Meet Emma

Hi there! My name is Emma Wadiak. I'm an Independent College Admissions Counselor and the Founder of Connect College Counseling.

It's important to me that I earn students' trust and empower them through their college application process. Applying to college is a MAJOR life event and deserves the proper support. I want you to know that I always have my students' best interest in mind when guiding them through this important transition!

 

To start that trust-building process, I'd like to share a bit about my professional background, and how I ended up in the field of independent educational consulting. I got my start in higher education when I began my role as the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid for Santa Clara University's School of Education and Counseling Psychology in 2017.  In that role, I served as the primary contact for 400+ prospective students each year. I additionally coordinated all of the school's recruitment events and was responsible for reviewing applications, both for admission to our programs as well as scholarships.

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When I relocated to the Sacramento, CA area, I began working at Sacramento State University as a Career Development Specialist. Over the course of my 4+ years at Sacramento State, I guided thousands of students and alumni through their college and career journeys by conducting 1:1 career counseling sessions, delivering career-oriented presentations to classes and clubs on campus, and even co-hosted a career development podcast, The HirED!

I hold a Master's degree in Interdisciplinary Education with an emphasis in Alternative and Correctional Education (a combined education and counseling program), as well as a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Santa Clara University. My professional training additionally includes completing UCSD Extension's College Counseling Certificate Program. At this time, my professional memberships include HECA (Higher Education Consultants Association) and WACAC (Western Association for College Admission Counseling).

 

Since launching Connect College Counseling in 2018, I've helped over 100 students successfully navigate the college admission process and ultimately find their best college match! As the daughter of retired Stanford Associate Head Baseball Coach, Dean Stotz, I have extensive knowledge of the college recruiting process, and specialize in working with high school baseball players seeking to play at the collegiate level. 

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Ultimately, I share all of this to convey that my passion is supporting students through important life transitions like college and career. I'd love to be a part of your journey and look forward to supporting your unique process!