What's My Why?

As a college counselor, I believe that an effective college search must always be grounded in the question of “Why?” Why do I want to go to college? Why am I willing to make a significant investment of time and money in the pursuit of a certificate or degree? 

When I decided to launch this consultancy, I knew that I needed to start with the same question: Why am I doing this? If I am going to invest my own time and money into this enterprise, then how can I best shape my practice to reflect my values as both an educator and a citizen? 

As a school-based counselor, I had the incredible fortune to serve in various leadership roles with the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling, and I still remember a Leadership Development Institute run by Patrick Walsh, Director of Recruitment and Operations at Illinois State University. Patrick challenged his leadership team to interrogate their “whys” when engaging in both association and professional work, reminding us that effective leadership is always purpose-driven.

I moved home to Ocean City in late 2023 to allow my mother to stay in her home as she navigates many of the challenges associated with old age. To be honest, I never thought I would move back to the Eastern Shore. While I loved growing up here, when I was eighteen I was eager to experience life across the Bridge. I had no interest in following in my parents’ footsteps in food service and hospitality, I yearned for the bustle of cities, loved the chaos of airports, and thrived in tightly knit school communities formed around academic excellence. Of course I would always come home for holidays and for short periods of time in the summer to roam around Assateague, play golf, fish, and bask in the sun, but I did not think about making Ocean City my home until it became clear that this was where I was most needed–where I was meant to be at this point in my life. 

I loved working in schools, surrounded by committed colleagues, supportive families, and, most importantly, wonderful kids. After I left my last school at the end of 2023, I started researching educational consultancies on the Delmarva Peninsula. I was surprised to find very few operational practices. While the Eastern Shore is rural, college-going culture has always persisted, and the demands of our local workforce–especially in the Wallops Corridor–require a specialized and educated populace. 

Yet, at least in Worcester County, the county’s financial investment in the local school system seems lacking. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future calls for a significant reallocation of resources to support implementation of the pillars–including raising starting salaries for teachers to $60,000 by 2027. In a county where housing prices are increasingly astronomical, this starting salary makes sense in order to attract qualified and dedicated teachers to the profession. It’s those same high property values that reduce the state’s contribution to the annual school budget, requiring the County Commissioners to approve a fairly significant funding increase in order to meet those mandates. In 2023, citing a lack of budget transparency from the school system, those Commissioners passed a Maintenance of Effort budget, effectively providing the minimum amount of money required by the state in order to fund county schools. Commissioners will meet again next week to consider the 2024 budget; another Maintenance of Effort could cost the school system up to 90 teaching positions. Advocates for education are desperately needed in this community. 

My work in schools has given me a specialized skill set, one that allows me to help students and families navigate the difficult path to college and university admissions. I have first-hand knowledge of a wide variety of high school curricula, I have personally visited over 300 colleges in my professional career, and I understand the journey that one takes from a small town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore to college and beyond. My “why” has not changed since my work with Patrick six years ago: a college education has the power to transform the lives of families for generations. As one who knows how these systems work, it is my obligation to help students and families make those systems work for them. 

So here I am, hanging my virtual shingle and declaring myself open for business. If you want to learn more about my practice or if you have any questions, comments, or feedback, I welcome your thoughts at joe@forshoreed.com.