Submitted by Saint Martin’s University
Saint Martin’s University has announced that Patty Lemon will be their new dean of admissions and enrollment. She succeeds Pam Holsinger-Fuchs, Ph.D., who served as dean of enrollment for six years and who retired earlier this summer. As dean of admissions and enrollment, Lemon will continue leading undergraduate admissions as well as serve on the university’s senior leadership team. Shared Lemon, “I am so grateful to be a part of this amazing community, which is committed to implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to better serve Saint Martin’s students.”
“We are pleased to announce the promotion of Patty Lemon to the position of dean of admissions and enrollment,” said Saint Martin’s University President Roy F. Heynderickx, Ph.D. “Patty stood out in a national search for her commitment to our mission: to empower students to make a positive difference in their lives and in the lives of others. We all recognize her outstanding leadership over the past years as the director of admissions in securing Saint Martin’s ever-growing, strong new student enrollment.”
Prior to her new role, Lemon served as director of admissions, first joining Saint Martin’s in 2018. In this role, she was responsible for the admissions digital process, including serving as the lead for the implementation of a new application system. She was also the admissions counselor for students from Thurston County, as well as students from Guam, American Samoa, Palau, Saipan, Micronesia, and Colorado. As dean, she will continue to oversee the admissions for Guam, American Samoa, Palau, Saipan, and Micronesia. Her enthusiasm for working with students from the Pacific Islands comes from her background growing up in Lakewood, WA.
In addition to recruitment and enrollment, Lemon also collaborated with the Trinity Foundation and Degrees of Change in partnership to bring the Act Six Scholars leadership training and scholarship program to Saint Martin’s. The Act Six Scholars Program is a full-tuition, full-need scholarship for seven first-year students who are emerging community leaders that intend to make a difference in their community. Saint Martin’s will be welcoming its third cadre this fall.
“Act Six speaks to my heart as an educator and as a first-generation college student myself. I know first-hand how challenging college can be to navigate all by yourself,” said Lemon. “Students in the program learn leadership skills early on that carry them through their college experience and beyond. They also enter college as a cadre. The system of support is an incredible part of their college journey that starts from the very beginning.”
Lemon started her career as a music educator in public schools. Before coming to Saint Martin’s University she was at Nova Middle School, where she served as advancement director. Lemon earned her undergraduate degree in music education from the University of Puget Sound and completed her master’s degree in education at City University of Seattle. She is a recent graduate of the Leadership Thurston County program.
Saint Martin’s University is an independent coeducational university, with undergraduate and graduate offerings, located on a wooded campus of more than 300 acres in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 13 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 29 majors, 11 master’s programs, one doctorate program, and seven certificate programs spanning the arts and sciences, business, counseling, education, engineering, nursing, and leadership. Saint Martin’s welcomes more than 1,300 undergraduate students and 250 graduate students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey campus, and more students to its extended campus located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
