College Counseling
Essay Coaching
Nikki Giovanni
Rebecca started her career as an Assistant Head of School, working with teachers and families to help launch California Virtual Academies, one of California's first online public schools. Her passion for educational excellence led her to Branson School, where she served as a Trustee for two years, Director of Alumni Relations, and Student Advisor for over eleven years. Helping students with their college applications and essays, finding internships, interviewing skills, and job placement after graduation inspired her to pursue a career in college counseling with an emphasis on essay writing.
Rebecca holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Pennsylvania and a Certificate in College Counseling with Honors from UCLA. Her work as an essay coach has seen students accepted at the top public and private colleges throughout the United States, such as Stanford, Cornell, Vanderbilt, UCLA, UVA, and the University of Michigan, as well as a wide array of smaller liberal arts schools such Colorado College, Bowdoin, and Pomona.
Rebecca believes that each of her students has a story to tell. Her commitment to the process has led to over 200 hours of professional development, including courses such as UC Counselor Workshops, Strategies for the Reluctant Writer, and MothWorks. As a counselor and parent, she has also visited numerous college campuses throughout the United States to understand each school's institutional objectives and culture. Rebecca particularly loves working with her neurodiverse students and leverages proven techniques to help make the writing process more comfortable for all.
Outside of work, she volunteers with Next Generation Scholars, helping first-generation students apply to college. She loves to spend time with her three children (two of whom are in college) and husband (whom she met in high school), go open-water swimming in the Bay, and explore the incredible Bay Area trail system with her dog, Sadie.