Wrestling With the Big Questions

Director of College Counseling, Boston University Academy (Boston, MA)

View more stories on HDS alumni and their career paths.

Describe the work you do today:

I serve as the director of college counseling at an independent high school located on the campus of Boston University. I work closely with students (and their families) as they consider their hopes and goals for their educational lives after high school. We provide a comprehensive program that helps students refine their interests, understand the landscape of college admissions, and prepare thoughtful, authentic college applications. Our office recognizes the many emotions that swirl around the college admissions profess for students and families, and works to provide a safe, supportive space that helps students keep the process in perspective and centers student agency and autonomy

How has your degree influenced your career journey?

There are two ways that my HDS experience has shaped my professional life -- one pragmatic, and the other philosophical. While at HDS, I had the good fortune to serve as a student admissions ambassador, working with members of the HDS admissions team to engage prospective students, give tours, and offer open house programming. I really enjoyed the experience of connecting with those who were considering theological education, hearing about their hopes and goals, and sharing about my own HDS experience. This led me to think about a career in the admissions space in higher education, and I landed back at my undergraduate alma mater, Georgetown University, in the office of undergraduate admissions. On a less concrete level, what ultimately drew me to the study of religion was the opportunity to wrestle with big questions -- questions about identity and values and how we live together in community. I have found that, at its best, college counseling work is similarly grounded in big questions; I work to help students think deeply about who they are and about the gifts they have to offer the world. The more students understand about themselves and their values and motivations, the better equipped they are to tell their stories in their applications and identify college and university communities that align with their values.

What career advice do you offer to current HDS students?

I enrolled at HDS fresh after finishing my undergraduate degree. If I could do the experience again with more professional and life experience under my belt, I would make better use of mentors—asking questions about their career trajectories, learning about the reasons they were drawn to their work, and sharing about my own hopes and reservations about different paths.