IB Program and Exam Support: Actionable Prep, Reinvented

Katherine earned a BA from Duke University, where she achieved ACC Honor Roll status and made the Dean’s List, before earning her MEd at Southern Methodist University. At Duke, Katherine was a Division 1 athlete, team captain of the varsity swim team, and four-year letterwinner. Katherine has eight years of college admissions counseling experience as a College and Career Counselor and Dean of College Prep at Uplift Education, a nonprofit organization that operates a network of 45 high-performing, tuition-free, public charter schools serving 23,000 students in under-served areas across the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. 

She also served as a Corps Member for Teach for America. Katherine has coached 500+ students who have been accepted to MIT, Brown, UChicago, WashU in St. Louis, Johns Hopkins University, NYU, and Notre Dame, among others.

Katherine became interested in admissions counseling because of how grateful she is for her own college experience. Katherine realized how lucky she was to have parents, friends, and family who had been to college and could support her through the application process. She also felt privileged to have been a recruited athlete. But she recognizes that not everyone is as lucky, and felt called to help others have a positive experience with college. 

Katherine values communication and recognizes the importance of getting to know students holistically at the start of a counseling partnership. There are so many factors involved in finding the "best-fit college," and Katherine’s passion stems from her love of talking to students, listening to them, and helping them develop plans for their futures. She thrives on the relationships she’s built with students and it brings her joy to check in with them throughout their college and post-college years and see them find success.

Katherine excels at empowering others by listening to them in a way that makes them feel heard and respected. When she offers her opinions or advice, students recognize Katherine’s collaborative teaching style and know she is not trying to change their minds or make them take a path that's not for them. While students know she is available any time of day for help, Katherine loves to empower students to figure things out in their own way before collaborating with her for help. 

As a counselor, Katherine is organized and reliable. One of her favorite parts of college counseling is the personal statement. She loves helping students reflect on their lives to come up with a compelling topic, and her essay editing style helps students find and maintain their voices. Katherine is a guide with extensive experience that helps her empower students to feel confident in their submissions and decisions.

Katherine believes that the most important tactic for keeping students motivated is to build a relationship with them first to ensure they know she understands what they’re going through and that it’s okay to take breaks and practice self-care while working toward a successful future. Katherine tells students to think about the morning after high school graduation and to imagine that feeling of what's coming next, to make sure they have a solid plan because entering "the real world" is not easy.

Outside of work, she loves to spend time outside with her husband and four-year-old daughter, Emma. Katherine was diagnosed with celiac disease in her junior year of college, but she doesn’t mind being gluten-free because cooking makes her happy, and she loves trying new recipes, and finding gluten-free bakeries and new restaurants. She tries to work out or walk every day and loves to play tennis with her husband. She also enjoys reading, listening to music, and watching TV shows that make her cry (either happy or sad tears!).

Bria is a distinguished alumna of the University of California, Berkeley, earning both a  Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees. While at UC Berkeley, she served as a mentor and application guide for students within TAMID.

Bria intimately understands the stress and uncertainty of the college application process. As an only child, she lacked a role model to turn to for advice, ultimately navigating the process without the guidance she now provides. This personal experience fuels her passion to be that guiding light for others.

As a coach, Bria excels at being supportive and giving constructive feedback. When editing resumes or essays, she always tries to do what she calls a compliment sandwich – start with a compliment, add what needs to be changed/fixed, and then end with another compliment. Bria knows criticism can sometimes come off as harsh or offensive, even if it is not meant to be, so she found this is a good way to get the message across and have students feel good about themselves and their writing.

When working with students who are hitting a learning block,  Bria uses positive reinforcement and encouragement to remind them of their end goal and that all their hard work will pay off. She is always optimistic, outgoing, kind, compassionate, and empathetic.

Outside of counseling Bria is a travel agent as a side hustle because she is passionate about travel and helping others travel, too. She’s been fortunate enough to visit 26 countries so far! When she’s not working or traveling, she loves to cook and bake, hike and be in nature, spend time with friends, watch TV, paint, and do puzzles.

Prior to attending the University of California, Berkeley, to obtain his Bachelor of Arts, Sebastian completed his Associate of Arts from Mt. San Antonio College. Before attending Berkeley, Sebastian served as a head counselor for Eduexplora, where he mentored over 150 students from Latin American countries. During his time at Berkeley, Sebastian was an Undergraduate Research Apprentice and Undergraduate Student Admissions Advisor, where he guided prospective and current applicants through the undergraduate admissions process.

As a low-income student who navigated the complexities of the application process with limited resources, Sebastian developed a deep passion for admissions counseling. Despite these obstacles, he received crucial guidance from a few mentors who believed in his potential and helped him gain admission to college. This experience instilled in him a profound determination to pay forward the transformative impact that mentorship and support can have on student success. Sebastian's passion for admissions counseling is rooted in his desire to level the playing field for students from underprivileged backgrounds. He firmly believes that every student deserves access to the resources and support necessary to pursue higher education.

As a coach, Sebastian is outgoing, empathetic, and driven by the genuine desire to see every student succeed. He maintains a warm and approachable demeanor, creating a comfortable space where students feel valued, respected, understood, and supported. He openly shares personal stories that students can relate to, emphasizing that challenges and setbacks are part of the journey to success. 

Sebastian believes that effective teaching begins with active listening, understanding the individual needs and learning styles of each student, and tailoring his approach accordingly. He also believes in the power of constructive criticism, which he always delivers with empathy and respect. By helping students identify their strengths and weaknesses, he enables them to take proactive steps toward their personal and academic growth. Emphasizing the importance of self-reflection, he also encourages his students to critically evaluate their own progress, fostering a deeper understanding of their capabilities and potential. 

Outside of coaching, Sebastian enjoys going to the gym, reading books, and playing FIFA. He is currently also learning Portuguese, which takes up a lot of his free time!