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Meet the Founder and President
Debra Steppel has over 30 years of experience helping others achieve their dreams using the written word. Whether applying to college or graduate school, applying for first jobs, changing careers, or advancing in one's chosen career – Debra can help. Her personal passion for helping others, as well as many years of professional experience, make her your best ally.
Debra helps clients accurately and effectively present themselves in writing to enhance their chances of acceptance. Her process, experience, and energy supports clients through writing/editing application essays, resumes, and CVs, seeing people and their accomplishments in the best light, setting goals, suggesting job-hunting approaches, and advising on strategies to maximize educational and career success.
Her own varied experiences showcase a lifelong journey helping clients, family, and friends achieve their goals:
a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Sociology from Wesleyan University, where she worked as a Career Assistant in the Career Planning Center, editing student and alumni resumes and teaching job-hunting strategies, in addition to working as a Peer Writing Tutor;
a Master's in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Management with triple concentrations in marketing, strategy, and organizational behavior;
a 20-year career in information technology and IT consulting where she often mentored colleagues with their career journeys;
a 13-year career in financial planning shepherding the teenage children of clients through the college application process; and
over 30 years as a volunteer Alumni Admissions Interviewer for Wesleyan University, interviewing applicants to evaluate their fit for the Wesleyan community.
Inspired by the proverb “Give someone a fish, and they will eat for a day. Teach someone how to fish and they will eat for a lifetime,” Debra's efforts empower clients with the tools they need to reach their goals today and in the future. As the daughter and daughter-in-law of former teachers, her focus is not only on helping clients create a strong piece of writing, but also on teaching the reasons behind the edits she suggests and building the writing skills of her clients for their future endeavors.
She resides in Reston, Virginia, with her husband Mark, where they raised their two now-grown children who she inspired and supported through their own applications and essays for countless programs, including private middle and high schools, colleges and universities of all types and sizes, honors colleges, scholarships, graduate schools, internships, and jobs.
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