Our History
The Houston Area Recruiters’ Network had humble beginnings in 2003.
At the time, there were only a few regional recruiters in Houston. Since they had little physical contact with their campus offices, they developed a camaraderie among themselves. There were a few informally planned social events, such as meeting for dinner, etc.
About the same time, two or three recruiters were occasionally scheduled for lunch visits together, whether planned or by accident. It became apparent that student contacts increased when more than one college or university was present.
As more universities placed representatives in Houston, this small group grew and became more organized. By the following year, they were discussing a name for the group, and were talking about how they could work together to improve the professional lives of regional recruiters. The original name decided upon was Houston Area Regional Recruiters’ Network, or HARRN.
It did not take long for local colleges and universities to show interest in being a part of this fledgling organization. The regional professionals welcomed them, and decided that a change in name was in order to reflect the entire group. Thus, Houston Area Recruiters’ Network (HARN) was accepted as the new name.
It was not until the spring of 2007 that multiple organized visits were scheduled in local high schools. As recruiters planned lunch visits that included several universities, HARN began to be viewed as a legitimate organization by the college admissions offices and high school counselors.
During the summer of 2007, university recruiters concentrated on community college visits. Once again, all saw an increase in the number of student contacts with a college or transfer fair atmosphere.
The school year of 2007-2008 was the first time that plans were made to schedule visits throughout the entire Houston area covering as many school districts as possible. By doing this, HARN continued growing and it became even more important that every member/volunteer be involved in the process.
In 2015, HARN voted to create a leadership committee for the organization. These six positions would help communicate with the growing membership and would provide professional growth opportunities for all members.
Today, HARN boasts nearly 150 colleges and over 175 representatives as part of its ranks. The organization visits high schools across the Houston metro area, promotes higher education through college nights and workshops, and coordinates five summer programs helping students with the college search.
