Welcome Laurel Weijer To The Educational Advocates Team

Laurel Weijer is an experienced teacher, counselor and admissions professional who has worked in both secondary and higher education for more than a decade. She is passionate about helping students grow throughout the college admissions process, tell their own unique stories, and find the right college fit. She has experience working with students from a variety of backgrounds as well as students with language-based learning differences. She believes that great college counseling is not only about results but also about building strong relationships with the student and their family to help everyone involved in the process navigate this important life step with confidence.

Laurel holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from the University of Chicago and a Master of Arts in Nonfiction Writing from Johns Hopkins University. She is an award-winning writer and editor whose work has been recognized by organizations including the University of Chicago, the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals, the Public Relations Society of America and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

Laurel began her career in the University of Chicago’s career advising center before transitioning into secondary education at a private school in Baltimore, Maryland. While working as a communications professional, she also served as an advisor for high school students and a journalism teacher. Her communications and advocacy skills, combined with her love of working with students, made a transition to full-time college counseling a natural fit, and she was lucky to land her dream job working as a college counselor at a private Catholic school in Baltimore.

When Laurel’s husband was offered a faculty position at the University of Florida, she took the opportunity to transition to a position in the UF admissions office to learn more about the other side of the admissions process. As an assistant director of admissions, Laurel’s responsibilities included managing a large recruiting territory, reviewing thousands of applications, and sitting on the decisions committee for more than 52,000 applicants. She is thrilled to join Educational Advocates and return to working with students and families full time.

Laurel lives in Gainesville, Florida with her husband and two children. When not working with students and families, she enjoys bicycling, spending time with her children, drinking great coffee, and exploring all that Gainesville has to offer. She is also pursuing her passion for education and scientific research through the Master of Science in Epidemiology program at UF and expects to earn her MSE degree in 2024.

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