The seniors have officially started their journey into the college application process. In addition, NDB introduced new improvements made to the college and counseling center during the summer. One of these changes comes in the form of the new Dean of Academic Advisement Kristi Rossi.
Rossi grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, where she attended Lahser HS. She then went on to the University of Michigan where she studied psychology with a focus in business and organization development. Her background in corporate education and training steadily moved her toward a career within public education, which encouraged her to pursue a master’s degree in education and school counseling at the University of Southern California.
Although her career in corporate education was expected, her path toward college counseling was a different journey. Rossi shares that her position as a stay-at-home mom as well as her experience in software education gave her the opportunity to pursue college counseling. At a previous job, she discovered her passion for working with teenagers after managing a group of high school-aged students, which inspired her to get her counseling credentials.
Rossi’s involvement in the community is not new as she spent time coaching the NDB Cross Country and Distance Track teams. After leaving a different job, she began searching for a more permanent position that would offer her the time and flexibility to work with young adults. Through parents and friends within the NDB community, Rossi was given the opportunity to work with all the components that she had been looking for.
“I love how everybody here is really supportive about whatever you want to do. There’s always somebody willing to help and it’s so collaborative, which I really appreciate,” said Rossi. “There’s a good balance of work and fun here because there’s so many activities and ways to get involved, but students take their work seriously.”
Not only is Rossi excited about the college application process of current seniors, but she is also eager to give the Class of 2025, 2026 and 2027 a head start on the process as well. She has already planned meetings for all of the classes, emphasizing the importance of student and parent involvement, no matter how early. She also announced the dates and topics of her “Lunch Bunch” meetings, which have allowed students to dive deeper into the more challenging steps in the application process, such as writing in the “Activities” section and drafting supplemental essays.
Rossi is excited for the upcoming school year and college admissions cycle and is ready to work with the NDB community.
