Admissions Staff

Julie Sams

jsams@transy.edu

Director of Admissions

Territories: south central and southwestern Kentucky, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, east Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and US and International territories

Where are you from? 
Georgetown, Kentucky, but I also call North Carolina home after spending over seven years there. 

What’s your favorite Lexington hangout? 
Too many to choose! I participate in the West 6th Walk/Run Club and support other local businesses like Oscar Diggs, Blue Stallion, Buddha Lounge, etc. I also enjoy just being downtown with all the great activities and food options. I love food and love to talk about food (just ask my coworkers)!

Where do you go on campus when you need to get away from your office? 
I enjoy walking through beautiful Gratz Park.

What’s something you’ve always wanted to try? 
Skydiving! Although when faced with the jump I’m not 100 percent sure I would!

What do you love about Transylvania? 
The people and the LOCATION! Transy is its own community, but within the heart of downtown Lexington. You’ll see students, faculty and staff on and off campus enjoying everything Transy and Lexington have to offer! 

Mattie L. Dunn

mdunn@transy.edu

Admissions Counselor

Territories: greater Louisville (Jefferson, Henry, Oldham, Shelby and Spencer counties), northwestern Kentucky, Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma

Where are you from:
Benton, Kentucky 

Favorite Lexington Hangout:
I love a good local coffee shop! My all time favorite is Old School Coffee. I also love to take walks around the nature reserves and public parks in Lexington or joining in on a Trivia night with friends. 

Where do you go when you want to get out of your office:
I’ve always loved the tables in front of our campus library. With a bit of shade and a view of the campus lawn, it’s the perfect spot to read.

Something I’ve always wanted to try:
I’ve learned just a few chords on guitar, but I’ve always wanted to learn more.

What do you love about Transy:
As a former student, I have always known that our sense of community is unique. Now as a staff member, I’m able to see how that commitment to community shines through in new ways. I love how Transylvania offers so many avenues to connect with those around you.

Ben Gallenstein

bgallenstein@transy.edu

Admissions Counselor

Territories: northern Kentucky, California, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Where are you from:
Maysville, Kentucky. 

Favorite Lexington Hangout:
Either the Distillery District or the patio of Local Taco! I love going to trivia at Ethereal in the Distillery District, but I can always have a nice time with chips and dip and good sun.

Where do you go when you want to get out of your office:
Anywhere outside!

Something I’ve always wanted to try:
I’ve always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail!

What do you love about Transy:
The people and the campus. Everyone is always so kind and the campus is always beautiful.

Sarah Guinn

sguinn@transy.edu

Assistant Director of Admissions, Transfer Counselor

Where are you from?
Lexington, Kentucky.

What’s your favorite Lexington hangout?
The patio of Malone’s in Hamburg Pavilion–you can enjoy your favorite sports, get a great meal and it’s not too loud to talk to your friends.

Where do you go on campus when you need to get away from your office?
I love to sit outside, and the new Alumni Plaza is a great place to enjoy the sunshine!

What’s something you’ve always wanted to try?
I wish I knew how to knit, so I could make awesome scarves.

What do you love about Transylvania?
I love the people, particularly my amazing colleagues.

Jennifer Heersche

jheersche@transy.edu

Dual Credit Coordinator

Where are you from:
I was born and raised right here in Lexington!

Favorite Lexington Hangout:
There are some great dining and entertaining spots downtown. Some of my favorite restaurants are Joe Bologna’s, Doodles (which may as well be part of our campus!), ItalX and DV8 Kitchen. There are shows and concerts at the Lexington Opera House and Rupp Arena. The Kentucky Theatre is a classic movie theater full of history!

Where do you go when you want to get out of your office:
I enjoy walking through the heart of campus past the main academic buildings and Old Morrison. It’s especially nice when school is in session and you might see classes gathering in Alumni Plaza on a pretty day.

Something I’ve always wanted to try:
Whitewater rafting, and I have no idea where the desire comes from! No one in my family or friends has done it either so I’ve had zero exposure to it.

What do you love about Transy:
It just has a great “feel” to it and that comes from the people and the campus itself. With its smaller size it is like we are our own community and it’s easy to build relationships with everyone – whether they are faculty, staff or students.

Alexis Mitchell

amitchell@transy.edu

Senior Admissions Counselor

Territories: central Kentucky (Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Scott, Woodford counties), west Tennessee

Where are you from?
Frankfort, Kentucky.

What’s your favorite Lexington hangout?
Too many to pick from! I enjoy going to the Distillery District, Greyline Station, and any local coffee shop.

Where do you go on campus when you need to get away from your office?
Anywhere outside! Our campus is so pretty. 

What’s something you’ve always wanted to try?
I love coffee, so I would like to try visiting all six of the Starbucks Reserve Roasteries in the world. I have been to the Chicago location and it was amazing! 

What do you love about Transylvania?
The location! Downtown Lexington is such a unique place to live, even if it is only for 4 years. Transy’s location allows students to interact with the variety Lexington provides and create genuine relationships within the community.  

Annie Wilder

awilder@transy.edu

Admissions Counselor

Territories: eastern Kentucky, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, D.C.

Where are you from:
I’m originally from Clay County, Kentucky, but I’ve spent a lot of time in Lexington over the years.

Favorite Lexington Hangout:
I LOVE Third Street Stuff! It’s such a fun setting that does a lot of impactful advocacy work for our community, and their coffee’s pretty great too!

Where do you go when you want to get out of your office:
Alumni Plaza is a nice place to sit and relax (and watch those crazy squirrels!).

Something I’ve always wanted to try:
I have always wanted to take a train trip across the country! It would be a great way to experience all the different cultures that make up America.

What do you love about Transy:
Transy cares about its students, as well as its employees. I feel very well supported here. The location is great as well – everything you could ever want to do is really close-by!