In January 2022, I left the ChiArts organization to start a new adventure as an independent college consultant.

Here’s what I’m doing:

College Consulting

Before joining College Inside Track, I started HM College Consulting after 20+ years helping students with college admissions. The first 13 years of my career were spent on the college side, crafting enrollment marketing materials, running auditions, recruiting nationally and internationally, and managing multi-million dollar financial aid budgets. In 2011 I switched sides to create the college advising program at The Chicago HS for the Arts, Chicago’s first public performing and visual arts High School. HM College Consulting was born out of the desire to help more students (both in the arts and outside the arts) navigate the current college admissions landscape - including arts auditions and portfolios - and make the process manageable for students and families. In the Fall of 2021, I was invited to join College Inside Track and join their impressive list of college consultants. With a focus on finding the academic, social and financial fit for their clients, joining this team was the next step in my consulting practice. Leveraging the proprietary method and tools that College Inside track provides, I’m able to serve my students to an even higher level. After several months of working at The ChiArts Foundation and taking on CIT clients, I found that I wanted to be a consultant full time. After 10 years and 6 months, I moved on from ChiArts and work full time at College Inside Track with an amazing team.

Bagpipe Lessons

For my 50th birthday, my family and friends chipped in and bought me a traditional set of bagpipes from Edinburgh, Scotland. I can make it sound like a wheeze. So my goal is to be able to play something simple by my next birthday in Nov 2022. I’ve been studying online with the Highland Bagpipe Academy. It’s great!

PlayinG Bassoon with the Northshore concert band

I joined the Northshore band at the beginning of the 2017-2018 season after 8 years as principal of the Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest. Learning new (to me) music under the direction of Dr. Mallory Thompson has been a rewarding challenge and has pushed me to play at a very high level. If you’re in town for one of our concerts, please come. We play at Pick Staiger Concert Hall on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, and at the Leemputte Family Theater at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, IL.

Making a handmade wardrobe

I love to sew, and 95% of my wardrobe is something I’ve made. I’m mostly self-taught with a few online classes here and there.

My favorite online fabric stores include:

• Stylemaker Fabrics (WA)

• Blackbird Fabrics (Vancouver, Canada)

• Mood Fabrics (NY)

• Vogue Fabric Store (IL)

• Core Fabric (Montreal, Canada)