Meet the Women Guiding Families Through College Admissions #college #highschool #collegehelp #advice
- Our Origin Story:
We started College Help Squad to give families the clarity, confidence, and guidance during the college application process.
In 2015, my son Connor told me he wanted to go to Purdue University. I thought we had until the end of his senior year to figure everything out—but I was wrong. He told me the applications were due at the beginning of the year, and suddenly we were behind.
We found a college planning company, and I sat in on every single meeting. I needed to understand the process—not just as a mom, but as someone who could support him the right way.
At the time, I was helping cities and small businesses with public relations. But when I had to speak at Leadership Burbank about what I loved about my job, I realized… I didn’t. What actually lit me up was helping my son prepare for his future.
I asked the company if they were hiring. They weren’t—at first. But by the time I graduated from Leadership Burbank, I was working with them. I stayed for 7 years, learning everything I could about this industry—what to do, and what not to do.
After COVID, I left the company and started working on my own. Not long after, Karrie—who I had worked with as a counselor—reached out. We were always a great match, both professionally and personally, so we decided to build something better together.
We launched on January 15, 2022. I’m the planner—I meet with the families, get them started, and build their plan. Karrie is the counselor—she works one-on-one with students from start to finish. We help with everything from finding the right major and colleges, to essays, FAFSA, extracurriculars, and more.
We’ve grown every year since we launched. We’re now in our third year, already ahead of our goals, and we’ve been honored as the Burbank Chamber’s Emerging Small Business of the Year. I also serve in multiple community leadership roles because I believe in giving back to the city that supported me.
We built this company to make the college process less stressful and more strategic—for both parents and students. If that’s what you’re looking for, let College Help Squad be a part of your process.