Bio

Why did you choose this college?  It was a question I found myself asking repeatedly as I advised students living on campus.  For four years, I counseled freshmen through seniors at UC San Diego and then UC Santa Cruz. Though the issues we discussed varied greatly, how well the student “fit” into their college environment came up often.  Upon further investigation, I found many students chose their college for arbitrary reasons that had nothing to do with their own goals, interests, or learning needs.

 

I graduated from the University of San Diego with a Master of Education in Counseling with an emphasis in Higher Education in 1997. It was a vastly different experience from my undergraduate experience at UC San Diego where I graduated with a BA in Psychology. After finishing my masters and counseling residents at UCSD and UCSC, I worked in Silicon Valley in staffing, screening resumes, and interviewing candidates for the plentiful jobs of the “.com era”.  But as the market crashed, and staffing turned to sales, I kept thinking about those lost college students of mine.  In 2002, after working as an apprentice to my friend and mentor and doing some extensive college visiting, I started my education consulting practice in Campbell, California and quickly grew to a full-time practice by 2005.   

 

In 2008, my husband received a job bringing us back to San Diego. Starting a practice from scratch is never easy, but I was grateful for the gradual process of growing a business as it allowed me time with my two children and the opportunity to get involved in their schools and activities.  Now with my two kids navigating college and beyond, I’m finding it fascinating to watch how my professional perspective grows as I see college and the transition to the workforce through the eyes of a parent.  

 

As a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and the Western Association of College Admissions Counselors (WACAC), I am dedicated to helping students find college campuses that not only fit their academic and extra-curricular achievements but also fit the type of learning and social environments that will provide the best opportunities for success.  This goal requires continual training and college visits to understand the cultural and academic differences of college campuses around the country. In the ever-changing world of admissions, I will never be done learning. Maybe that’s why I love it so much!