A woman with glasses, standing in front of a large wooden door with an arched stone entryway labeled 'McKenna Hall'.

Hi, I’m McKenna.

After nine years of working with high school students, what I love most hasn't changed: getting to know each student for who they are. I help them find their strengths, figure out what matters to them, and think honestly about the kind of college environment where they'll grow and thrive.

That is what led me to start Ever Bright Advising. As a high school counselor at a private high school in Silicon Valley and former UC Irvine application reader, I have seen how confusing and personal this process can feel for families. I have also spent my career working with students where the pressure around college can feel especially high and the process often looks very different from what parents experienced.

My goal is to bring clarity, honesty, and calm to the process. I believe that the best college list is not built around rankings alone. It is built around the student: who they are, how they learn, what they value, and where they are most likely to thrive. I use both personal fit and data informed guidance to help families make thoughtful, realistic decisions.

Education & Experience

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Sonoma State University and my Master of Arts in Counseling Education with a California PPS Credential from San Jose State University.

I've also visited over 50 college campuses across the country, which gives me a firsthand sense of what different schools actually feel like, something that's hard to get from a website alone.

My own college experience shaped the way I think about fit. I chose Sonoma State for its location, smaller class sizes, and campus community, and I found that the right environment can make a meaningful difference in how a student grows. That belief continues to guide my work with students today.

Before starting Ever Bright Advising, I spent years working directly with high school students and families through college counseling, academic planning, and application support. I began with four years as a College and Career Advisor at a high school in Cupertino, helping students with college applications, essays, college research, and planning. Today, I continue similar work as a high school counselor in San Jose and bring additional application review insight from my time as a UC Irvine application reader.