NACEP Hits a GrandSlam!

Written by: Brandon Baskett, Vice Chair, NACEP Engagement Commission

It’s the ninth inning. The bases are loaded. Everyone is in position. The crowd is watching as their team’s best batter approaches the plate. The pitcher is sweating profusely on the mound. He fights through fear to deliver his best pitch and…CRACK! The baseball pops off the bat and goes soaring through the air, becoming less visible as every second passes. As the ball floats out of the park, each base runner crosses home plate, and their team triumphs over the opponent. Walk off victory! Game over!

If you’re a baseball fan, you probably felt that excitement and connected that example to an experience with your favorite team. As I reflected on NACEP’s National Conference in St. Louis, all I could do was think about watching and hearing crowds erupt at sporting events as their home team’s best player produced an all-time performance that led the team to victory. It’s thrilling, and so is being a member and Engagement Commission Vice Chair with NACEP.

NACEP continues to deliver outstanding professional learning opportunities and experiences. This year was even clearer as conference registrants poured into Busch Stadium, home of Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals. Laughter and joy filled the air as registrants strutted into the stadium wearing their favorite team’s apparel. There was friendly banter between rivals and debates about whose team was better or worse.

NACEP always gets it right by purposefully connecting and engaging with the people and not just the professional title they hold. I chose to highlight the Welcome Reception because it was a defining moment that helped put first-time conference attendees at ease. There’s a common saying that people don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care. I know that NACEP’s leadership team cares, and it’s evident at each event. As a result, I’m certain that members and conference attendees left St. Louis with transformative ideas that will greatly impact dual and concurrent enrollment programming throughout the country.