Let's Talk
Each year, our Admission Staff makes contact with schools, counselors, students, and families around the globe, all to find the students for whom F&M is the right fit—and who are a good fit for F&M. Find your regional representative below, and connect with us whenever you are ready.
Please note: regional representative assignments are determined by the location of your high school.
International students: please scroll through to Hannah Kim, Associate Director of International Admission.
For information about the Franklin & Marshall Admission Network (FAN): please scroll through to Mary Manacher below.
To find your representative, enter the full name of your state in the search field (below):
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Jimmie Foster Jr.
Vice President for Enrollment Management
B.A.: Government and Politics, George Mason University
M.S.: Higher Education Administration, Drexel University -
Matt Arant
Assistant Director of Regional Admission - TX/South Central United States
B.A.: University of the Ozarks, M.P.A.: University of Kentucky
Originally from Austin, TX, Matt graduated from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, AR in 2012 with degrees in History & Literature and Sociology. While at Ozarks, Matt was heavily involved on campus, including being team captain of the varsity tennis team and holding other leadership roles within student government and residential life. He also received a M.P.A. with a concentration in Higher Education Policy/Administration from the University of Kentucky in 2016.Prior to joining F&M, Matt worked in education policy at two national nonprofit organizations, The Council of State Governments and Women In Government and most recently served as a policy consultant to gubernatorial and Congressional campaigns in Arkansas. Matt is thrilled to work towards improving college access from the school perspective and as part of a university that strongly values improving educational accessibility and attainability for all students.Territories:- Alabama (AL)
- Arkansas (AR)
- Colorado (CO)
- Kansas (KS)
- Louisiana (LA)
- Mississippi (MS)
- Missouri (MO)
- Nebraska (NE)
- Oklahoma (OK)
- Tennessee (TN - Memphis)
- Texas (TX)
- Homeschooled Students
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Samantha Armstrong
Admission Counselor
Samantha essentially grew up on Franklin and Marshall’s campus. A Lancaster native, her mom has been a professor at the college for over 30 years. She moved away for a few years to study Cognitive and Behavioral Science, but she couldn’t stay away for long. She decided to come back to her second home in Lancaster and join the Admission Office at F&M! On the weekends you can find her hiking, kayaking, reading or seeing a show at the Fulton Theater; her favorite place in town. Her favorite genres of music include pop and jazz and her favorite foods include tacos and pierogies. She also loves getting ice cream in the city, so if you see her, come say hi!
Territories:
- Connecticut (CT)
- Indiana (IN)
- Iowa (IA)
- Maine (ME)
- Massachussetts (MA)
- Michigan (MI)
- Minnesota (MN)
- New Hampshire (NH)
- North Dakota (ND)
- Rhode Island (RI)
- South Dakota (SD)
- Vermont (VT)
- Wisconsin (WI)
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Kim Bryan
Associate Director of Admission Visits & Events -
Christine Cahill
Associate Director of Admission
Though new to the F&Mily, as the Associate Director of Admission, she is not new to higher education. After her graduation from Siena College in 1998, she began her admission career at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY.In 2001, she moved on to Iona College in New Rochelle, NY. Twelve years at Iona College proved to be very successful for Christine. Iona provided her with multiple promotions and a Master of Arts degree in Corporate Communication in 2011 as well!
After Iona College, she moved on to what those of us in the business say “to the other side” of the desk for eight years to be the Director of College Counseling at The Harvey School in Katonah, NY. While at The Harvey School, Christine became very familiar with the F&M community and culture.
During her tenure at Harvey, she had many of her high school students attend F&M. “I loved how the F&M experience shaped my past students, the growth they made over their four years. F&M made my students stronger individuals, independent learners, more critical thinkers, and problem solvers.” When given the opportunity to join this amazing community and more specifically the admission team this past August, she jumped at it!
Christine is excited to start this new chapter of her life- a new home (having relocated from Bronx, NY to Lancaster, PA), new friendships, and another community to grow with and learn from! “I cannot wait to explore all that Franklin & Marshall, Lancaster City, and Lancaster County has to offer!!!”
Favorite food - As a New Yorker, I love my NY foldable pizza, bagels, and NYC “dirty dog” street vendor carts- don’t forget the kraut, mustard only, and hold the ketchup! But I am falling in love with how “foodie” Lancaster and surrounding areas are! The options are so much more than I expected, it will take me a while to experience them all but excited for the food adventure. I have a new found love for pretzels- especially German pretzel sticks and rolls!
Territories:- Pennsylvania (PA - SE PA)
- Georgia
- Maryland
- Transfers
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Jen Carriere
Assistant Director of Regional Admission - California and Western United States
A Southern California native, Jen graduated from the University of California, San Diego, with a B.A. in Sociology. After living in New York City and traveling the world as a Pan Am flight attendant for four years, Jen decided to return to education, completing the Teacher Education Program at the University of California, Davis. She has taught all grades from kindergarten through 12th grade, most recently being a high school math and computer science teacher in California’s agriculturally rich Northern Sacramento Valley.
Jen always found the college admissions process interesting and began helping underrepresented students with their applications when her own children started looking at colleges. It was here that she found her true passion. Jen completed her Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA in December of 2020 and came on board with Franklin & Marshall the following August. She is committed to helping all students gain access to college and achieve their academic goals.
When not taking care of F&M business, Jen loves to travel with her husband (Bill), visit their three children (Stephanie in Colorado, Sean in Arizona, Christina in Los Angeles), seek out new sushi restaurants, and attend as many college sporting events as she can fit in.
Territories:- Alaska (AK)
- Arizona (AZ)
- California (CA)
- Hawai'i (HI)
- Idaho (ID)
- Montana (MT)
- Nevada (NV)
- New Mexico (NM)
- Oregon (OR)
- Utah (UT)
- Washington (WA)
- Wyoming (WY)
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Nina Castillo
Admission Representative -
Hannah Fralinger
Associate Director of Regional Admission - D.C./South East United States
Hannah is originally from Bridgeton, NJ and graduated from College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina in 2016 with a degree in Middle Grades Education. While at Charleston, she was a part of Delta Gamma sorority and served as her chapter's president in 2015. She was also involved with her college's orientation program, where she found her interest in higher education. Following graduation, she obtained her M.Ed in Higher Education from Northeastern University in 2019
Prior to joining F&M, Hannah was a 6th grade math teacher right out of college, then rejoined her alma mater in 2017 as part of the admissions team. She is very excited to be a part of the F&M community and looks forward to working with students and their families through the college process and building connections with counselors in the area. Hannah is regionally located in Alexandria, VA, but will be making trips up to campus in Lancaster frequently!
When not reading applications, she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, being active, and exploring her new city!
Territories:
- Washington, D.C. (DC)
- Kentucky (KY)
- North Carolina (NC)
- South Carolina (SC)
- Tennessee (TN - Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville and Davidson)
- Virginia (VA)
- West Virginia (WV)
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Brenda Gomez '17
Assistant Director of Admission
B.A.: Franklin & Marshall CollegeBrenda is a first-generation college graduate from Inglewood, California. She attended Franklin & Marshall College and studied Economics and Psychology. Prior to working at her alma mater, Brenda worked for the College Advising Corps where she had the pleasure of assisting high school seniors and their families with the college application process in order to successfully enroll them in a four-year institution. Continuing her passion for college access, Brenda also worked as the Student Success Coordinator at F&M where she was the Director of F&M College Prep. She is extremely excited to now work on the other end in the Admission Office and is looking forward to recruiting the next generation of Diplomats!Territories:
- Florida (FL)
- Illinois (IL)
- New Jersey (NJ - Somerset and Mercer Counties)
- Pennsylvania (PA - Bucks County, Montgomery County, Lehigh Valley, NE PA)
- Puerto Rico (PR)
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Hillen Grason Jr.
Director of Recruitment
B.S. Pennsylvania State UniversityGraduate Certificate, Institutional Research Pennsylvania State UniversityHillen joined Franklin & Marshall in the April of 2019. As a first generation and Pell eligible college student himself, he is passionate about helping prospective students and their families navigate their respective college searches. Growing up in the diverse suburbs between Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC has played a major role in shaping Hillen’s philosophy on the value of immersing one’s self in a community like F&M’s.
Prior to joining F&M, Hillen started his career in higher education as an Assistant Men’s Basketball coach at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. He went on to spend six years at Albright College. He continued his coaching efforts for three years, and began working in the Office of Admission in 2014.
When not traveling or reading applications, he enjoys spending time with his wife (Brittany) and daughter (Adalee). They are avid sports fans, and are excited by the welcome they received when joining the F&M community.
Favorite Travel Season Food – Crab cake sandwich. As a Maryland native, I try to enjoy good seafood whenever and wherever I can find it!
Next “Bucket List” Travel Destination – Italy. My wife, Brittany, and I have already started planning how we will eat our way through the various regions of Italy, enjoying the variety of cuisines along the way.
Favorite Place in Lancaster – Clipper Magazine Stadium. Home of our minor league baseball team, the Barnstormers. This is a great venue to take the family and enjoy a nice summer evening.
Territory:
Pennsylvania (PA - Lancaster County)
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Hannah Kim
Associate Director of International Admission
B.A. Muhlenberg College; M.Ed. University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
Originally from Hershey, PA, Hannah graduated from Muhlenberg College with a double major in English and Media & Communication. Hannah’s passion for education and for helping students began at Muhlenberg when she became a Writing Tutor as well as a Writing Assistant for various First-Year Seminar classes. Always having a love for travel, Hannah studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland in a Communication Studies program, and after graduation, she moved to Seoul, South Korea where she taught English for four years and moved into a Faculty Manager position.
While living in South Korea, she completed her M.Ed. in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership with a concentration in Global Studies in Education through the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign. When finally returning to the United States, Hannah used her passion for education leadership and for working with international students to begin an International Admissions Counselor role at Notre Dame of Maryland University, an all-women’s college located in Baltimore, MD.
After traveling to dozens of countries all over the world, she is excited to have come full circle back to south-central PA and is proud to be a part of the diverse global community at F&M.
When not reading applications, Hannah loves to travel, scuba dive, hike, explore new restaurants around the city, and spend time with her husband and their two cats.
Territories:
- International
- U.S. Territories
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Mary Manacher
FAN Program Manager & Senior Advisor to the FAN Board
Volunteer alumni and parents from around the nation serve as ambassadors for the College as part of the Franklin & Marshall Admission Network (FAN), which builds community among past, present and future students and parents of F&M and promotes the benefits of an F&M education to prospective students and their parents. Learn more here. -
Keily Pacheco '19
Assistant Director of Admission and Coordinator for Multicultural Recruitment
Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Keily is a first-generation college graduate from Franklin & Marshall College with a degree in Sociology. While at F&M, Keily was a student assistant in the Admission Office and then went on to join the Pennsylvania College Advising Corps and served as a College Adviser at William Penn Senior High School in York, PA. Keily is excited to continue her passion for college access and is looking forward to meeting and connecting with prospective students and their families.
On her down time, Keily enjoys weekend outings with her friends and FaceTime calls with her family back home. More than anything she loves shopping sprees at Target and/or a night in with a good read and Netflix.
Some of her favorite spots to grab a bite to eat in Lancaster are; Cocina Mexicana, Callaloo, Rachel’s Cafe & Creperie, and Chellas Arepa Kitchen.
Territories:
- Delaware (DE)
- New Jersey (NJ - Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Sussex, Union, Warren)
- Pennsylvania (PA - Philadelphia)
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Mariah Wagner
Admission Counselor
B.A.: Millersville University of PA
A native of Lancaster County, Mariah grew up in the small town of Denver, Pennsylvania. Sticking close to home, she continued her education at Millersville University of PA, studying Psychology and Political Affairs. After college, her love of Lancaster and her passion for assisting students led her to join the Franklin and Marshall admission’s team.
Her favorite spot in town is either the Lancaster Central Market, home to a wide variety of foods and goods, or Max’s Eatery, which has great food and milkshakes in a retro setting.
When she is not hanging out with her cat Storm, she enjoys working out, watching anime, reading and socializing with her friends.
Fun Facts: She has a hamster named Ralph, as well as two other cats and a dog. Her favorite food is crab legs, and her favorite movie is The Princess Bride.
Territories:
- New York (NY)
- Ohio (OH)
- Pennsylvania (Western PA)
