Our Approach
We help students move from this:
“I feel terrible, scared, and anxious, and I’m not sure where to start.”
“What should I do now to help prepare me for life after high school?”
“How can I walk away from school with minimal debt? What's a reasonable number for student loans?”
To this:
“I feel fully prepared. I understand what college is going to look like and what I am seeking in a college based on my interests, my desired income, and my personal needs.”
“I know what I want to go into, and because of the help I was able to decide fairly quickly, which was surprising since I have so many interests. I feel very confident and excited about my choice of major.”
“I finally feel like I know what I am going to do with my life. I’ve always wanted to go to college, but no one in my family knew how to get me there. I was nervous and unsure about how it all worked. Now I feel secure, and people are impressed that I know what I want and how to find it.”
How?
We have heard time and time again that students might come for the advising, but they stay and invest in themselves because they get so much more than that, the least of which is an overall feeling of empowerment and confidence. Our counselors give you tools you can use to navigate not only the plan we create and begin, but many of life’s circumstances:
A dedicated and unbiased human support system
Momentum and the ability to take action
Time management and mindset around handling a change in plans
Development of pragmatic life skills and qualities
Furthermore, we remember and consider that every person is an individual with a unique personality, desire, background, experience, and resources, and that all of these things (and more) inform who you are and the dreams you have for yourself. As experienced teachers, administrators, and college and career counselors, we have repeatedly seen that professionals rely on a generic personality and career assessment as a tell-all for what students should do with their lives. We feel there is a better way.
Your future self deserves more than another generic assessment.
Assessments are one tool, but in addition we use a carefully crafted curriculum and human connection to work with high schoolers from all walks of life. We help you focus on and tune into your goals and gain confidence in your ability to accomplish them. And, we help you determine a variety of possible paths toward reaching your vision.
This begins with a process of self-discovery and exploration, building from your passions to aim toward your purpose, and ends with a practical plan for success. We walk with you through the entire process of getting where you want to go, systematically and thoroughly. We also incorporate coaching around steps to take if the plan goes sideways, and we serve as a resource beyond the end of high school. And, most importantly, we make sure your plan gives you the long-term ROI you desire.
“Because of our postsecondary planning work…”
Our Impact
FACT: The United States is faced with a $1.7 trillion student loan debt crisis and an unprecedented increase in the cost of higher education.
Because many high schools see graduation as the end goal, students graduate high school feeling a disconnect between desire and ability to navigate options. Often, students feel their options are college or nothing, leading 18 year olds to either flounder aimlessly or take on tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt without an understanding of where that will take them.
Students need education around their options: Successful careers can start with a 2 or 4 year college, training in a trade, or even direct entry into the work force, and the secret lies in empowerment. We are failing students if we don’t offer them awareness around what the options are and help them see why they are making their choice.
Because our work is tailored to the individual and can address a variety of needs, students are able to take ownership over their future lives. Furthermore, they can see the possibilities and potential for their future, and this encourages them to stay in school, engage in their studies, and take the risk of dreaming big.
100%
of Students
graduate with a clear path and plan forward and appropriate resources in place.
100%
Of Students
have affordable options for postsecondary training that will lead to their desired career.
100%
of students
with IEP and 504 plans graduate satisfying their postsecondary transition plans.
Long Term
Working together, we can break the cycle of systemic poverty by connecting students to their future selves with tangible steps and processes to reach their self-chosen career goal, helping them avoid a feeling of failure, unnecessary costs, wasted time, and excessive student loan debt. Not only can we proactively save students tens of thousands of dollars in debt, studies show that students who earn degrees or receive training aligned with their chosen career path earn upwards of $1 million more in their lifetime.
With each student we can impact directly, we create ripples of change. A single student’s successes influence an entire family system and community. The impact potential is truly immeasurable.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela
“
Class of 2024
I had no clue what I wanted to do, but my advisor walked me through discovering what will be a good fit for me that will also lead to a prosperous career. I feel that I have a very solid understanding of what my major in college will be now.
G. P.
“
CLASS OF 2025
The career exploration class was a game-changer for understanding how my personal skills connect to careers and pathways in the world. Being a part of that class not only helped me understand what I want to do with my life after high school, but it helped me in my own self-exploration. From this experience I learned that the world is full of more opportunity than I first believed. I felt that each new thing we learned made me value myself as a person and understand the opportunities available to people like me.
E. D.
“
CLASS OF 2022
This was so valuable. Exploring my skills and then different majors and universities helped me get a better idea of what I want to study, where I want to do it, and why I would take that path forward in my life.
G. C.
“
Class of 2022
I now feel excited and reassured about what I want to do after high school, whereas before this experience I had no idea.
R. C.
“
December 2023
In my profession, I have firsthand knowledge that too many college students are accumulating crushing loads debt while facing career prospects with limited compensation. Inspireducation is helping families take the mystery out of their childrens’ postsecondary education decisions. An indicator of the value of our work is validated frequently by our partnerships and word of mouth referrals. I am postponing retirement because this work is so important to me.
John Krulcik, CFO
“
December 2023
In the face of an unprecedented rise in the cost of higher education, career planning has become increasingly important. If students don't know what careers are possible and the steps to make those careers a reality, they undertake the risk of unfulfillment and financial ruin in their futures.
Whether students choose to go into plumbing or to pursue a PhD in Anthropology, they can find success if they are equipped with knowledge of the world of work and the costs of training. And, those who have little to no financial safety net are at the most risk for disastrous consequences from poor career and training choices after high school. We aim to ultimately help those who need it most.
Yoshi Akutsu, Board President