Florida State University

I hold my Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University where I majored in Secondary English Education. Upon graduating I was selected to serve as a 2010 Teach For America Corps Member Teaching Middle School English in Houston, TX. After completion of my teaching requirements, I stayed within my placement school and moved into the college initiatives team specializing in personal statement development and ACT/SAT test prep. Upon returning to my hometown of Chicago, I continued working within the college admissions sector. I served as a program director within a local nonprofit organization providing college access and success programming that included building college lists, personal statement essay support, test prep, career exploration and development, application and financial aid/scholarship submission. Most recently, I worked as a college advisor for academically ambitious students throughout the entirety of the application process, including interview preparation for some of the top universities. As an educator and college advisor, I have worked with students who have major(ed) in Business and Entrepreneurship, Education, Pre-Health and Sciences, Engineering, Psychology, and more. With 12 years of experience within the education sector, I can provide the support and knowledge to help navigate the college application and selection process. I am passionate about providing a holistic approach to college counseling to include identifying best fit schools in which a student is going to feel academically challenged, successful, supported and happy. I specialize in working with each student's unique goals and work in partnership to provide the support and encouragement to ensure those goals are met. I believe in ensuring that students are able to have a safe space to work through the application process and a healthy mindset to achieve the goals set forth.

I hold over 6 years of higher education administration experience advising students on their educational and academic pursuits. I obtained my B.S. in 2017 from Bowling Green State University where I received a 4-year full-ride scholarship. I graduated from Michigan State University with my master's in Education Administration in 2019. As a higher education professional, I strive to remove barriers to education and provide support to students from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. I believe that having access to affordable higher education is an amazing avenue to pursue, and an opportunity everyone should be able to access affordably. I have experience advising a diverse array of students from many different institution types and love connecting with students holistically and providing them support and resources to best reach their collegiate goals. As an educator the driving force behind my advising style is to provide guidance and support as well as getting to know my student goals, values, and priorities to help them make decisions best suited for their situation. My time in higher education has allowed me to gain a great understanding around academic requirements, extracurricular activities, and institution types. I am always excited to learn about the experiences that have shaped students and how they want to make their impact on the world. I am very skilled in assisting students in finding out what it is they value and how they want to "share their story" with higher education institutions. I know the application process and the search for the right school can feel daunting and overwhelming at times, but I know from experience with the right support it can be incredibly rewarding and exciting as well!

Hello! My name is Lasya, and I'm a Senior at New York University studying biochemistry and philosophy. I'm originally from Florida. At NYU, I'm part of a medical innovation club and a non-profit that raises awareness about organ donation. I'm also conducting research at the Weck Lab, which focuses on colloidal chemistry. In my free time, I love to do yoga, cook, and listen to music. Having recently been through the application process, I would love to answer any questions and offer any advice I can!

Hi! My name is Kalea O. and I'm from Manassas, Virginia (DMV area). I grew up as the daughter of a single mom and I am a first-generation/limited-income (FGLI) college grad. I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2020 with a B.S. in Youth and Social Innovation (education) and minor in Urban and Environmental Planning (architecture). During my time as an undergrad, I became an advocate for change through storytelling, and influenced by my own and friends' lived experiences, my career has largely been defined by advocating for first-generation, limited-income, and other underserved students. After college, I served for two years with Americorps as a College Adviser for the Virginia College Advising Corps. My placement was at Charlottesville High School (go Black Knights!) where I worked with over 1,500+ students, from freshmen to seniors, regarding their college apps and career aspirations. My former students have been admitted to a varied and diverse range of institutions, such as Harvard, UPenn, The College of William & Mary, DigiPenn, NYU, Johns Hopkins, Virginia Tech, and several community colleges. I have experience working with students who have pursued a wide range of majors including the Arts and Humanities, Business, and STEM. My strengths as an Advisor lie in helping students explore and find their passions and then translate those experiences in their college essays. I also specialize in Virginia college applications and have familiarity with a wide range of Virginia high schools from NOVA to central and southern Virginia. I am also well versed in the scholarship and financial aid process; in 2021 I was awarded $800 by the State Council for Higher Education for ensuring my school had the highest FAFSA completion rates across the Commonwealth of Virginia (of high schools with 200+ seniors). In total I have helped students secure hundreds of thousands in scholarships, one student alone securing $100k. As an FGLI grad, my mission is to help decrease the cost of college for every student I work with! After my service with the College Advising Corps, I worked as a Presidential Fellow for the Office of the President at UVA. Now, in addition to advising through CollegeAdvisor.com, I am a Program Coordinator for Hoos First, a new team at the University of Virginia that provides support for FGLI students. When I'm not working with students, you'll find me hosting murder mystery dinners, running, playing thrilling games of Rummikub, and hanging out with my roommate--my cat Biggie Paws!

Hi! Nice to meet you. I am an education advocate with over 7 years of experience. I currently work as a Director at UCLA Anderson Management School of Business where I lead admissions and recruitment strategies, oversee the student affairs team, and provide career counselling to students throughout their academic journey. I'm deeply passionate about creating inclusive environments that empower students to succeed and thrive in their academic pursuits. Previously, I worked at Florida International University as an Admissions Officer, where I built strong relationships with 9th - 12th grade prospective students, their families, and other key stakeholders in the community. I earned my Master's Degree in Higher Education Administration and Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at Florida International University. In addition, I earned a certificate in Academic Advising and am a member of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC). If you catch me outside of work, I'm an adventurous traveler - 28 countries and counting. I'm an avid lover of fitness and yoga. During the summer, I earned my scuba dive certificate and hope to swim with whales one day.

My undergraduate experience took place at a small, private liberal arts college - Rollins College, where I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Communication Studies with Honors in the major, and a concentration in Organizational Communication and Leadership. During my time at Rollins, I was a four-year starter and co-captain on the women’s softball team (NCAA Division II) – so my undergraduate college application process looked a little different than your average student! As a result of my positive college experience and the mentors who shaped me, I pursued my M.S. in Higher Education from Florida State University in Higher Education. During my graduate program, I furthered my passion and interest in supporting college student transition and development during their undergraduate experience. During my graduate program and first professional role, I worked in Student Affairs, specifically, Housing and Residence Life. However, I eventually found my way to Houston, Texas, where I worked as a College Advisor for EMERGE Houston ISD. EMERGE is a college access program which empowers and prepares high-achieving students from underserved communities (typically first-generation and low-income students) to attend and graduate from selective colleges and universities across the nation. During my two years at EMERGE, I advised high school seniors through their college application process and supported students in becoming QuestBridge Scholars, Posse Scholars, Jack Kent Cooke recipients, and admitted students to some of the nation’s most selective institutions. As a college advisor, I worked with students who major(ed) in almost every field, ranging in Pre-Med, Engineering, and STEM to Business, International Relations, and Social Sciences. With over seven years of experience in higher education, I am well versed in what it takes to be accepted into a college, as well as the steps to successfully matriculate to college when the time comes. While my path to college advising may be “untraditional”, I believe it better equips me to have meaningful and intentional dialogue with students and families about what it takes to get accepted, but also how to find the right fit and be successful once a student arrives on a college campus. I am passionate about working with students, asking reflective questions, and helping students discover who they are and how they will create meaning in the world around them. I am energized in my work students, especially in supporting them find their path, develop their skillset, and hone-in their strengths to realize their full potential and possibilities. I am also eager to support parents through the process as well! I believe in the importance of breaking down complex information and ensuring it is digestible and easy to understand, is the best way to make an informed action plan and decision. Nonetheless, the college application process can be scary, but I am here to help! I look forward to connecting, developing an intentional relationship, and creating meaning through this process!

I earned bachelor's degrees in both Political Science and African American Studies from the University of Florida in 2016. I later earned a master's degree in management from the University of Florida's Hough Graduate School of Business in 2022. I started my career in Admissions in 2018 with the University of Florida's Office of Admissions as an Admissions Officer II. In this capacity I served as a recruiter and evaluator of both Freshman/First-time in College (FTIC) students, as well as prospective transfer students. Though I served and worked on behalf of the University of Florida, I interacted with students as a proponent and advocate of Higher Education. This means that I put a heavy emphasis on college readiness and preparedness for students so that they holistically understand what the college/university experience would entail. Topics I homed in on, separate from admissions information specific to UF, included, but were not limited to financial aid and scholarship information, credit evaluation and transferability (dual enrollment and college-equivalent exams like AP/IB/AICE/etc.), and adjusting to life away from home, as UF's campus was located several hours away from the territories I recruited in. Ultimately, my primary goal was to ensure that students were ready for all the things that came with pursuing a higher education, beyond just the application itself. As a first-generation college graduate myself, I spent a lot of time having to figure things out on my own. I made preventable mistakes along the way, so I wish I had the help of someone to correct me at that time. It is my goal in this role to be the best resource that I can be to ensure that you understand exactly what you are doing through the college admissions process, and how to best maximize and leverage your academic and life experiences to be the best applicant that you can be to the schools that you would like to apply to. This can be an extremely overwhelming process when done alone, and my personal goal is to ensure that you never believe that you are walking alone on this college admissions journey!