I Have Good News and Bad (not-so-good) News

Winter 2024

August 2025 Update

It is with profound gratitude (and a huge sigh of relief) that I issue this update to you, my beloved clients, students, and friends: my husband Cliff, having received the best of medical care, has responded beautifully to treatment. I want to thank you for all your kind words, your thoughts, and prayers during these past few months; while the road has been challenging, every last little bit of kindness and encouragement has helped me (and Cliff, by extension) more than you’ll ever know. 

Miraculously--and against all odds--Cliff is still with me, which just goes to show you: dreams do come true. In the meantime, I can return to the work that I love so much—helping kids build brighter, better futures. For the moment, I plan to err on the side of caution, keeping my client list small and manageable, but still... I’m genuinely thrilled to be back; I can’t wait to get to know this next wave of college-bound kids; can't wait to roll up my sleeves and get back to work; can’t wait to help the students make their dreams a reality, too.

The Good News:

I’m pleased to announce several of my students have received coveted early acceptances from the colleges of their dreams—Georgetown, Northwestern, Oberlin, Tulane, and Wellesley—and I anticipate many more offers will pour in during the coming weeks. I’m so proud of these kids; they’ve demonstrated all the qualities I value most: resilience in the face of uncertainty, tenacity in pursuit of a goal, and grace under pressure.

Which brings me to the Bad not-so-good News:

There’s never a good time to go public with bad news, so I won’t pull any punches: Cliff, my beloved husband of forty-two years, was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia during a routine check-up. The news came as a shock, but Cliff remains hopeful, having already embarked on the prescribed course of chemotherapy. As for me, I’m learning to keep my anxiety at bay, determined to navigate the road ahead with optimism, resilience, and grace—the very qualities I’ve worked so hard to impart to students over the years.

To ensure I don’t spread myself too thin at this critical time, I’ve made the decision to work exclusively with students who contracted to work with me annually before Cliff’s diagnosis, though if a newcomer is highly motivated, I’m willing to take on one or two students on an hourly basis. This is a much smaller number of students that I’d hoped to serve. I truly wish this weren’t the case, but I believe this decision will result in the best possible outcomes for all concerned.

Thank you for understanding; your support, your thoughts, your prayers mean the world to me.

Yours in resilience, tenacity, and grace,

College Coach Karen