I come to Graham College Compass with extensive experience as an educator and counselor. Having served as a college counselor for over a decade, I bring to this work the knowledge that comes from supporting hundreds of students in their college processes and visiting campuses all over the U.S. and U.K.

As a first-generation college student who attended a public high school, I didn’t have much help applying to college. I had no idea what it meant to have a balanced list or show demonstrated interest. After attending a state school for my first year of college, a professor counseled me to consider transferring. This led me to Northwestern University where I earned a B.A. in History and Political Science. I knew I loved the study of history so went on to pursue graduate degrees in the field, first an M.A. from Columbia University and subsequently a Ph.D. from The University of MN. In 2021, I earned a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership at the University of Texas Rio Grande.

I began my career teaching history at St. Catherine University before transitioning to an independent schools career, where I have served as a teacher, administrator and college counselor. My own lack of guidance around the college process motivates me to support young people in the complex world of college admissions. After taking a job at The Blake School in Minneapolis and finding myself often coaching students on their personal statements, I moved to Breck School where I served as a college counselor, dean and department head for seven years. In 2021, I accepted a position of Director of College Counseling at Griffin School in Austin, TX. My years at independent schools have enabled me to support a wide range of students. These amazing students have been from varying socioeconomic backgrounds, held diverse identities, and embraced different academic and artistic interests.

As the parent of four children who attended highly selective schools, I also understand the pressures faced by families these days. It’s only natural for parents to want their children to achieve their dreams, and it can feel like college is the first big step in this lifelong journey. The fear of having them take a misstep is real and the cost of college only compounds the stress of this process. It’s my goal to be a reassuring presence for parents as I work directly with their children.

The desire to make the college process feel less overwhelming and even exciting continues to be the driving force behind my work. I look forward to bringing the joy I have for my work to the students at Graham College Counseling.

In my free time, I enjoy hiking (especially on the Superior Hiking Trail in the summer), riding my electric bike all over Austin, and practicing yoga. I also love to travel and read, switching back and forth between fiction and nonfiction. Most of all I delight in walking my dog, June, the ten pound guardian of the neighborhood.

When I moved to Austin in 2018, I felt something was missing from my first job. My colleagues were great, the work was dynamic, and the career path in front of me was crystal clear. Yet, something continued to nag at me. Eventually, I realized what that something was: I wasn’t doing any writing.  

So I made a change. I went back to the writing roots that I’d built when earning my B.A. in History at the College of William & Mary and earned my M.A. in Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. Since then, my work has appeared in publications like The Guardian, Vox, Fast Company, and Texas Monthly to name a few. I’ve learned how to breathe life into seemingly lifeless topics (take a highway project as just one example). I’m also working on two book projects at UT on the Latinx experience on campus.

As the essay writing specialist, I will use my skills developed in journalism to help students craft essays that they can feel proud of. The writing process should be fun! Together, we will weave together the threads that tell college admissions offices who you are. 

I have a broad range of experience working with high school students, including supporting college essay workshops at Griffin School in Austin and teaching English in Santa Marta, Colombia. I also served as a teaching assistant in the American Studies Department at the University of Texas at Austin. I helped students with majors ranging from Engineering to Business to History improve their writing. Students from non-writing intensive majors would often say, “I’m not a good writer,” as if it was set in stone. But, with some support and guidance, I believe any student is capable of writing an excellent essay. 

Outside of the working hours, I enjoy playing with our cat Frijol, traveling to parts of the world where I can show off my Spanish, and getting some exercise on the basketball court. All that and lots and lots of reading.