Counselors That Change Lives

As a non-profit organization, CTCL is dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process. Our mission is to help students frame their search beyond the ratings and rankings and to find a college that cultivates a lifelong love of learning and provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life beyond college.

The “Counselors That Change Lives” award recognizes those whose dedication to the college counseling profession reflects the mission of CTCL. Their tireless work does not go unrecognized and this program is our way of acknowledging all that they do to help students and families on a daily basis.

"Helen Berger founded Houston Prep Academy/U-Prep to improve the lives of low-income and first-generation minority students in Houston. The program utilizes a holistic approach and includes educational coursework, social work, and college advisement. Helen helps place U-Prep students in academically rigorous, private high schools throughout the Houston area. Her program supports these students with on-going guidance as well as financial assistance. In recent years, she has also increased the services offered to help students in rural Mexico become college-ready and to attend institutions of higher education.

"Helen is wholly invested in the lives of her students. She works with families, younger siblings, school faculty and local communities to support the success of the students at U-Prep. She is compassionate, extremely thoughtful and intelligent and a tireless worker. She even accompanies students on individual college visits throughout the country. Once she helps high school seniors find the perfect college fit, she continues to provide financial and academic support throughout their college experience--helping to ensure these students graduate from college. She is committed to values of education and exploration, cross-cultural understanding, social justice and working towards a more equitable community. She is a role model to us all."

"Anne is a firm believer in the CTCL message and encourages all of her advisees to look beyond the big name colleges and the California state system to try and find the colleges that will be the best fit for them. Anne works with a very diverse population of students, both ethnically and socio-economically, and takes a lot of time to understand the challenges that each student faces when considering college. Anne single-handedly started the college advising program at CHAMPS just two years ago (this new school graduated its first class in 2009), and graduates have been accepted at a wide range of colleges and universities. Through her hard work Anne has created a vibrant, excited, college-bound community."

"Emily started the college counseling program at Brooklyn Latin from ‘the ground up’ as the school was created. She began working with her students as freshmen, long before any of them had started thinking about college. She has changed her programs each year to accommodate each student’s needs and has been able to maintain close relationships with them, even as the school size first doubled, then tripled --without increasing the college counseling staff! She has created a college-prep mentality for students who come from across all five New York boroughs and she makes sure that they include a wide variety of colleges in their search. Emily epitomizes true counseling and is making a difference in the lives of her students."

"In the many years that I have worked with Melanie Drake, she has always impressed me as a counselor who cares deeply for the well being of her students, beyond what is required of her job. In addition to a friendly and welcoming environment, Melanie has created a supportive and guiding atmosphere in her office. She questions students about their interests and abilities in a way that helps to guide them in a direction toward colleges by fit rather than by name brand prestige. By getting to know her students well she helps them to know themselves, which is such a critical part of the college search process. Melanie also works to educate parents about fit by utilizing the CTCL philosophy and helping them to understand the importance of choosing a college that is right for their child. She is an inspiration!"

"Janet has a deep commitment to working with lower socioeconomic, first-generation and minority students. She spends hours speaking with college admission officers to find information about fly-in programs, scholarships, financial aid and academic offerings that would be suitable for her students. Day in and day out, she lives the virtues of DCIS, encouraging an accepting and open-minded world. She encourages her students to take advantage of opportunities to travel throughout the world during high school as ambassadors of the U.S. and to learn about other cultures.

"Janet certainly understands how a variety of hands-on and experiential learning opportunities can help students learn and develop so she also supervises a great deal of the community service and social justice work that students at DCIS complete. A few years ago, students at DCIS raised funds to send a brand-new, fully stocked ambulance to a remote area of South America. Above all, Janet forges strong relationships with the students at DCIS and continues to maintain that mentorship model well beyond the students' graduation from high school. I never cease to be inspired by her work ethic and the role model that is for her community."

"You just know it's going to be a good day when your morning starts off with a call from Donald! Donald has an infectious passion that seems to be pervasive at YES Prep and is one of those refreshing individuals whose passion is matched by his intellect. Donald has been a key part of building what has become a benchmark program for charter schools in Texas. Under his guidance, literally thousands of traditionally underserved students have benefited from the YES Prep system, which goes beyond simple access to higher education and encourages students to find best-fit colleges and universities. It is difficult sometimes to counsel the idea of ‘best fit’ to students with the financial means and college-savvy parents.

"Donald leads a team that achieves that with a population that traditionally has only seen college as a distant dream. I am proud to share this profession with a counselor like Donald Kamentz!"

"Crys is the ultimate champion for the CTCL mission. She has built the counseling program from the ground up at Latin and models the value of a liberal arts education in every discussion she has with students. She works with a population of students who could easily never know about the many college options and the importance of college fit. Crys believes in her students’ abilities and encourages them to do the same--she is part social worker, part mentor and part friend.

"She is deeply respected by the students with whom she works because of her passion for education, coupled with her strong ability to advocate on their behalf. Since her school is newly established, I am aware of how hard she is working to help students and parents understand the important concept of fit and how to look beyond rankings. She reached out to CTCL schools to visit Latin in an effort to expose her students to different types of colleges. Crys Latham is an exceptional counselor and a devoted advocate for a college search about fit and match."

"Emmanuel Manu has consistently gone above and beyond his job description to work with students from Baltimore City in order to introduce them to many different college environments. He is always in contact with his college colleagues to help find the perfect fit for each of his students. It is a pleasure working with Emmanuel’s students as they are always prepared and excited to learn about the opportunities in college. Many of his students do not have a positive role model in their lives to promote college as an option to them, but he steps in to fill this void. He is a great asset not only to W.E.B. High School, but to the entire CollegeBound Foundation!"

"Diana is outstanding at rallying interest from her students to attend CTCL events and college school visits. These are largely students who are first-generation college-bound; they have heard a bit about the Ivies and the flagship and regional campuses of the state university system, but Diana gives them exposure to private, liberal arts colleges that are ‘off-the-radar.’ She demonstrates such a genuine interest in her students through her persistence throughout the college search process as counselor and an advocate--and through her continued relationship with these students during college matriculation. She is an inspiring person and a shining example of how one person can make a difference in the lives of others!"

"Terry understands his students and has a strong grasp on the academic landscape of colleges and universities, which enables him to rationally make recommendations for his students. He helps them look beyond the ratings and rankings and not just choose schools based on current conventions such as selectivity and prestige. He is a big proponent of having the students be proactive in their search of higher education, empowering them to really take on the process as their own personal endeavor. When I made my first visit to Watkinson, I found that the atmosphere was laid back and the conversations I had with students were genuine, making it apparent to me from the very beginning that Terry was a figure that students respected and trusted. He reached out to host one of the early CTCL programs on the Watkinson campus in a great example of his dedication to opening minds and bringing options to the students and families in his community."

Emily Berty, Kirkwood High School, MO

Steffanie Gentile, Clark Montessori (public magnet), OH

Daniel Gin, Niles West High School, IL

Adam Kendis, North Star Academy Charter School of Newark, NJ

Stacy Lightfoot, Chattanooga School for Creative Arts, TN

Jim Montague, Boston Latin School, MA

Ginger Patron, Patapsco High School, MD

Margaret Smith, Chattanooga School of the Arts and Sciences, TN

Jeff Stahlman, New Albany High School, OH

Karen Tcheyan, CollegeTracks at Wheaton High School, MD

Jean Whalen, Pine Richland High School, PA

Robert Andrews, Director of College Counseling, Schuler Scholar Program, Waukegan High School, Waukegan, IL

John Boshoven, Counselor for Continuing Education, Community High School, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Brendan Diffley, Director of Guidance, Pinewood Preparatory School, Summerville, SC

Nora Dowley, Dean of Enrichment, Codman Academy Charter Public School, Dorchester, MA

John Fanning, Director of Counseling and College Counseling, Jones College Prep, Chicago, IL

Bridget Herrera, Counselor, Escola American de Campinas, Campinas Brazil

Lauren Holt, Director of College Counseling, Oakwood Friends School, Poughkeepsie, NY

Rebecca (Becki) Rutsky, College and Career Advisor, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Birmingham, AL

Erin Duffy, Upper School Head, from Seacrest Country Day School, Naples, FL

Dr. Jim Fadely, Director of College Counseling, University High School of Indiana, IN

Debbie Greenberg, Director of College Counseling, College Bound, St. Louis, MO

Dr. Whitney Laughlin, College Horizons, Founder and Assistant Director, Pena Blanca, NM

Ms. Cynthia Markoch, Eastside High School, IB Counselor, Gainesville, FL

Lynda McGee, College Counselor & AVID Counselor, Downtown Magnets High School, Los Angeles, CA

Carl Peterson, Counseling Department Chair (Retired) Forest Hills Eastern H.S., MI