Empowering the next generation
Linda J. Hollenback
College & Career Coach
Sometimes there is no great moment of revelation; no lightning bolt of inspiration. I’d like to say that one day I woke up and everything suddenly made sense, but that wouldn’t totally be true. Sometimes an idea slowly creeps into your mind and subtly becomes a part of you.
For me, it all began when I started building a website, which I never intended to share with the world. It was just something to organize my thoughts. I took a deep breath and shared it with my friends. In the same way that my students often only see the pieces of the puzzle and not the big picture, I too was missing what was right in front of me. Friend after friend saw what I hadn’t, which was that I was building a business.
Teaching high school Latin, working as a Resume Reviewer for The Wharton School, and serving as the Associate Director for the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing were some of the stepping stones to take me to my greater goal of working in a more personalized role in helping students.
Guiding an alumnus rethinking their career path or assisting a student fitting a minor into their schedule were the moments where I felt my purpose. The greatest heartbreak for me as an academic advisor was having a student come into my office in tears, struggling academically, not because they were not capable, but because they were not happy.
I want to be the partner who helps to lighten the load and enables students to shine.
Professional Memberships
“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am inspired by this quote and committed to doing my small part to make the journey of others easier.
Fun Facts
I taught high school Latin prior to pursuing my Masters in Higher Education Management. My classes were famous for Conjugation Karaoke competitions, conjugating Latin verbs to the tune of modern pop songs.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because my extended family gathers to enjoy a 40-pound turkey and more pies than you've ever seen outside of a bakery.
My extremely large family is my biggest inspiration. I am the oldest of five children, and on my mother’s side alone, I am one of 21 grandchildren with more than 30 great-grandchildren to date.
My passion for helping first-generation students applying to college comes from my own family history. My paternal great-grandfather immigrated from Italy. His name is on the wall at Ellis Island.