Blogmas- Day 4 | Understanding College & Career Counseling

In Blogmas Day 3, I spoke a little behind why I started working in the realm of college and career counseling. Here’s my back story:

I started college and career consulting because I understood that not every family had the time or experience with understanding how to get to a post-secondary program or what was needed to maintain the skills and knowledge to reach their desired career.

This stemmed from this belief: I became an educator because I wanted to provide black kids the opportunity to learn, dream and make mistakes in a safe space (aka my classroom).

I have a degree in Human Development and Family Science, and if you Google what that is, the most common answer is around this degree is that [individuals] “study individuals and families across the lifespan in the context of their communities” (UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences) or “focus on understanding human development from birth through adulthood [and] discover how lives and relationships develop within the context of family, school, work and society” (Oregon State University College of Health). That basically means I spent three of four undergraduate years learning about relationships from different perspectives and how they affect people in unique contexts. It was a pretty cool experience, and while I didn’t focus my learning in research labs, the practicums I did definitely were the springboard to me working in education.

I pride myself as an avid writer, and my introvertedness guided me to the world of books. Combining my escape in a novel with the ease of expressing myself on paper (or through a screen) made me think about how my experiences could help a younger person navigate a fast-paced society. I joined Teach for America; Now systemically, the organization may have some issues; however, it provided me with the training and opportunities to 1) move out of my home state 2) stretch my own knowledge of identity and belonging 3) interact with different communities and 4) a stable job. I actually did not realize how many of my most memorable educators did Teach for America (and yes, these educators were black).

Teaching English for High School Students was a good challenge, and with the spirit and keen insights of my educator grandparents behind me in the classroom, I knew that I could succeed as long as I took care of mental and physical health and had systems to combat burnout as much as possible. As the first semester came and went, I began to realize that many of students did not realize the requirements needed to graduate from high school, let alone achieve the careers they wanted. So in true Alexas fashion, I began to intertwine the work of knowing your high school graduation progress with English/Language content. These folks trusted my fresh out of college self to then be over Advanced Placement courses AND experiential learning AND department chair. Baby, that is a true moment of God qualified the called because I would not have gone for it on my own, knowing I was a new teacher.

Fast forward a few years, I take my traditional classroom experience and merge that with college access work for juniors in a classroom setting. I worked with those kids for a year and a half and due to my colleague hard work and my support, we were able to get 100% of scholars accepted into a post-secondary institution, 92% graduation rate, and over $20 million in scholarships. The days did get long, but it was well worth it.

I decided to take my experience out of the traditional classroom setting, because schools don’t always have the same infrastructure as the one I was working in, and highly-involved or working teenagers need more flexibility. I even went on to earn a Master’s in Higher Education from Arkansas State University to be more well-versed college access professional. I’ll probably get more credentialing and experience in college access, especially since the US Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action was made in June of 2023.

I also have a few Should Ask Questions if you are ever looking for a College Consultant. Trust me, you want to ask everyone you may potentially work with these questions.

Looking for college advising? Send an email saying <College Advising Now> to contact@thealexasdurr.com for more information.