Diversity Recruitment Boosts Minority Enrollment A-B Tech

Phyllis Utley, Diversity Recruiter for A-B Tech.
Phyllis Utley, Diversity Recruiter for A-B Tech.

Phyllis Utley, A-B Tech’s first Diversity Recruiter, focuses on helping underserved communities learn about the college and its programs, as well as helping students navigate admissions and financial aid.

Since Utley assumed the role, Latino enrollment has increased by nearly 3 percent.

Utley, who also speaks fluent Spanish, is active in the local African American and Latino communities and recruits at local high schools, career fairs, festivals, and other events. She also is an advisor for the college’s Minority Student Leadership Academy and cohosts the A-B Tech “No Limits” radio show on WRES-100.7 FM. She has been with the college since 2010 and was named diversity recruiter in 2014.

A New York City native and graduate of Dartmouth University, Utley believes in the power of education to elevate and transform lives. Her work often extends into evenings and weekends, but she says it is essential to reaching the people A-B Tech hopes to attract.

“I like to go where people are, where they are congregating and invite people to campus to share information and answer questions,” she said. “I have them meet other people on campus, faculty members, and currently enrolled students so they can share their experience. They can see someone of perhaps a similar background and think, ‘Wow, if they can do it, I can, too.’”

Utley often hosts groups of first-generation college students on campus. “I love to have people come on campus because that is part of the equation to let them know this is their school and they have the opportunity to come and learn and take tours,” she said.

While Utley has done plenty of traditional recruiting during her career, her focus on diversity requires her to pursue other more non-traditional approaches.

“There are lots of different events in Asheville and there are meetings for the communities where people come with their concerns in relationship to not being in a majority group,” she said. “There’s also a collaboration of black and Latino leaders who come together on a monthly basis to discuss different ways in which to empower the community and share resources and information.”

Utley is also an integral part of the Minority Student Leadership Academy, which she says helps students have a successful experience once they are admitted to A-B Tech. The Academy is open to all students, but places special emphasis on the needs of multicultural students, diversity issues, and cultural awareness. It also offers leadership development opportunities and creates networking opportunities for members with individuals currently working in various occupations throughout the Asheville area.

To learn more, visit abtech.edu/admissions or call (828) 398-7900.