MEET KELSEY
I’m a writer, educator, and mom. I thrive on making lasting and impactful relationships with the students that I teach.
Growing up, I knew that I wanted to be a writer. My first creative writing piece was done for fun about my cat giving birth to her five kittens. We’ll just say that I was potentially more graphic than necessary regarding what happens to the placenta, but even so my mom saved it–misspelled words and all. From there I wrote a story in the fourth grade that was about four girl pop stars who dressed up as cheetahs (I’m still waiting for a cut from Disney’s Cheetah Girls Franchise), until I eventually wrote my first novella in high school.
So why am I telling you this? It sounds pretty clear that I would end up on the track of being a professional writer who has served hundreds of students across her time teaching, right?
Wrong.
I was the first in my family to attend a traditional four year university and so I had no one to guide me in how the process worked.
Instead, I forwent going to an out of state college assuming that I could not afford it and stayed locally, and I began my collegiate career as a Biology major because 1. Grey’s Anatomy was big at the time and 2. no one was around to help guide me in my passions. It took me two years of nearly failing through my Chemistry and Biology courses before I happened upon a single teacher who asked me what I was doing and why I wasn’t majoring in English Language Arts.
At this point, the rest was history.
I switched majors, thrived in my Literature and Writing courses and went onto apply for graduate school at the University of Southern California in Professional Writing. While there, I had an emphasis in Fiction and Screenwriting where I learned under the best in the field. Upon graduation I worked full time as an editor, found my way into content editing, and then stumbled into a college essay and counseling course where I discovered that I loved helping students find their voices and their stories. I enrolled at the University of San Diego to get my teaching credential in English Language Arts and Social Sciences that day.
I was hired full-time at High Tech High North County as a humanities teacher, was the director of ASB, and ran the junior internship program. I developed my College Knowledge Project to support students (like you!) as they started to tiptoe into the world of admissions. Each of my students offered me a part of their personal selves in trusting me with the process and so I honored that by giving back pieces of my life to them (and you) as well.
In 2019, tragedy hit my family when my younger brother passed away very suddenly. Losing someone so critical to your identity causes a shift in how you view life. We are told from a young age that life is short, but the reality is so much crueler than we can even begin to believe. When my son was born in 2021, I was reminded of the fleeting passage of time and could not see myself spending time away from him. In a move that shocked me, my husband, my family, and friends, I left the job I loved so much to stay at home and be with my son during these critical first years of life.
In transitioning out of the classroom, I have entered into a new phase of teaching where I am able to focus on what I am most passionate about–students and their stories. Each year, I have been able to work with juniors and seniors from around the state to support them in their college endeavors. I’ve been a sounding board for frustrations and a person that students feel safe confiding in regarding their fears and worries around college admissions. I have made friends with families as they witness their children’s first, adult dreams come true. I have gotten to be a part of the storytelling process in a way that matters.
Our stories are complex–often more complex than we give ourselves credit for. Rarely do we have a point A to point B experience and that’s where I come in. I am eager to help support you on this next phase of your educational experience. Whether you’re starting from scratch or know where you want to go but aren’t sure how to get there I can help you with the answers.
Reach out today and schedule your free 30 minute consultation.
I’m excited to tell your story!
Kelsey