Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Career Experience
Timeline
Generic

Gabrielle Sowell

Rosharon

Summary

Skilled higher education professional with 10+ years of leadership and expertise in the administration of studentfocused programs to promote the integration, growth, and retention of domestic and international students. Solid background in administrative functions and program management to facilitate student progress toward the completion of graduation requirements. Proven history of process improvements to increase efficiencies and boost quality control.

Seasoned Director of Admissions with proven abilities in strategic planning, recruitment processes and student enrollment procedures. Demonstrates strong leadership skills coupled with the ability to manage and motivate teams towards achieving admissions goals. Brings forth innovative ideas that have positively influenced previous institutions' admissions figures. Highly skilled in cultivating relationships with potential students and their families, facilitating seamless admission experiences.

Results-driven Director of Admissions with proven ability to complete tasks efficiently and productively. Possess specialized skills in strategic enrollment management, data analysis for informed decision-making, and crafting compelling admissions communications. Excel in interpersonal communication, team leadership, and problem-solving, ensuring seamless operations within admissions departments.

Overview

16
16
years of professional experience

Work History

Director of Admissions Operations

Texas Southern University
Houston
11.2024 - Current
  • Assists in developing and implementing operating policies, procedures and/or guidelines for best practice admissions processing.
  • Implements and maintains internal controls to monitor and ensure compliance with federal, state, and university policies and regulations.
  • Plans, assigns and supervises the work of the Admissions Office processing staff, application processing, transcripts and test score submissions and admission correspondence.
  • Supports Transfer admission operations including application processing and transcript evaluation services.
  • Manages the department CRM and other admissions systems.
  • Utilizes the CRM to develop and review admission trends and patterns.
  • Identifies innovated approaches to enhance effectiveness of admissions operations and staff.
  • Reports demographic and statistical admission data and trends to university leadership and other constituencies.
  • Identifies staff development and training requirements.
  • Ensures staff attends appropriate training workshops and seminars.
  • Coordinates admissions operations with the Office of the Registrar, Office of Veterans Affairs.
  • Provides support for the academic colleges and schools and administrative departments for admission data.
  • Serves as a liaison with various University departments and offices, such as Information Technology, Financial Aid, Bursars, Institutional Effectiveness, and academic advising units.
  • Implementation of automation of ACT/SAT test score posting
  • Development of admission business procedural manuals

Director of Admissions Processing

University of Houston
Houston
04.2021 - 10.2024
  • Assists with meeting the University's enrollment goals as outlined in the strategic plan.
  • Oversees the activities and processing of domestic and international undergraduate applications and decision.
  • Supervises assistant directors and other department staff directly and through others.
  • Supervise customer service call center.
  • Develops and implements business plans for the integrated domestic processing area.
  • Performs ongoing assessments and improvements in accordance with best practices to maximize efficiency.
  • Collaborates with information technology professionals to enhance and streamline admissions processing systems.
  • Meets with university administrators and other stakeholders to understand their needs and to give regular feedback.
  • Stays up to date with technology currently in use at the university and explores ways to implement processing enhancements.
  • Serves on various administrative committees, represents the university on state committees, and participates in local, state and national conferences.
  • Hire staffing, implement business procedures.
  • Implementation of self-reporting tool (SmartPanda) of high school course and validation of coursework to increase fast-turnaround times, admission decisions, and minimum processing errors that impact student records.
  • Increased faster decision timeline by 50% through customizations in Peoplesoft to decrease manual processes such Raptor and Transcript Express 2.0.
  • Reduced admissions processing errors by 20% via Peoplesoft customizations, restructuring data entry functions, undergraduate admissions processing practices and procedures through intensive training techniques and new manuals to maintain quality control by increasing consistency and decreasing liability.

Senior Caregiver

Home Instead Senior Care Home
Houston
07.2019 - 06.2021
  • Assisted clients with daily living activities and personal hygiene.
  • Monitored client health and reported changes to healthcare professionals.
  • Provided companionship and emotional support to enhance client well-being.

Assistant Director of Admissions

University of Houston
Houston
09.2019 - 04.2021
  • Assists with meeting the University's enrollment goals as outlined in the strategic plan.
  • Develops admissions organizational strategies by contributing information, analysis, and recommendations to strategic thinking and direction; establishing functional objectives in line with organizational objectives.
  • Leads and implements timely and accurate assessment of transfer credit and documentation processing for new students.
  • Develops and implement student-centric processes and systems to enhance workflow in transfer credit, coordination, communication, and decision-making with academic departments and internal and external colleagues in support of streamlining a multi-stage admission process.
  • Supervise and train university staff and set a high standard of professionalism for the Office of Admissions by providing high-quality customer service to students and the general public and divisional and university staff.
  • Maintains data integrity, conducts system testing and upgrades, and implements business processes for effective admission procedures.
  • Executes admissions policies and procedures and adheres to FERPA guidelines.
  • Builds and maintains strong relationships with campus partners, specifically Registrar, Academic Advising, Financial Aid, Student-Athlete Services, and other reporting entities.
  • Interface positively with individual students and colleagues; consistently accurate always; makes consistent and sound decisions based on facts, and systemic in prioritizing responsibilities and expectations.
  • Implementation and training of Smart Panda tools (Transcript Express 2.0) to increase fast-turnaround times, admission decisions, and minimum processing errors that impact student records.
  • Reduced admissions processing errors by 30% via training manuals and restructure functions within transfer credit to maintain quality control by increasing consistency and decreasing liability, which impacts and increases growth in admission decisions.
  • Optimized the skill set of 15+ staff members via training regarding PeopleSoft admission functions such as transcript data entry, checklist clean-up, transfer credit evaluations, rule creation, and other tasks.

Enrollment Specialist II

The University of St. Thomas
Houston
10.2015 - 09.2019
  • Convey information and administrative support regarding enrollment and academic records management in compliance with internal and external policies/procedures.
  • Partner with campus offices to effectively meet student, alumni, and faculty needs.
  • Oversee the review (official/unofficial), data entry, and audit maintenance of transfer and test credit evaluations.
  • Facilitate degree completion by processing undergraduate and graduate course substitutions, enrollment adds/drop, transfer credit approval request and grade changes submitted by department chairs/deans.
  • Manage administrative functions including processing attendance and grade rosters, end of term processes and procedures, serving on the student appeals committee, aiding with commencement, and regularly updating course information on the Texas Common Course System and TES database.
  • Supervise and train student workers.
  • Experience with reviewing/updating academic advising reports and assisted with degree auditing for graduation applicants.
  • Reduced transfer credit evaluation process by 80% via the establishment of new queries and the institution of new articulation protocols when students are matriculated.
  • Dramatically decreased data processing time by 50% through the construction of 100+ institution and programming equivalency tables in PeopleSoft.
  • Implemented and reconstructed 12th-day process for undergraduate and graduate files by creating query reports and recreating checklist materials by academic career and programs.

Coordinator of Admission Processing

University of Houston-Clear Lake
Houston
07.2014 - 09.2015
  • Coordinated the processing and evaluation of freshman, transfer, and graduates files, including efficient document flow among units affecting the admission cycle and receipt of electronic applications and transcripts from the Functional Analyst Team.
  • Approved application fee refunds and non-routine fee waivers.
  • Managed the annual admissions-related purge process regarding records of students who did not enroll within one year of application.
  • Offered work direction as the supervisor to 15+ full-time employees.
  • Ensured adherence to all institutional policies, procedures, and requirements, including maintaining the relevancy of admission guidelines by composing, revising, and recommending changes.
  • Authenticated detailed, complex domestic and international documents, including articulating foreign transcripts for transfer credit and determining core equivalencies for coursework requirements.

International Admissions Counselor

University of Houston-Clear Lake
Houston
01.2013 - 07.2014
  • Advised international admissions applicants from initial contact to matriculation regarding prospective education opportunities, application status, immigration, residency, and institutional policies.
  • Guided processing/evaluation of admission applications and foreign credentials by validating transcript authenticity, researching accreditation status, and monitoring files sent to academic schools.
  • Oversaw ELS and SACM application processing.
  • Aided with events supporting university services and academic advisors.
  • Ensured regulatory compliance as the Designated School Official (DSO) by maintaining appropriate certification standards for such admission documents like financial statements, I-20 preparation, and admission eligibility.
  • Prepared and maintained legally required records on prospective and current international students according to SEVIS and immigration services federal guidelines.
  • Enhanced community outreach via presentations with prospective students at other colleges.

Student Advisor

Houston Community College
Houston
11.2011 - 12.2012
  • Encouraged the retention of international students by conducting monthly informational sessions.
  • Supported individual growth via the analysis of student records prior to orientation and follow up appointments.
  • Oversaw student workers in the preparation of I-20 packages, reinstatements, change of status, work authorization, practical curriculum training, and optional practical training documents to request action under the Department of Homeland Security.
  • Sustained collaborative partnerships with advising offices at different campuses to monitor and convey all aspects of curriculum, sequencing, academic status, registration, and college policies/procedures.
  • Advanced academic progression via referrals to and from faculty and other University offices for student issues/concerns.

Substitute Teacher (part-time)

Pasadena Independent School District
Pasadena
01.2010 - 12.2012

Education

Master of Arts - Education

University of St. Thomas
Houston, TX
05-2018

Bachelor of Arts - Administration of Justice

Texas Southern University
Houston, TX
12-2009

Skills

  • Policy Development
  • Process Improvements
  • Program Administration
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Enrollment Management
  • Training & Staff Development
  • Customer relationship management
  • Customer service
  • Process improvement
  • Data collection
  • Money handling
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Customer consulting
  • Complaint handling
  • Creative problem solving

Career Experience

  • Director of Admissions Operations, 11/01/24, Present, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX, Assists in developing and implementing operating policies, procedures and/or guidelines for best practice admissions processing., Implements and maintains internal controls to monitor and ensure compliance with federal, state, and university policies and regulations., Plans, assigns and supervises the work of the Admissions Office processing staff, application processing, transcripts and test score submissions and admission correspondence., Supports Transfer admission operations including application processing and transcript evaluation services., Manages the department CRM and other admissions systems., Utilizes the CRM to develop and review admission trends and patterns., Identifies innovated approaches to enhance effectiveness of admissions operations and staff., Reports demographic and statistical admission data and trends to university leadership and other constituencies., Identifies staff development and training requirements., Ensures staff attends appropriate training workshops and seminars., Coordinates admissions operations with the Office of the Registrar, Office of Veterans Affairs., Provides support for the academic colleges and schools and administrative departments for admission data., Serves as a liaison with various University departments and offices, such as Information Technology, Financial Aid, Bursars, Institutional Effectiveness, and academic advising units., Implementation of automation of ACT/SAT test score posting, Development of admission business procedural manuals
  • Director of Admissions Processing, 04/01/21, 10/31/24, University of Houston, Houston, TX, Assists with meeting the University's enrollment goals as outlined in the strategic plan., Oversees the activities and processing of domestic and international undergraduate applications and decision., Supervises assistant directors and other department staff directly and through others., Supervises customer service call center., Develops and implements business plans for the integrated domestic processing area., Performs ongoing assessments and improvements in accordance with best practices to maximize efficiency., Collaborates with information technology professionals to enhance and streamline admissions processing systems., Meets with university administrators and other stakeholders to understand their needs and to give regular feedback., Stays up to date with technology currently in use at the university and explores ways to implement processing enhancements., Serves on various administrative committees, represents the university on state committees, and participates in local, state and national conferences., Hires staffing, implements business procedures., Implementation of self-reporting tool (SmartPanda) of high school course and validation of coursework to increase fast-turnaround times, admission decisions, and minimum processing errors that impact student records., Increased faster decision timeline by 50% through customizations in Peoplesoft to decrease manual processes such as Raptor and Transcript Express 2.0., Reduced admissions processing errors by 20% via Peoplesoft customizations, restructuring data entry functions, undergraduate admissions processing practices and procedures through intensive training techniques and new manuals to maintain quality control by increasing consistency and decreasing liability.
  • Assistant Director of Admissions, 09/01/19, 04/30/21, University of Houston, Houston, TX, Assists with meeting the University's enrollment goals as outlined in the strategic plan., Develops admissions organizational strategies by contributing information, analysis, and recommendations to strategic thinking and direction; establishing functional objectives in line with organizational objectives., Leads and implements timely and accurate assessment of transfer credit and documentation processing for new students., Develops and implements student-centric processes and systems to enhance workflow in transfer credit, coordination, communication, and decision-making with academic departments and internal and external colleagues in support of streamlining a multi-stage admission process., Supervises and trains university staff and sets a high standard of professionalism for the Office of Admissions by providing high-quality customer service to students and the general public and divisional and university staff., Maintains data integrity, conducts system testing and upgrades, and implements business processes for effective admission procedures., Executes admissions policies and procedures and adheres to FERPA guidelines., Builds and maintains strong relationships with campus partners, specifically Registrar, Academic Advising, Financial Aid, Student-Athlete Services, and other reporting entities., Interfaces positively with individual students and colleagues; consistently accurate always; makes consistent and sound decisions based on facts, and systemic in prioritizing responsibilities and expectations., Implementation and training of Smart Panda tools (Transcript Express 2.0) to increase fast-turnaround times, admission decisions, and minimum processing errors that impact student records., Reduced admissions processing errors by 30% via training manuals and restructure functions within transfer credit to maintain quality control by increasing consistency and decreasing liability, which impacts and increases growth in admission decisions., Optimized the skill set of 15+ staff members via training regarding PeopleSoft admission functions such as transcript data entry, checklist clean-up, transfer credit evaluations, rule creation, and other tasks.
  • Enrollment Specialist II, 10/01/15, 09/30/19, The University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX, Convey information and administrative support regarding enrollment and academic records management in compliance with internal and external policies/procedures., Partner with campus offices to effectively meet student, alumni, and faculty needs., Oversee the review (official/unofficial), data entry, and audit maintenance of transfer and test credit evaluations., Facilitate degree completion by processing undergraduate and graduate course substitutions, enrollment adds/drop, transfer credit approval request and grade changes submitted by department chairs/deans., Manage administrative functions including processing attendance and grade rosters, end of term processes and procedures, serving on the student appeals committee, aiding with commencement, and regularly updating course information on the Texas Common Course System and TES database., Supervise and train student workers., Experience with reviewing/updating academic advising reports and assisted with degree auditing for graduation applicants., Reduced transfer credit evaluation process by 80% via the establishment of new queries and the institution of new articulation protocols when students are matriculated., Dramatically decreased data processing time by 50% through the construction of 100+ institution and programming equivalency tables in PeopleSoft., Implemented and reconstructed 12th-day process for undergraduate and graduate files by creating query reports and recreating checklist materials by academic career and programs.
  • Coordinator of Admission Processing, 07/01/14, 09/30/15, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX, Coordinated the processing and evaluation of freshman, transfer, and graduates files, including efficient document flow among units affecting the admission cycle and receipt of electronic applications and transcripts from the Functional Analyst Team., Approved application fee refunds and non-routine fee waivers., Managed the annual admissions-related purge process regarding records of students who did not enroll within one year of application., Offered work direction as the supervisor to 15+ full-time employees., Ensured adherence to all institutional policies, procedures, and requirements, including maintaining the relevancy of admission guidelines by composing, revising, and recommending changes., Authenticated detailed, complex domestic and international documents, including articulating foreign transcripts for transfer credit and determining core equivalencies for coursework requirements.
  • International Admissions Counselor, 01/01/13, 07/31/14, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Houston, TX, Advised international admissions applicants from initial contact to matriculation regarding prospective education opportunities, application status, immigration, residency, and institutional policies., Guided processing/evaluation of admission applications and foreign credentials by validating transcript authenticity, researching accreditation status, and monitoring files sent to academic schools., Oversaw ELS and SACM application processing., Aided with events supporting university services and academic advisors., Ensured regulatory compliance as the Designated School Official (DSO) by maintaining appropriate certification standards for such admission documents like financial statements, I-20 preparation, and admission eligibility., Prepared and maintained legally required records on prospective and current international students according to SEVIS and immigration services federal guidelines., Enhanced community outreach via presentations with prospective students at other colleges.
  • Student Advisor, 11/01/11, 12/31/12, Houston Community College, Houston, TX, Encouraged the retention of international students by conducting monthly informational sessions., Supported individual growth via the analysis of student records prior to orientation and follow up appointments., Oversaw student workers in the preparation of I-20 packages, reinstatements, change of status, work authorization, practical curriculum training, and optional practical training documents to request action under the Department of Homeland Security., Sustained collaborative partnerships with advising offices at different campuses to monitor and convey all aspects of curriculum, sequencing, academic status, registration, and college policies/procedures., Advanced academic progression via referrals to and from faculty and other University offices for student issues/concerns.

Timeline

Director of Admissions Operations

Texas Southern University
11.2024 - Current

Director of Admissions Processing

University of Houston
04.2021 - 10.2024

Assistant Director of Admissions

University of Houston
09.2019 - 04.2021

Senior Caregiver

Home Instead Senior Care Home
07.2019 - 06.2021

Enrollment Specialist II

The University of St. Thomas
10.2015 - 09.2019

Coordinator of Admission Processing

University of Houston-Clear Lake
07.2014 - 09.2015

International Admissions Counselor

University of Houston-Clear Lake
01.2013 - 07.2014

Student Advisor

Houston Community College
11.2011 - 12.2012

Substitute Teacher (part-time)

Pasadena Independent School District
01.2010 - 12.2012

Master of Arts - Education

University of St. Thomas

Bachelor of Arts - Administration of Justice

Texas Southern University