Jay Arrington Joins NC State Jenkins MAC Admissions Team

Jamal (Jay) Arrington has joined the NC State Jenkins Master of Accounting staff as associate director of admissions. He brings years of experience in human services counseling as well as experience as an educator and admissions professional to his new role. He has work within K-12, higher education admissions, and marriage and family counseling.

Originally from Ohio, he received his bachelor’s degrees in psychology and counseling from the University of Toledo. “I chose these fields of study because I have always wanted to make a difference and be a resource to help those who need support,” he said.

In his early career, Arrington worked with youth, including roles as director of operations for an after school program for troubled youth, and later as a paraprofessional pull-out teacher and acting Vice Principal prior to moving his family to Raleigh.

When transitioning to Raleigh, Arrington said, “I wanted to try and go the traditional route of someone with a mental health background and work for a marriage and family therapy agency.” When that agency closed, along with others across the state, he said he returned “to the industry that I have enjoyed for so long and had such great success with: education.”

After working with every age group in K-12, he said he “was looking to move to the next level,” so he began a career as an admissions advisor in higher education. That included admissions roles, interviewing and enrolling students at ITT Technical Institute and ECPI University before joining the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as assistant director of marketing and prospect management for its Master of Accounting program, where he helped to build its online and on campus programs

“My journey through education, partnered with my desire to help others and impact tomorrow’s leaders – has led me to Poole College,” he said.

“NC State has a culture of forward thinking and success, and its MAC program is no exception,” he said, noting that its 25^th year celebration reflects its status as a “solid and reputable program that prepares individuals for the CPA exam and a long and fulfilling career in accounting.”

In his new role, he will be working directly with students, as a “resource to help them make one of the best decisions they could ever make,” he said.

On a personal level, he said that he is “a proud dad who loves nature, animals, sports, and the arts.” He also enjoys reading, traveling, and meditation. “I truly believe in the value of education and how it can really change someone’s life just like it did for me.”