Staci Hunt, MA Ed.

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I have been working in higher education for over twenty years; my favorite thing is to  help students understand themselves so that we can make a great match between students and their institution of choice. Further, one of my greatest passions is seeing students realize their potential; part of that journey is certainly choosing the right college.

I graduated from the University of Virginia, majoring in history and living in a residential college while participating in various student groups on Grounds. It was through these extracurricular experiences I discovered the vast amount of personal growth that occurs outside the classroom, nestled in a university climate. This realization and budding passion took me to Virginia Tech where I earned my Master of Arts in Education and majored in College Student Personnel/Higher Education and Student Affairs. I served as a Community Assistant and a Residence Hall Director while at Virginia Tech; after that I moved to Guam and served as a substitute instructor before becoming the Program Specialist for Adult Education at Guam Community College. I also worked as the Assistant Director of Student Activities at Marymount University in Arlington, VA, and then as an Advisor for Returning Adult Students at the University of Wisconsin-Baraboo. I have served as adjunct faculty for a variety of colleges and universities in an online setting, teaching various courses ranging from orientation/academic strategies to Global Cultures. 

I earned a certificate in Educational Consulting from UC-Irvine in 2018, and have since been assisting high school students and their families with college planning and placement part-time while working full-time as an Academic Advisor at Northern Kentucky University. I have worked with students who have matriculated at Indiana University, the University of Louisville,  the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and the University of Cincinnati. I am an Associate Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (iecaonline.org).

I worked as an Orientation Leader and as a Student Coordinator for Orientation on campus during the summers to help get students prepared for a strong start. In addition, I worked as a Resident Advisor for several years during the school year to counsel students and help them navigate their transition to adulthood and school-related challenges.
Seeking further preparation to work with students, I earned a Master's Degree in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University (BGSU), a leading institution in this field. There, I studied student development theory and educational environments, which gave me a deep understanding of how college students grow and change, and the ways that college environments can influence this development. The masters degree has provided a strong foundation for my work with college and high school students. In addition to working at Michigan and BGSU, my professional career has led me to roles in a number of institutions including Olivet College, The Medical College of Ohio, Duke University, and UNC-Charlotte.
I worked at Eden Prairie High School for 4 years leading their college and career planning efforts. In addition to communicating with students and families, coordinating workshops and programming, and developing new college and career efforts, I also provided individual support to hundreds of students. I worked with students who needed guidance in making career and college decisions, feedback as they crafted their college essays, and help with scholarship applications and financial aid. I enjoyed supporting students who successfully applied to the most selective colleges in the country, and I had the privilege of working with students who were the first in their family to attend college. In this role, I also met with hundreds of admissions counselors from colleges across the country who visited every year. Those conversations with committed and enthusiastic admissions professionals helped me to better understand the variety of expectations that colleges have of students, the philosophies that can underlie the admissions process, and the opportunities that students have to connect with the colleges and tell their story.
I am an Associate Member of Independent Educational Consultants Association (www.iecaonline.org), I serve on the board of the Minnesota Association of College Admissions Counseling- MACAC (www.mn-acac.org/) as a Tri-Chair of the Minnesota Education Fair planning committee. I have served on the Lehigh University Counselor Advisory Board for the Admissions office.