It seems many of the things I do in life appear in front of me, just like the next piece of highway when you are driving at night. You know where you are heading, but you can only see the part of the road in front of you illuminated by your headlights. Sometimes you encounter surprises along the way.
Discovering university counseling has been the same for me.
My degree is in Applied Psychology. I have worked in a variety of fields: corporate training, sales, wellness, and finally teaching. I started teaching IB Psychology by chance, as a part time job, while developing my own business in the corporate wellness industry. I was surprised when I enjoyed it so much, that I decided to make a full-time career out of it and following my need for working internationally and challenging myself, I moved to Dubai.
Working with young people, just on the verge of adulthood, and being able to teach university-level content was a very fulfilling experience. I learned the IB Programme inside out and understood challenges that young people face. I did want to be able to work more one–on–one with students and be able to go more in-depth into understanding their individual path.
I completed a Counseling Certificate and moved to Thailand to work as a Secondary School Counselor. There I learned so much about supporting young people and families, through a variety of life challenges. But to be completely honest, there was still a piece that was missing. Part of me longed for more clear-cut results, setting goals and achieving them.
It turned out that I am quite results-oriented.
Completing the UCLA College Counseling Certificate allowed me to expand my role into university counseling and career advising, along with socio emotional support and coaching, in which I completed a postgraduate degree and never utilized.
I was then offered a position back in Dubai, in a fast-paced and demanding environment. Working at one of Dubai’s premiere schools was a challenge, but also allowed me to work with top achieving students and their families: students who were applying to the most selective universities all around the world. I loved being part of their journey, both when there was a clear destination, but also when it still needed uncovering.
I am thrilled to be able to continue this work, combining the different elements of knowledge and skills I have acquired.
And just like the lights illuminating the highway ahead, my mission is to help students and families navigate this road and hopefully make the journey fun and as stress-free as possible!