I started to explore it, and as I read more and more on the website, I thought, ‘This is an educational utopia.’ I didn’t think education existed in this country.”
A bulky pile of old Imprimis issues on his shelf — clearly all read — prove his long-standing interest.
Koopmans said he first stumbled into career services involvement as a junior at Oswego State University of New York, when he worked as a peer adviser. He said he never had considered a job in career services before, but through that first opportunity — particularly his senior year when he trained incoming peer advisers — he came to consider that type of work as an ideal balance between his two childhood interests: psychology and teaching.
“Working in career services, I discovered there’s a lot of teaching and psychological aspects, including how people are perceived, what drives them, what their interests are, and self-awareness,” Koopmans said.
After graduating from Northeastern University graduate school, Koopmans worked in careers services at Yale University and Amherst College before coming to Hillsdale.
Koopmans said he loves finding and following processes and enjoys helping students figure out the process required in order to achieve their dreams.
At Hillsdale, Koopmans said he has found the job with an added bonus: relationships.
“There’s so many employers who love Hillsdale and alumni who are looking to give back,” Koopmans said.
He said he hopes to tap into the expertise of the alumni, facilitating connections between them and current students and forging relationships to bring about good outcomes. Koopmans said he intends to place Hillsdale students in leadership roles everywhere, adding he believes Hillsdale graduates are the type of people that should be running the country and the world.
Director of Career Services Joanna Wiseley said Koopmans is capable of accomplishing this goal.
“Ken has experience in employer relations at Yale. He will bring a strategic plan to career services to enhance the way we reach out to employers,” Wiseley said in an email. “He is passionate about the liberal arts, career services activities, and especially the mission of Hillsdale College.”
It’s the mission of the college that makes Hillsdale stand out, Koopmans said.
“At other schools, they don’t have such a clear mission; there’s not necessarily a commonality,” Koopmans said. “That’s one thing that brings everyone together here: We’re all philosophically working towards the same goal.”
His positive attitude has impressed the staff and students he has met so far, they said.
“In the short time we’ve been working together, I have been energized by his experience, ideas, and passion for career development,” Assistant Director of Career Services John Quint said. “Everyone should be enthusiastic about the future of career services under his leadership — I know I am.”
Koopmans also said he hopes to encourage students to make the most of their transferrable skills, something he has done as a national referee for U.S. soccer.
“I loved the psychological component of managing the players on the field, making quick decisions under pressure, and having the pressure to make decisions in intense situations — that was a challenge that was fun to work through, and it’s a character builder,” Koopmans said.
In his free time, Koopmans said he is becoming acquainted with the city, its restaurants, and coffee shops; planning his wedding with his fiancée; and attending the many speakers Hillsdale brings to campus.
“I’ve interacted with different students here, and there’s a level of intelligence and a level of professionalism, maturity, and respect among the students that I don’t see on a consistent basis,” Koopmans said. “It makes my job much easier, and I’m so excited to see how invested everyone is in the success of the students.”