About the 20 Stories Series
To celebrate 20 years of impact, we're sharing 20 stories from the people who’ve made our journey possible. From past participants to longtime partners, these voices reflect the heart of our program. Each story highlights the voices, experiences, and milestones that shaped our community. This is one of them.
How did you decide to join AdviseVA?
I loved mentoring students at UVA, especially first-year students who were eager to explore as many opportunities as possible but needed someone to guide them through a new environment. As I tried to figure out my own postgraduate plans (“plans” being a generous term as I was just as uncertain as anyone), I knew I wanted to continue working with students. My career adviser at UVA recommended AdviseVA to me and I visited their booth at a career fair to learn more. I met a few students at my site visit to George Washington High School and remember feeling excited by the chance to work with them as they navigated the college application process. To be completely honest, I had no idea what I was getting into when I joined AdviseVA but I’m grateful I did. Serving as a college adviser was equal parts rewarding and challenging – it changed my perspective on postsecondary access and shaped my own career path.
What is one memory from your time as an adviser that has stayed with you?
In my first few weeks as an adviser, I remember a student visited my office and asked me how to “sign up” for college. The student had never heard of the SAT or even known that going to college required applications. I was shocked by this. Growing up, my parents guided me through the college application process, and it was a “given” that my high school peers and I would go to four-year colleges. At UVA, I was surrounded by similar people who attended well-resourced high schools. It feels privileged for me to say this, but at the time, I hadn’t realized the extent to which some students truly didn’t know where to start. Meeting a high school senior (and many more after that particular student) who had never heard of the SAT opened my eyes to the disparities in postsecondary readiness and access. I could’ve read and studied as many books as possible on the topic, but working with students gave me a perspective I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
What are you up to now, and how did your time as an adviser prepare you for life after your service? (Both personally and professionally)
After AdviseVA, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a master’s in public policy at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Currently, I’m the Director of Policy and External Affairs at the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE). I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t joined AdviseVA. I hadn’t considered a career in education and serving as an adviser exposed me to career paths I didn’t know existed.
Professionally, I learned so many transferrable skills as an adviser that I use in my job today, including project management, public speaking, and most importantly, collaboration with a variety of stakeholders. At TDOE, I work with elected officials, external advocacy partners, and other state agencies who all have different goals and motivations. Part of my job is translating complex K-12 education law and policy into easy-to-understand language to effectively communicate a rationale or position. To me, this isn’t very different from explaining how the FAFSA works to a classroom of high school seniors. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, AdviseVA taught me how to simplify complex processes and topics, and I know I will carry this skill with me throughout my professional career.
Personally, I gained new friendships through AdviseVA that I continue to this day. I met people in my adviser cohort who I hadn’t crossed paths with at UVA but who I remain good friends with through the shared experience of being a college adviser. AdviseVA also shaped my perspective on education and postsecondary access in Virginia. Although I was born and raised in Virginia, AdviseVA exposed me to different areas and communities across the state that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. I wouldn’t have moved to Danville if it weren’t for AdviseVA, but living there for two years opened my eyes to different ideologies, opinions, and people that were formative to my post-undergraduate years.
What is something you were proud to have accomplished during your time as an adviser? Reflecting on your legacy at George Washington High School, what are you proud of now?
When I was a college adviser at George Washington High School, I loved engaging with students through the platform they know best – social media! The prior adviser at GWHS created an Instagram account to advertise events, such as career fairs, college nights, and FAFSA drives. I continued it during my time as an adviser and loved getting creative with my posts, including some now cringey pop culture references and silly captions. I was proud of how effective the account was at sharing information to students, but my favorite part was using the page to highlight college acceptances. Once the account got more followers, students came to my office to brag about their acceptances just so they could be featured on the page.
Reflecting on my time at GWHS, I’m also proud of how I connected with my students and was part of their educational journey. I met incredibly motivated and bright students as an adviser who now have master’s degrees, full time jobs, and more. I’m thankful I could play a small part in their lives and in the GWHS community.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your time with AdviseVA?
AdviseVA was an extremely formative and rewarding experience and I would encourage any recent college graduate to consider joining! It was the perfect way to give back to Virginia while also being part of a network of individuals with a shared passion for serving others. It’s amazing to see how much AdviseVA has grown since I was an adviser and I’ll always be grateful for my experience and the ways in which it shaped my career.