Why Amherst?
The Buffalo, N.Y. native was attracted to Amherst by an older student from her high school who attended the College. Fretwell's respect and admiration for her elder had a significant impact on her decision.
After visiting Amherst, Fretwell confessed that she fell completely in love with it. "In the end, I applied early decision," she said. "Plus, I have a sister who went to Smith, so of course I couldn't go there," she said.
Campus life
A theater major, Fretwell was involved in several theatrical productions as an undergraduate. Her skills included acting, directing and stage managing. One of her most vivid memories of herself on stage was in a play called "The White Whore and the Bit Player" in which her character transforms from a nun to a whore.
She recalled that during one of the performances, mid–transformation, she forgot her line. As a result, she had to wrap up her monologue with a weak, "and that was all." Luckily, the actress starring opposite her acted quickly on her feet and helped save the scene.
In addition to acting, Fretwell also played soccer and lacrosse while at Amherst. She was captain of both teams. Practice in the afternoons and theater rehearsals at night became her daily routine during her college years.
Fretwell hosted her own radio show at WAMH, as well. "I loved listening to WAMH," said Fretwell. She had an early morning show, but, "for some, it was a late-night show. Let's just say people called in different sorts of conditions."
Fretwell also became a resident counselor (RC) during her junior year. She recalled that as a first-year, she had had a very influential and enthusiastic RC. In response to that experience, she wished to afford other incoming students the same benefit. "Back then, only juniors and seniors could be RCs," she said. "It was a great way [for the upperclassmen] to connect with incoming students." Fretwell was the RC in Stearns Dormitory, which she had called home as a first-year
Shaky beginnings
Fretwell came to Amherst in the fall of 1977, only two years after the College became co-ed. She occasionally felt looked down upon by some of the upperclass male students, many of whom had been admitted to an all-male college.
She felt that the College had prepared faculty and staff very well for the transition, but for some reason the students had not been as ready to receive their female counterparts. "I remember being at a party and [a guy] asked me 'So, where do you go to school, Smith or Mt. Holyoke?'"
At the same time, fraternities were being forced to open their doors to women, but many of them refused. She remembers one fraternity had a vote whether or not to allow women to join, and an overwhelming majority voted no.
Soon after, fraternity members had shirts made with the vote ratio printed on them and wore them around campus. Small incidents like this made her feel a little bit unwelcome during her college years.
Trading sides
After graduation, Fretwell was an admission fellow, known as a Green Dean, for a year. Then, she worked as a college counselor, "on the shipping end of the same process," as she put it.
During that time, Fretwell also worked as a lacrosse and soccer coach before pursuing a master's degree in education at Harvard University. "I had had such a positive experience in my own education at Amherst, that I wanted to go into education as a career," she said.
In 1985, Fretwell decided to make admissions her vocation of choice, something she had never expected. She says admissions is a kind of "accidental" vocation, one she did not plan for it, but instead stumbled upon. "In my 20 years of reading applications, I've never, up until this year, encountered someone who said they wanted to follow a career in college admissions," said Fretwell.
And where exactly did she start her unexpected career? "Of all places, at Williams College," said Fretwell, with a guilty smile on her face. Why Williams? "I like to think I'm a professional, and wanted to work at a place with similar values and mission as Amherst," she said.
Conflicting emotions were inevitable while working for Williams, particularly during athletic competitions since she had played on, and coached, two sports teams at Amherst. Though she had a very good professional experience working at Williams, Fretwell felt that the community there was smaller than she would have liked.
Coming home
After working at Williams for five years, Fretwell returned to Amherst in 1989 to work with the Faculty Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid. Returning to Amherst as a staff member proved challenging because of a phenomenon Fretwell calls "professoritis"-a time when a former student finds him or herself having to call professors by their first name and addressing them as equals.
Though Fretwell remains behind the scenes during most of the academic year, she takes center stage during Freshman Orientation when she gives a speech-one that has become rather infamous among students and has even been parodied in several RC shows.
Her introductory speech not only welcomes incoming students to the College, but also informs first-years of one another's accomplishments and additional statistics pertaining to the incoming class' student body.
Fretwell's enthusiasm and glowing personality continue to be felt by both Amherst faculty and students alike, much as they did when Fretwell first came to the College over 24 years ago.