Virginia Tech

Hello! I'm so excited to start this journey with you! I have been in the college world for over 20 years. I started running specialty summer classes, in 2002, centered around the Common Application and the personal essay. I built my own curriculum and worked with rising seniors to help them navigate the college process. Later, I partnered with a counseling colleague to establish a business around standardized test preparation and admission applications. We worked one-on-one with college-bound students in all facets of college admissions. With a degree in English from William and Mary, a master's in teaching from American University, a college counseling certificate from the University of San Diego, and over 20 years of teaching experience in secondary English, including AP and pre-IB English, I know how to guide students through the college admission process and help them establish a voice in their applications. Currently, I work full time at an independent school as a college counselor. My goal as an advisor is to help demystify the college process and allow students to tell their story through their activities, personal essays, and supplemental materials.

After completing an undergraduate degree and graduate degree in business and working in industry for several years, I began my career in higher education as a faculty member at Mary Baldwin College. I served as an Assistant Professor of Business at Mary Baldwin College as well as St. Andrews Presbyterian College, both are small church related liberal arts schools, and I fully enjoyed and value the residential liberal arts experience. I joined the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce as an Assistant Dean of Students in 1990. McIntire has consistently been rated as one of the top undergraduate business schools globally while UVA has consistently been rated as a top public research institution. During my time at UVA, I served in a variety of roles related to student development, student services and admission and founded the first Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the McIntire School of Commerce, serving as the first Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at McIntire. I served for over twenty years as the Director of Undergraduate Admission, advising and counseling students as well as reading, reviewing and making decisions on admission applications. I was a member of the University Undergraduate Admission Committee for over a decade and love working with prospective college students to help them find the right program, school and location for their higher education journey. I developed and taught a very popular University Seminar for first year students on Managing Diversity and was instrumental in the founding of the McIntire Commerce Cohort program which supports and guides first and second year students interested in pursuing a degree and career in business. I have extensive knowledge, experience and a passion for working with students from diverse backgrounds including first generation, low income and under-represented. As the parent of three young adults all with college degrees, I understand the challenges, anxiety and joy of parenting through the college search and application process. Finding the best college should be viewed as an individual process of self-reflection, learning and exploration not a contest or competition. I'm excited to support students through this journey!