Stephanie Marchant, Professional Studies & Graduate Admissions Counselor
By Madelyn Montgomery
Stephanie Marchant defines the very personality that attracted her to Reinhardt as a student: friendly, supportive and helpful.
Marchant ’89, ’01 found Reinhardt years ago, as she was searching for a more welcoming place to earn her degree. Starting off at a larger university, she found it wasn’t the place for her – she needed a more family friendly atmosphere where she could learn in a smaller classroom setting.
Marchant quickly fell in love with Reinhardt. Now, 20 years later, she’s impacting current and future students the way her instructors influenced her
While she spent some time teaching both introduction and upper level courses in the communications department, a full-time open position in the Office of Professional Studies and Graduate Admissions piqued her interest. Now, she has the opportunity to recruit new students to Reinhardt.
“It is the perfect place for me because I speak to people who want to go back to school, whether to complete their degree in our online programs or to continue their educations at the master’s level,” said Marchant. “I can relate because I did both, and my genuine affection for Reinhardt and encouragement is sometimes persuasive.”
Her journey in higher education has been so encouraging that she now plans to earn a doctorate degree in Student Affairs and Higher Education to complement her existing bachelor’s and master’s degrees. No matter what she pursues, including her new position, her priority is influencing students to achieve their best, something she continues to teach in First Year Seminar, a required course for incoming freshmen.
When Marchant isn’t teaching or recruiting for Reinhardt, she can be found cheering on Eagles athletic teams. One of her most exciting moments was seeing some of her students make Reinhardt University history by competing in the NAIA National Championship football game in Daytona Beach, Florida in 2017. Her school spirit did not go unnoticed, as she earned the Jason Gamel Award – nominated and voted on by Reinhardt students – for her consistent encouragement and support for students around campus, on the field or on the stage.
