DAVID KOGLER
Assistant Director of Admission
Direct: (507) 933-7004
Toll-free: 1-800-GUSTAVUS
Screen name: davidatgustavus (AOL, MSN, & Yahoo)
Territory:
Education: B.A., political science, Gustavus, 2001
Life before Gustavus
By my senior year at Gustavus, I was pretty set on working in the administrative side of government (my adviser said I'm the only person that has told him "I want to be a bureaucrat."). Between the legislators and the citizens are the bureaucrats--I was interested in how their interpretations and execution affected government. However, I began thinking about a career in college administration (between the faculty and the students are the administrators) after working as a tour guide for a year in the Admission Office; after a full-time, post-graduation internship in the Corporate Communications Office of West Group (the big legal publisher in Eagan, MN, now called Thomson Reuters); and after I worked as the Head Legislative Aide in the Revisor of Statutes Office at the Minnesota State Legislature. I've been back at Gustavus since August 2002.
What are your professional/work interests?
Thankfully, my interests match my responsibilities. I have lots of contact with students through my recruiting
What is your best college search tip?
When visiting colleges, be sure to ask any question that occurs to you. No college search question is too tough or dumb for an admission counselor to answer or find the answer for you. Searching for a college is new territory for people, so they should expect the opportunity to ask any question and receive an honest answer.
What are your most recent professional/work projects?
After a year of meeting, scheduling, outlining, writing, and filming, we've finished a series of web videos (and a DVD) about life at Gustavus. Rather than one long overview, we've chopped up the content into little bits of video that cover everything from research to food, studying abroad to the Nobel Conference. Take a look. How'd we do?
What do you learn from interacting with Gustavus students?
As my high school world history teacher emphasized, variety is what makes life interesting. Working and talking and listening to students from so many contrasting backgrounds exposes me to perspectives and experiences different from my own.
What do you value most about working at Gustavus?
The people. From our student tour guides to my Admission colleagues to other employees on campus, I love working where people truly value the College. The resultant attention to detail and quality of everything done here shows. It all starts with the people.
What are your hobbies?
Being the youngest of 5 kids, I sought protection from my siblings in the kitchen with my mom. So, I've discovered a real interest in cooking. (Here's a lesson, kids: buy high-quality cookware and knives-- they're probably the best investment you could make-- other than a Gustavus degree, of course. Had to get that in there. Also-- while I’m at it-- never lease a car and always take a vacation day on your birthday.) Other than eating a lot, I like to run, read the New Yorker, watch loud movies, and make things out of stained glass.
How have you been involved in your community?
How about I tell you about my community? St. Peter is a great town-- something I didn't appreciate much as a city kid attending a college in a rural area. Since there's so much going on on-campus, I didn't make the effort to explore St. Peter. It has a real community feel-- from favorite places like River Rock for coffee or the Food Co-op for organic ingredients to the 4th of July Parade and picnic in
What is your favorite Gustavus tradition?
I was always impressed by Midnight Express. Students work especially hard preparing for finals and it was great to take a break from all the studying. For Midnight Express, the caf is closed down an hour early so that from 10 to midnight students can have free food, listen to the jazz bands, and relax on the night before the first day of finals. It's nice to have profs and staff wishing you luck and serving you chicken wings...
