Gloria

I’m a graduate education advisor, former MIT Assistant Dean, former Harvard graduate admissions administrator, and USC doctoral scholar with more than 20 years of experience helping students navigate graduate education. I support prospective master’s and PhD students across STEM, the social sciences, education, and the humanities. Together, we can assess research and program fit, explore faculty and mentoring relationships, understand funding and program structures, and develop applications that communicate your experiences and goals. My work across admissions, research preparation, and graduate student development helps me make graduate education’s “hidden curriculum”—its often-unspoken expectations—more visible. I especially welcome first-generation applicants, first-time researchers, returning students, and people whose educational paths have not been linear. As a first-generation Afro-Latina college graduate, I pay attention to how culture, relationships, and resources shape educational choices. My doctoral work in Urban Education Policy at USC draws on the sociology of education to examine belonging, dignity, mentoring, and the institutional conditions that shape graduate student experiences. I’m also a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach. My approach is collaborative and candid, grounded in thoughtful listening, curiosity, and attention to your strengths, priorities, and circumstances. You remain the author of your work and the decision-maker in your educational path. My goal is to help you strengthen your application and make an informed decision about whether graduate school fits your goals—and which environments could support you in learning, contributing, and thriving.