San Diego State University

Hello! I am a recent graduate from Cal Poly SLO's blended Bachelor's/Master's program in Computer Science and am excited to help guide you through your college application process. I am fluent in French & English and have additionally earned a minor in Spanish during my undergraduate studies as I studied abroad in Valladolid, Spain. Throughout my time in university, I cultivated a background in STEM research including publishing and presenting research at the International Conference for Advanced Learning Technologies, entering a Boeing-sponsored project at the collegiate Team Tech engineering competition, and designing, programming, and defending my master's thesis in natural language processing. I was the first in my family to attend college in the United States and am therefore intimately familiar with the uncertainty that often shrouds the college application process. I have learned that every student has a unique blend of strengths, skills, and interests that set them apart from the rest - I am here to help you identify your brightest qualities and prepare you to put your best foot forward. Let's do this!

I graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from UC Davis in 2001. From there, I obtained my P.P.S. School counseling credential from CSU Stanislaus and a M.P.A. from University of Arizona's global campus. I have always had the desire to continue learning, which is why world travel and immersing myself in other countries has been a big part of my life. I have had the opportunity to live, work and travel through many different countries and have enjoyed volunteering for NGO's in both Bolivia and Cambodia. I have been a school counselor in California for over 15 years. My favorite part of the job is assisting students meet and exceed goals, especially when it comes to post-secondary planning. I look forward to being able to assist you with the entire process: planning, exploring, and applying for university, financial aid and scholarships. I've acquired a lot of knowledge over the years and I am excited to be a part of your journey!

I have a strong commitment to college education access, matriculation, transition and retention. I am currently in the pursuit of my PhD in Higher Education and Organizational Change at UCLA, have an MEd in Higher Education Student Affairs, and International Education Policy (University of Maryland, 2022) and a BA in Sociology and Ethnic Studies (UC San Diego, 2018). Throughout my undergraduate career, in addition to obtaining a minor in Education Studies, I actively worked with high schools by providing campus tour, hosting student for overnight programs, facilitating classes for a summer bridge program, presenting during high school conferences, conducting research at a high school and being an active mentor to high school students that were connected with me via personal networks. From 2018-2022, I was a College Advisor for the University of Southern California College Advising Corps where I worked predominantly with senior students and advised them based on their goals, aspirations and circumstances. I have given presentations on various topics (A-G, FAFSA, CalGrant, scholarships, transition programs, on-campus resources, etc.), have extensive resume, statement of purpose, and personal statement editing experience both for the college admission process and scholarship applications. I am a proud recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship (2013), which has an award rate of under 1% and has funded my bachelor’s, master’s, and is now funding my doctoral degree. In my 10 years of working with high school and college students in summer bridge programs, college access programs, outreach, programming, fraternity and sorority life, residence life, and research, I have developed an advising style that meets students where they are based on their knowledge. The premise of my advising style is to meet the needs of the student and their families/guardians with integrity and resourcefulness. I like to provide students with information to facilitate taking ownership of their decisions and can similarly have the confidence to answer questions and discuss topics with their families and guardians. I have enjoyed the process of involving parents to ensure they are equally informed as their students and together support students in their college-going process.

Hello everyone! My name is Ardyel, and I am a cum laude graduate of Legal Studies at UC Berkeley with a Minor in Education. Born and raised in Metro Manila, Philippines, my family and I moved to Los Angeles, CA in 2015 where I graduated as my high school's Class Valedictorian. My background as a first-generation, low-income, and immigrant college student helped me see the value of mentorship in all aspects of my life. During my college application journey, I worked intensively under the guidance and mentorship of Thrive Scholars who helped me become a Finalist for QuestBridge and gain admissions to 8 universities in California. As a way of giving back, I worked at UC Berkeley's Nav2Cal App Support Program and Matriculate Fellowship which allowed me to mentor 5 hardworking high school students from California and New York in their college applications. They currently attend great institutions such as Tufts University, Wesleyan University, and my alma mater, UC Berkeley! I can help students who have academic interests in STEM, Law, and the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. In my spare time, I like to listen to K-Pop and P-Pop (Pinoy Pop), play volleyball and mobile games with my younger brother, collect Funko Pops, and watch Marvel movies. I cannot wait to take part in your college application journey! Rest assured that I will be fully supporting you in your goals and helping you navigate this process with care and intent.

Hello, my name is Kyana Brubaker, and I graduated from Johns Hopkins University in May of 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Visual Arts. While at Hopkins, I was involved in clinical research, was the vice president of the all-female a cappella group on campus and was a math tutor. I also served as a first-year mentor for two years in which I supported a total of 33 freshmen throughout orientation and their first year at Hopkins. I was also an advising fellow for two and a half years with Matriculate, a non-profit organization, where I supported 5 high school students with their college applications. In these roles, I nurtured a passion for supporting students at various levels of their college experience. Now, as a nursing student, I have gained an even deeper appreciation for how valuable supportive mentors can be. Having applied to both college and nursing school without much outside support, I understand how overwhelming and confusing the application process can be. I am also a member of the Essay Review Team with CollegeAdvisor, which has given me more experience with reading and editing essays - one of my favorite components of the application process. I look forward to guiding and supporting students as they navigate this process!