Why College Bound, Career Ready?
I was born and raised in Upstate New York. It is where I earned my bachelors degree and my masters degree and where I began my career in education. I grew up in a household where my mom was a teacher, my father was on the school board, and I had two older sisters to model how to navigate high school. I had guidance counselors, but I cannot recall a single conversation about college with them. I had an educated, supportive, and knowledgeable family, and I still reflect back on my journey from high school to college, wondering how things could have been different. What if I were to have had someone intentionally working with me with the sole purpose of exploring careers and the college options that would support my interests and talents?
Becoming an educator was a safe career, one in which I knew I would be able to find a job, pay my bills, and hopefully be able to make a difference. I chose a state school for its affordability, the connection I felt to the campus, the distance from my small hometown, and because it was known for producing great teachers. I was never pushed to pursue anything other than what I knew and perhaps that was for a reason.
Although it was safe, the classroom was an environment in which I flourished. The connections that I made with my students: challenging them to learn, to consider new ideas, and to reach outside of their comfort zones was, and has been, extremely rewarding. I found myself loving the world of education but never settling into a content area; I wanted to be constantly challenged. I taught English, Reading, Special Education, Credit Recovery, and I even taught virtually. I was a bit fickle with my jobs, appreciating each and every opportunity but always seeking something beyond teaching the specific content area.
Nine years ago, only five years into my teaching career, love and the world of baseball took me to Florida. It was in Florida where I was blessed with an opportunity to truly develop my niche.
I have been an educator for fourteen years now, but I am also a devoted wife and a busy mom of two mischievous and fun-loving boys who have taught me more about love, learning, and patience than I could have ever anticipated. My family is my reason for growth, for acquiring knowledge, and for finding such purpose in my profession. I want our boys to grow up exploring their college and career options, seizing valuable learning opportunities, cultivating their knowledge to showcase their strength and talents, and navigating the transition from high school to college with cultured support.
Families deserve an educated advocate on their side as they navigate the road to college, and it is my ambition to fulfill this role. For the last four years I have worked as a College and Career Specialist. I have witnessed countless high school students who are overwhelmed with the process of trying to build the ideal college resume and transcript that will make them a strong enough candidate to gain entry into the school of their choosing. This critical (and rare) position, which I have been extremely fortunate to fill, has been a blessing for so many students in the public school system. It has also been a blessing for me as I believe that I have found the purpose within my career field that I was searching so desperately to find.
Navigating high school is a rather challenging task. Students often think in the current moment with regard to immediate actions and changes that they can make instead of making choices that will benefit them long term. When the big stuff begins to hit them, when scheduling every detail becomes critical, when they need answers quickly, having the right person there to support them is essential. Having helped over 1,000 students in their endeavors to find success beyond high school, and having helped students to earn over fifteen million dollars over the course of those four years, I know the value that my role provides.
From my experience working in the public school realm, College Bound, Career Ready, LLC, was born. My goal is to help students, beyond my brick and mortar position, on a national and on a global scale to navigate the challenging footpath that leads to their top college or university. Specializing in work with Foreign Service families, I thoroughly enjoy working as the connection between Third Culture Kids (TCK) and their educational aspirations. Encouraging TCK to embrace the experiences that a Foreign Service lifestyle has afforded them in order to transition to the university is both a rewarding and a learning experience. I know that the assistance of a college admissions consultant in the States can alleviate some of the added pressure that their unique situations present to the student as well as their family.
I am passionate about my work, looking to each individual student to drive goal setting. Whether students are working to
Build their Personal Transcript
Explore Career Interest Inventories
College Search & Selection
Practice ACT & SAT
Write an application essay
Compose a personal statement
Apply for scholarships
Interview Preparation
Work to complete the daunting task of FAFSA
College Bound, Career Ready, LLC, is a service to provide customized advisement for every individual endeavoring to pursue his or her dreams. Working in a primarily virtual world, we aim to assist students in their journey beyond high school. The application process is more challenging than ever for applicants to apply, and to gain admittance, to the college or university of their choosing, which means that assistance in navigating the complex process is almost essential in the modern day.
Guidance counselors are available to assist in this process, and many are handling this with great skill, but much like the educators in their buildings, they are inundated with paperwork, scheduling, and crisis counseling, often making their ability to meet individually with the hundreds of students on their case loads very difficult.
Our services, tailored to the students with whom we work, are individualized and built on a process that is delivered with purpose. CBCR is well researched, student-centered, and ready to tackle even the most challenging of circumstances, in order to create a future that will lead toward the maximum success of the individual. We want to help families feel confident not only in juggling the taxing schedule of high school students but also in feeling confident in their decision making process for these most important life choices.
What are you doing to ensure that your journey from freshman year through to graduation is as smooth as possible? Have you considered enlisting the help of a college admissions counselor? I can guarantee our dedication to each student's success, from the moment we start until their graduation day. I will be present for all questions, milestones, and endeavors, because I want to ensure that your student has the opportunity to flourish, so that they, too, can become College Bound, Career Ready!
Contact College Bound, Career Ready for an initial consultation by emailing collegeboundcareerready@gmail.com or utilizing the contact us page on our website at http://www.collegeboundcareerready.com,
Please take a moment to Like or to Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, so that you may stay connected with news and updates.
