Our Golden Educational Consulting credo is “Finding college without losing yourself.” Both parts of that statement are key to what we do on a daily basis: helping students in finding a college home that will inspire them to grow while the “without losing yourself” side of that equation involves teaching them how to discover who they really are so they can recognize that college home when they find it. At the very core of our personalized approach is matching students and families with the absolute best educational consultants; professionals with unparalleled counseling skills, deep admissions experience, and most importantly, a joyful and inspiring heart. Working with GEC means that your student will not only be better able to advocate for themselves in the admission and financial aid processes, but that they will have a personal mentor by their side, one-on-one, teaching skills they will use throughout life.
To help us continue this mission, I am thrilled to announce that we are again growing our practice with the hiring of Jen England as an Educational Consultant with Golden Educational Consulting.
Jen is an exceptional educator with more than two and a half decades of experience in selective admissions, counseling, and financial aid, most recently serving Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin as Senior Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Visit Experience. Jen has also served on the Board of Directors for Colleges That Change Lives, a consortium of colleges and universities that advocates for a student-centered educational philosophy, which fits incredibly well with GEC’s mission. What we love about Jen is how she pairs her exceptional depth of knowledge with an incredibly down-to-earth demeanor and sense of humor which will help our families be one step ahead of the process, and experience a lot less stress along the way. As a long-time mentor for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Jen serves as a leader and volunteer in her community, something that is a core belief of Golden Educational Consulting.
"I feel like joining the GEC team was destined to happen because it is clear we share the same student-centered values and approach to our work. I was immediately impressed by GEC’s health-first approach to college counseling so I was thrilled when Dr. Thom asked me to come aboard. Students and families are bombarded with often inaccurate information about how they should be doing their college search, which creates undue stress and uncertainty. It doesn't need to be that way. I'm excited to share my 25+ years of experience in admissions and financial aid to help make the college search process fun and less stressful!"
Jen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. Michael’s College in Vermont. As an undergraduate, Jen studied abroad in London and also played Division III field hockey as a goalie. Jen earned her Master of Arts in Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Jen currently resides in Appleton, WI and is a huge Green Bay Packers fan, but grew up in Upstate NY and plans to move back east this spring to be closer to her family. Jen grew up visiting her grandparents there and now loves continuing to make memories in what she describes as her “happy place.” She also loves to play “any and all” games and puzzles and is an avid golfer.
Please join me in welcoming Jen to the Golden Educational Consulting family!
-Dr. Thom
