John Mountain

Hi, I’m John Mountain and use He/Him pronouns. I have been at Macalester since 2004 and am the Director of Student Engagement and Career Advising.

During college I was an RA as well as a Peer Advisor for newly admitted students. I worked construction and warehouse jobs that allowed me to have two PT human resources-related internships.

I got plenty of rejection letters my senior year. In fact, I kept all them and pinned them on a bulletin board — not to be a glutton for punishment, but to remember how I felt as a candidate and as a soon-to-be HR professional — to do a better job writing thoughtful responses to job applicants. As my career progressed, I have never forgotten to think about how a process is being experienced.

I was brought up in a middle-class family and lived not too far from Macalester’s campus. In fact, after living in Minneapolis for 7 years, we returned to the Highland Park neighborhood over 20 years ago.

I received my undergrad degree in business with a human resources concentration and have MBA, also with an HR emphasis. I have been active in various local and national career-related associations.

I enjoy gardening, cooking, sports, and politics. My wife and I have two children, one a 2020 grad from Lake Forest College who still lives in Chicago, and the other who is a student at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities.