Meet Christine Lee

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Introduction

Hello. I am a certified college counselor with 10 years of experience in the field. I received my certification in 2011 after completing an extensive program at UCLA. I am a member of several Bay Area networks of college counselors who share information and resources. I have personally visited over 150 universities, including the most selective colleges across the country. Click HERE to view a full list of the schools that I have visited.

I enjoy all aspects of college counseling:

  • Working with students of this age and their parents

  • Keeping applicants organized and inspired

  • Researching colleges

  • Keeping up to date on all of the changing requirements

My approach to the college application process is simple:

  • I am committed to helping students find colleges that will enrich their lives.

  • I will simplify and organize the application process.

  • I will focus on reducing my clients’ stress by creating a plan and a strategy that will help them be competitive and confident.

I am a member of the following professional organizations:

  • WACAC Western Association for College Admission Counseling

  • HECA Higher Education Consultants Association

  • NACAC National Association for College Admission Counseling

What makes me a good college counselor?

I like working with high school students, which is why I chose to be a teacher. Students at this age are at such a critical time in their lives. They are forming habits that will stay with them forever at a time when they are exploring and discovering who they really are and what they want in life. I like to hear their stories and I want to help them get through this college search process and provide the helping hand they need to get through it all.

My priority is the student. I see my role as a supplement to their school’s college counseling program. As a former teacher and administrator, I support the efforts the schools are making and I also understand the heavy workload they have.  I also see my role as a support to the parents and like to involve them in the process in a way that doesn’t distract the student from being motivated.

Personal Information

I am a California native, having also lived in Boston, Minneapolis, and London. My husband and I now live in Kenwood, a small town north of the Bay Area where we settled in 1995.

My son received his undergraduate degree from UC Davis and his law degree from the University of Minnesota. My daughter graduated from Barnard College/Columbia University and received her Masters of Science in Nursing from Columbia University. Both are currently living and working in the Midwest.

I spent my high school years in Minneapolis, and my college years at UCSB, UC Berkeley, and received my Masters in Education from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.

I taught English, Writing, and Social Studies in a public high school for 4 years before pursing a business career in investment advising and business management. I have a current teaching credential from the state of California and a Financial Planning Certificate from UC Berkeley Extension.

As a stay-at-home mom, I enjoyed publishing a boutique events calendar, which received wide distribution under my trademark “California FunFest”. This was before the internet became more accessible. During that time I helped start the Kenwood Education Foundation which has now celebrated over a decade of success.

My brief career as a television news photographer in Monterey was perhaps my most memorable since I was able to record the interview with Joe Montana in the locker room after he won the NFC championship game. I was the second female photographer in history to have been allowed there.

Professional Background

  • Teaching, California public high school: English, Writing, Social Studies  (4 years)

  • Business & Educational Administration (10 years)

  • Financial Management (4 years)

  • Development Writing & Strategy (1 year)

    • Clients:

      • Harvard Law School

      • Associated Grantmakers of Massachusetts

      • U.S. Rowing Association

      • KQED-TV San Francisco

  • Television Production & Writing (4 years)

Education

  • Certificate in College Counseling, 2011 – University of California, Los Angeles, Extension

  • Certificate in Financial Planning, 1988 – University of California, Berkeley, Extension

  • Single Subject Teaching Credential Program, 1977 (Social Sciences) – University of California, Berkeley

  • Life Credentials in English & Social Studies (California: Preschool through Adult)

  • Masters in Education: Administration, Planning, Social Policy (Ed.M., 1975) – Harvard University, Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA

  • Psychology (B.A. with Honors, 1974) – University of California, Santa Barbara

Additional Organizations and Activities

  • Sonoma Academy, Co-chair of Annual Fund, 2012-2013

  • Marin Academy Parent Association, President & Board Member, 2007-2008

  • Kenwood Education Foundation, President & Founding Member, 1998-2001

  • The Preparatory School Board of Trustees, Santa Rosa, Board Member, 1995-97

  • Stanford University, Mass Media Institute, Broadcast Management & News, 1980

  • University of California Writing Institute, Bay Area Writing Project for Teachers, 1979