Although I began my journey in College Counseling in 2008, it was not until 2011 that we began working with families for compensation. One of those families was Kaylyn’s.

Kaylyn was referred to me by a mutual friend. And as a single mom, I quickly bonded with her mom, who was a single mom as well. At the time of our meeting, Kaylyn was a high school senior – the only senior in the class of 2012, Cobb County Christian School, Marietta, GA.

Kaylyn and I got to know one another through test prep sessions, essay/college application editing, and review, as well as general conversations about college life. I soon learned that Kaylyn is a gifted writer. I also learned that Kaylyn suffered from sometimes debilitating test anxiety, – especially in math. As a first-generation college student, Kaylyn was eager to learn about the college experience, but at the same time, she was apprehensive when it came to considering schools away from home. Both she and her mom also had legitimate concerns about college costs.

Despite some odds against her, with our guidance, Kaylyn was admitted to Benedict College, Bennett College, Converse College, Johnson and Wales (NC), and Lee University (TN).  She came close to attending Bennett after touring there with her mom. Still, in the end, and after a long summer of contemplation, she decided to enroll at Chattahoochee Technical College (CTC), then later Georgia Highlands College (GHC) where she maintained a GPA of 3.3+ and made the Dean’s List twice.  Kaylyn worked intermittently while at GHC and CTC and took a semester here and there off from school.

However, Kaylyn never gave up on her dream of earning her bachelor’s degree. She worked hard and strategically by using resources at her disposal like a personal Mathematics Tutor. When her mother enlisted our services for her younger brother in 2015, Kaylyn was an invaluable resource and sounding board for him. Her little brother’s enrollment at Georgia Southern University sparked renewed interest and courage from Kaylyn to journey away from home, so in 2017 she applied and was accepted at Georgia Southern as well.

In December 2019, Kaylyn received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Georgia Southern University. By following her own path, her journey was not easy or without self-doubt, but Kaylyn NEVER gave up. NEVER.

And because of this, Kaylyn has something that no one can ever take away from her – her undergraduate degree! Congratulations, Kaylyn!!  We are very, very proud of you!!!