Tens of thousands of students have walked through the doors of Richard Montgomery High School, graduating and going on to do great things. Many of them have gone off to college, while others entered the workforce. In recent years, they’ve been aided by the College and Career Center. This year, a new lead talent has been brought on board. Mia Whitehurst was hired this year as RM’s new college and career navigator.

Ms. Whitehurst was originally planning to go into the fashion industry, possibly trying to start her own business. However, even after getting her bachelors and masters in fashion, business and entrepreneurship, she says she didn’t feel like that was her calling. “I originally got my bachelor’s and my master’s in fashion, business, and entrepreneurship, and I worked my way up into retail, and I hated it,” Ms. Whitehurst said.

She realized that her real passion was being able to support and make a difference in kids’ lives. For multiple years, she served as a youth development specialist and program manager at John F. Kennedy High School. From there, she made her way to RM. Ms. Whitehurst says she wanted a different approach to supporting students. “I was helping one of my students with the whole college application process, and I realized I really enjoyed it, not necessarily because I was supporting kids emotionally, but just more on the academic side,” she said.

However, getting the job at RM was no easy task; Ms. Whitehurst had to go through a panel interview and submit a presentation that was delivered to junior parents who would be just starting the college application process. Ms. Whitehurst’s presentation was engaging, friendly and helped make an opaque process easier to understand. For the administrators, it was an easy pick due to Ms. Whitehurst’s ability to give off such positive energy. “She exuded kindness, she exuded intelligence, she exuded knowledge about the role,” assistant principal and Ms. Whitehurst’s supervisor, Robin Wheeler, said.

Each day is filled with the unexpected in the College and Career Center. Ms. Whitehurst starts her mornings checking her emails and planning out the rest of her day. But later, her schedule is filled with meetings with students and parents with problems and questions that she’s often never encountered before.

Even if you haven’t seen Ms. Whitehurst before, there is a high chance the name rings a bell. There’s a steady stream of emails appearing in students’ school inboxes, alerting them to scholarships, workshops and extracurricular opportunities. Ms. Whitehurst has managed to send out hundreds of resources and opportunities to students, filled with high-value information for everyone. “I send out, like a gazillion emails to students. And it’s not on purpose. It’s just because I get a lot of resources, and I don’t try to hold them or gatekeep, so I try to send them all out,” said Ms. Whitehurst.

This year at FAFSA night, Ms. Whitehurst’s extensive promotion was able to double the number of families that attended from last year. One of the moments she realized the center truly made a difference was at the first FAFSA workshop after school, where thirty students attended, compared to the usual two or three. “That’s been my motivation to keep going, because you never know who’s going to need it and who’s going to show up,” Ms. Whitehurst said.

Ms. Whitehurst is a fan favorite among both students and staff. “I feel like every day is a ride working with her,” career coach Michelle Kelman said. “She is very aware, making sure that you understand, and not just giving you the information and leaving you to do it by yourself,” senior Jada Smith, an intern for her, said.

Ms. Whitehurst isn’t the type of coach who expects you to do everything on your own; she wants people to know that she will always be there for you. Whether it’s with her workshops at lunch or the ability to email her with questions at any time, Ms. Whitehurst says she aims to always be there. “I’m all about just being very open, honest and inclusive in anything and in everything that I do,” Ms. Whitehurst said. “And happy.”

One of the things that makes Ms. Whitehurst unique is her office decoration. “I try to create as safe a space as possible, as you notice all the smiley faces,” Ms. Whitehurst said. She believes the environment you are in plays a big part in how you feel. “Her room is very colorful and lively, so I can be open with her about things,” Smith says.

Alex Opolski was one of the first students who came to her when she started working at RM. She built a connection with him and helped him work on his college essay. After working with Ms. Whitehurst for the whole year, Opolski got into his dream school. These memories are what drive Ms. Whitehurst to come to school every day. Opolski once told her, “Hope is the reason,” a sentiment that continues to inspire Ms. Whitehurst to this day.

 Ms. Whitehurst’s principles that drive her work every day are down-to-earth and reflect that she wants what’s best for every student. “My philosophy when it comes to guiding students in making life decisions is being able to put myself in their shoes and remembering how I was at their age and just being able to be a listening ear to them,” Ms. Whitehurst said. “Because I know when I was younger, I didn’t really have anybody to confide in.”

Despite the high pressure and stress that comes with the college admissions process, Ms. Whitehurst emphasizes the need to slow down and take a deep breath. “It’s going to sound really crazy, but nothing matters,” she said.  “Nobody has it figured out, even some adults still haven’t figured it out. I didn’t go to school for this, and here I am, on a whole different career path.”