Muskingum University graduate comes back to help other college students
NEW CONCORD – He didn’t foresee it, but he found a career – and a home.
“I never had a plan or career goal in high school, or even in college,” recalled Jake Burnett. “I knew I wanted to attend college and find a career I enjoy. I just wasn’t sure what that might be.”
Today, Burnett is the director of admission at Muskingum University.
“After graduating from Muskingum in 2005,” he said, “I spent a year in northern Minnesota. During that time, I felt a leading to return back to Muskingum County. That summer, I received a message from the director of admission encouraging me to apply for an open position. So I moved back to New Concord and started working as an admission counselor. Since then, I’ve had varying roles in the admission office working with high school students, transfer students, and developing partnerships and connections with high school counselors and community college advisors. In June of this year, I became the director of admission.”
“Jake Burnett checks every box for an effective leader,” assessed Gary Atkins, assistant director of admission at Muskingum. “He’s ambitious, compassionate, creative, friendly, and very smart, just to name a few of his qualities. But above all, he is probably the kindest person I have ever known. He understands people, and he relates to them in a way that makes them understood and valued. In a quiet and unassuming way, he earns the trust of everyone who knows him, and he garners the respect of those who know him well and work with him daily.”
Now 39, Burnett grew up near Wilmington in southwestern Ohio and graduated from East Clinton High School (“a small rural school in a farming community”) in 2001.
“I took piano lessons as a youth,” he said, “and was involved in musical theater in high school. I continued that love of music as I attended Muskingum College (now University) in the fall of 2001. My major at Muskingum was music (with a focus on piano), with minors in religion and speech communication.
“As a student at Muskingum,” he continued, “I started giving campus tours after my first semester. I enjoyed the personal interaction with high schoolers and their family. There was something about helping students learn more about college and follow their passions that sparked an interest in me. During my senior year at Muskingum, I took a student intern position with the admission office. I got to know our director of admission at the time, Beth DaLonzo, who helped me get a sense of what the admission profession entailed.
“I also met my wife, Beth, a Canton native,” he noted, “while studying at Muskingum.”
As an undergrad, Burnett was also “very involved in Christian groups.”
“My friends and I started a band and worship service on campus called Total Praise,” he said. “I also found a passion for Christian growth and community while a student. Men’s Bible studies and Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) also had a major impact on my development. Currently I attend and lead worship at the Muskingum Valley Vineyard Church in Putnam.
“I love the path my life has taken,” Burnett concluded. “I wouldn’t change anything. We’ve made lifelong friends in this community through Muskingum University and our valued connections with the Muskingum Valley Vineyard Church. Though Beth and I are from different parts of the state, we’ve made a home here in Muskingum County.”
For more information about Muskingum University, log on www.muskingum.edu.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Muskingum University grad comes back to help other college students
