Hi! I’m Kate and I’m so glad you’ve reached out to College Connectors. I’ve been the owner of College Connectors since 2014 and I’ve loved helping so many students take the next steps after high school. My favorite part of the process is getting to know each student’s personality and unique gifts and finding ways to build them into a student’s application. I’m also a self-professed college geek and love visiting different colleges every year. Stepping foot on a college campus thinking about how it might fit for a particular student I’m working with is so exciting!
I now have over two decades of experience in higher education and there have been so many changes in higher education in those 20 years! Keeping up with those changes is another exciting part of my career. I love communicating all the dynamic changes in college admissions with families in ways that they can digest. Families feel comfortable with knowing how their student will find their place in this constantly changing world of admissions.
The families I work with often say that they appreciate how I connect with their students and make them feel at ease with me, as their counselor, and about this often overwhelming process. Students appreciate how I often introduce them to colleges they never would have thought about but end up being really strong fits.
I’ve worked in college admissions at Cornell College and academic advising at Capella University before finding my true calling as an Independent Educational Consultant at College Connectors. I’ve sat on and led numerous professional committees through local and community organizations supporting education within my community in Bloomington, MN and supporting work with students with learning differences at a national level through IECA LD Committee.
When I’m not working, I love spending time with my husband and two teenagers who on most days still think I’m cool. I enjoy puzzling and spend a significant amount of time looking for missing puzzle pieces that my cat has knocked off of the table. During the summer months, I’m an avid gardener, and for those who garden know, this mostly means pulling weeds June through September.
Favorite professional achievement
Creating a scholarship program for students in my community through the local chamber of commerce.
Favorite personal achievement
Being part of the 600 lb Club through Strengths Origins. Between my bench press, back squat, and deadlift, the combined weight lifted totaled more than 600 lbs!
How I describe College Connectors to families
We have a wicked smart team of the best counselors who care about students and their success. Students get a one to one counselor connection, but we have a culture of sharing experience and knowledge with each other, which means students are supported by all of us, not just one of us.
My favorite working environment
Rustica Coffee in Edina with a croissant and coffee. Really, it’s all about the croissant. It pairs nicely with my airpods and laptop and my to-do list.
Favorite College resource
The Fiske Guide is one of my go-to resources for students. I appreciate the subjective narrative of each college that is written from a professional’s point of view. This is built into our Student Portal so our students get unlimited access to it too!
My important credentials
- CEP, Certified Educational Planner
- MBA, Capella University
- BA, International Business and French, Simpson College
Member of IECA, HECA, NACAC professional organizations.
