College of William & Mary

Hello! My name is Kaitlyn, and I graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Education – Youth and Social Innovation, and a minor in Anthropology. My journey through college allowed me to gain valuable experience in the areas of student development, mentorship, career advising, and coaching through leadership positions across various student affairs departments. Through my roles as Orientation Leader for Orientation and Transition Programs, and Resident Advisor at the International Residential College, I led small and large group presentations on navigating college including attaining academic excellence, extracurricular experience, and maintaining a balance for freshmen, upperclassmen, and international student populations. As Career Peer Educator in the Exploration and Education, Counseling, and Youth Development Communities, I served as an ambassador of the Career Center to the student body. I led outreach presentations elaborating on career development topics such as networking, attending a career/job fair, interview preparation, salary negotiation, and navigating the job/internship search process. During weekly office hours, I supported undergraduate and graduate students on their resumes and cover letters while providing individualized feedback. Through these leadership roles, I aimed to create an inclusive and safe environment, while encouraging students to achieve personal and professional development. I worked as Program Coordinator for the Earl Woods Scholar Program, which is a comprehensive scholarship program that provides ongoing support for students from under-represented communities to thrive in school and life. I supported high school and college students in the Los Angeles, CA; Anaheim, CA; Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia regions, to achieve their post-secondary dreams. I empowered students to succeed in college through ongoing financial aid, mentorship, specialized internship opportunities, skills development, career readiness resources and annual enrichment workshops. Providing undergraduate students and youth with the necessary educational tools and career development resources is an essential part of preparing career-ready graduates. In addition to guiding students through the college application process to gain admittance to their top choice schools, former students I have worked with have also gained national, institutional, and local scholarships including QuestBridge, Posse, Gates Millenium, College Board - BigFuture, the DC-CAP Scholarship, and more. Over the past six years, I have been actively involved in the education and non-profit sectors, where my primary focus and involvement has been supporting students in realizing their aspirations for post-secondary education. Currently, I am supporting high school and university scholars in pursuing careers of excellence and leadership in the non-profit/higher education field, and I aspire to attend a business graduate school in the future. Outside of advising you can find me spending time with family and friends, running,

Joshua Ford attended UNC-Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar in the Honors Program. Upon graduating, he received a Fulbright scholarship to study entrepreneurship in Mexico. He spent several years as a management consultant before moving to startups. He previously worked for Candid and Uber before becoming the CEO & Founder of HipTrain. HipTrain was acquired by FORME which Joshua helped bring public on the NASDAQ exchange in April 2023. He now serves as the Global Head of Redesign Health.

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!

It's great to meet you! My name is Jack Zhang, and I served as an Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at William & Mary. During my time in admissions, I read applications, travelled around the country to meet students, and wrote for the William & Mary Admit It! Blog. My experiences as an Admissions Officer William & Mary have given me an unique lens to help you with the college application process. My goal with working with CollegeAdvisor is to help de-mystify much of the college application process and help you get one step closer to achieving your dreams. I have helped a number of students over the years, and my passion is helping you tell your story and find your voice. Over the years, I have helped students get into their top choice schools like the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, New York University, and the University of Michigan. College was an incredible, transformative experience for me, and I want to help you find the best college that is the best fit for you.

I hold a B.A. in Communication from the University of Southern California, as well as minors in Journalism and Film. While at USC, I participated in a variety of research projects, including the Media, Diversity, and Social Change Initiative (MDSCI), which has since been renamed the Inclusionists. I graduated Summa Cum Laude, with additional honors, and a GPA of 3.93. Following a year gap at work, I began studying for an Master's of Science in Global Communication from the London School of Economics and Political Science; I followed this degree with an additional Master's of Arts in Global Media from USC. During this time, I published original research and two dissertations, and volunteered in the admissions office, gaining critical experience needed to navigate the admissions process in high-performing institutions. I completed my graduate education in 2019, shortly before the pandemic, and decided to open my own college advising and academic coaching company. I have had students admitted to Ivies, Stanford, USC, all UCs, and some international schools primarily based in the UK and Europe. I regularly work with my clients not only to determine which schools would be best for their intended major, financial status, and personality, but also work closely to develop a narrative for the admission process. With my guidance, they refine this narrative in their essays, and use a template system for supplemental essays in order to maximize efficiency. My students have applied to majors from business to environmental studies, computer science to theatre, nursing to pre-law. I am an excellent writer and storyteller, with a passion for editing, and the most enjoyable part of my day is hearing from students that they have learned something new about writing during our sessions. It is a joy to work with this generation of students; they are whip-smart, hilarious, and ambitious. I love to bond with them over shared passions, get to know them through in our sessions and through their writing, and refine their skills to become the best writers, storytellers, and students they can be. Although the task of finding and applying to colleges is daunting, I believe that together, in concert with some hard work and a little humor, the process can be as fun as it is challenging.

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.