Vickie Avila, MSW
ABOUT:
I hold a B.A. in English from the University of California - Berkeley and a Masters degree in Social Work from Azusa Pacific University where I graduated at the top of my class, Phi Alpha, and received the Outstanding Student of the Year and the Macro Student of the Year awards, respectively. My professional experience includes development work in Paraguay for the Peace Corps, literacy promotion within the Washington, D.C. Library system, and consulting in academic and college counseling.
I have worked with students as young as eleven years old and their families to compose four-year high school plans replete with classes, extracurricular activities, and SAT prep schedules, and modifying them as needed throughout the student's high school career.
I check in with students on their progress, help them select a major that meets the student's goals, and ensure the student's preparedness for the pursuit of that major in college admissions. Students I've worked with have pursued majors such as Business, Computer Science, Education, Photography, Urban Planning, Pre-Med, Engineering, Animation, and Psychology, to name a few.
COLLEGES:
Students I've worked with have gain admission to several top universities including Cornell, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Harvey Mudd College, UCLA, UPenn, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, West Point, NYU, and Georgia Tech
PHILOSOPHY:
Working with young people to help them identify their passion and pursue it brings me great joy. I enjoy facilitating conversations between parents and their children about goals and career plans. College admissions does not have to be stressful or confusing. Everything, in the end, will be okay. It is never too late to side step, change course, or start over. It might just look a little funny.
PERSONAL:
My husband and I sponsor an annual scholarship in an effort to support those enrolled in higher education. In my spare time, my husband, two young children, and I can be found scouting out new playgrounds and walking trails in Southern California.