Linfield invested in its global focus when it hired Danielle Kanclerz, an international student recruiter, in January 2023. Kanclerz brings more than a decade of international recruitment experience at institutions including Stanford and University of California, among others. This marks the first time in nearly a decade that the university has a full-time recruiter focused on regions outside of the United States. Based in the Bay Area — close to three international airports — she traveled to China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Macao, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea in her first year at Linfield.
The time was right, said admission director Lisa Knodle-Braigel: International recruiting became more competitive in the last two decades, and global perceptions made recruiting to Linfield’s small-town setting more difficult in the recent past.
“It wasn’t so much a matter of what Linfield was doing or not doing, but the influences of U.S. and world political and economic conditions,” Knodle-Braigel recalled. But in the wake of the pandemic, she said, two of Linfield’s qualities shone more brightly in the eyes of prospective students and their families.
“There’s a growing desire to be in an extremely safe location and to be at a school that values connection and partnership,” she said. “The heart of why we’re all here is to bring people together as a community and really, a family.”
Kanclerz’s goal is not sheer numbers but right fit. For many international students, she said, the ability to explore academically and personally is a huge draw.
“The liberal arts are something not widely available for students in Asia,” she said. “Many love the opportunity to come and study a range of subjects. They also love the hands-on emphasis as opposed to lectures, and for many, the ability to pursue undergraduate research is huge.”
