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South Dakota State University alum Ellen Sandager has been named the university’s new director of undergraduate admissions. 

Her anticipated start date is Feb. 18. 

“Ellen has great communications and marketing experience and a strong record of collaboration and leadership in the private sector, and we are excited for her to bring those skills to the university in her role as director of undergraduate admissions,” said Shawn Helmbolt, assistant vice president for enrollment management at ������Ƶ. 

“She has a sincere passion and motivation for serving ������Ƶ and successfully attracting and enrolling the next generation of Jackrabbits. Her loyalty to the university will serve her well in her role as she engages with prospective students, families and the campus community, and leads our recruitment efforts at the undergraduate level,” Helmbolt added. 

Sandager earned her bachelor’s degree in global studies from ������Ƶ in 2011. 

“As a fourth-generation alumnus of South Dakota State University, I am deeply honored to be selected as the director of undergraduate admissions. ������Ƶ and its community have permanently shaped my life for the better, and this role offers a unique opportunity and responsibility to showcase this truly exceptional community to others,” Sandager said. 

“I’m passionate about bringing a people-centered, intentional approach to my work, further emphasizing the importance ������Ƶ places on personal relationships in both recruitment and retention efforts,” she added. “It’s a privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility of shaping and implementing strategies to attract and support students who will go on to build their own Jackrabbits legacies, and to further the university’s mission of making education accessible to all.” 

Sandager most recently served as associate director of account service at Sioux Falls-based digital marketing agency Click Rain, where she directly supervised and managed account coordinators and associate account executives throughout the organization. 

Prior to that, as a Click Rain account executive, she served as a team lead for guiding and executing strategic marketing campaigns and website projects, leveraging progressive digital platforms aimed at achieving clients’ business objectives. 

For eight years, Sandager was an account manager in creative services at Daktronics, where she collaborated with colleges and universities across the country to provide engaging digital content that would resonate, educate and inform audiences.