Marybeth has spent more than 25 years in education, admissions, and college counseling, working with students across a wide range of backgrounds, abilities, and goals. Her nearly decade of experience as an Admissions Specialist at the University of California, Santa Cruz gave her an inside view of what selective institutions are truly looking for, and she brings that perspective directly into her counseling work. Before moving into admissions, she taught writing and language arts at the college level, served as an education professor and academic advisor, and developed curriculum across a range of institutional settings. She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from Westmont College, an M.A. in Education from California State University, and a Certificate in College Counseling from UC San Diego.

‍

Marybeth is committed to helping students find their authentic voices and understand that who they truly are matters. She meets students where they are, listens with curiosity, and works alongside them as they discover their own paths. She loves the creativity students bring to the process and works to nurture that spirit, helping them approach their essays and applications with imagination and confidence. Above all, she loves the partnership that develops through this work, walking alongside students as they grow into a clearer sense of who they are and where they want to go.

‍

After two decades in the San Francisco Bay Area, Marybeth now makes her home in Central California, where the Sierra Nevada foothills have become her backyard. She is a certified Horticultural Therapist whose background in sustainable design and organic farming informs both her love of the land and her work with students drawn to environmental studies, design, and purpose-driven pathways. When she is not working with students, she can be found on the trail, practicing yoga, tending her garden, or exploring art and design. She has a daughter completing her MFA in photography in Boston.