It is that time of the year again, when seniors are scrambling to complete college applications and considering their future endeavors in life. Throughout this complicated – and likely stressful – process, one staff member is here to lend a hand: Beryllyn Jeanpierre, the new College and Career Information Coordinator.

In the past, Ms. Jeanpierre has worked as a testing administrator and academic advisor at the Central Texas College in Fort Polk and as a success coach in academic advising at University of Maryland. Before arriving at RM, Ms. Jeanpierre served as the dual enrollment program assistant at Clarksburg High School, working with their jumpstart program and Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program. This marks her second year with MCPS and first year as a College and Career Information Coordinator. 

Ms. Jeanpierre thought that this opportunity was huge, especially since she would be able to connect with students and guide them in determining their own pathways. “It just spoke to me to be able to do that,” she said. “It’s my passion to help people move forward.”

On a typical school day, Ms. Jeanpierre can be found sending out streams of informational emails about college and career-related activities, chatting with students about college and career readiness and monitoring scholarship opportunities. Recently, she launched a website that contains material on navigating Naviance, standardized testing, college admissions and more. Ms. Jeanpierre also works closely with the counseling department to facilitate various events, including college visits and the ceremony for National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. 

Outside of her job, Ms. Jeanpierre enjoys various hobbies. “Painting and going to the beach as frequently as possible are… my biggest ‘wow’ moments,” she said. 

Overall, Ms. Jeanpierre believes the core purpose of her role is to ensure that each senior has access to and is aware of the resources available to tackle the next chapter of their lives. Besides discussing college applications, she hopes to talk to students about alternative routes such as working in the trade field. “I really want to support students that are looking to go to college, but I also want to support those students that may not be college-bound,” she said. 

Ultimately, she believes that the work students put in matters more than where they end up. “You still have the capacity to be who…you want to become,” Ms. Jeanpierre said. “I want students to know that you have the power to make things possible.” 

Ms. Jeanpierre looks forward to the experiences she will have at RM. “As time goes on, I think that I’ll be able to really bring so much to the students, and I really think the students will be able to bring so much for me too,” she said. “I hope that I’m able to service the [RM] student body in every way possible.”