Testimonials

Best Investment!

Absolutely the best investment! Both of my high schoolers were accepted to just about every school that they applied to. Belinda is very professional, knowledgeable and both kids loved working with her. Very good experience.

K.A. – Mom of college sophomore and high school senior

Cornell Bound

I would highly recommend using Steps To The Future if you are trying to send someone to college or if you are trying to go yourself. Belinda helped me and my family make some very important decisions about my son’s scholastic future. We are very grateful for the guidance that she provided and the resources she provided us with.

There are a lot of things to consider going through this process and if you do not have the right information, things can be very difficult.

We appreciate Belinda taking the time to explain these things and helping us make the best decision for our son! Thanks again for all your help!

Keith C. Parent – son, Class of 2022

Coaching Sessions

My son is in 10th grade and he already started his coaching sessions with Belinda. He is a strong soccer play and I don’t want him to be dragged to a college that offers him a scholarship and ends up doing something he won’t be happy doing. College is a big deal for us and for him and I couldn’t be happier to have signed up for this program with Belinda and have the peace of mind he is in good hands and has the right tools to take him to the future.

He is very excited about this coaching and tells all his friends about this. He looks forward to every meeting with her and works diligently on the assignments she hands to him. This is the best investment I can do up to this point for his future. I am very happy about this!!!

G. Cambre – Mom of student, Class of 2020

Thanks and Appreciation

The past year was full of excitement and stress for me since my daughter was a High School Senior; all the demands of her completing a great senior project, applying for colleges, completing the final college entrance exams, senior pictures, etc. and the costs related to all of those events. As my head became overloaded with “to do’s” I had the pleasure of listening to a presentation by Dr. Wilkerson (Steps to the Future, LLC) to our Youth Group at church. During this presentation Dr. Wilkerson highlighted the steps to preparation for applying to colleges, resources to guide you through the steps and offered individual meetings with both the parents and the youth. This presentation was a beacon to me during what had become a constant “storm of thoughts” in my brain. Dr. Wilkerson met with my daughter and assisted her in actual action to complete items that were needed for her college and scholarship applications. Dr. Wilkerson also guided me to establish a schedule to address all items needed in support of my daughter’s entry into college.

My most exciting day was when we received notification of my daughter’s acceptance to her #1 choice of schools and then a huge knot grew in my stomach when we saw the projected costs per year at the university. Dr. Wilkerson connected us to many, many references (hard copy and electronic) for a large variety of scholarships, reviewed essays and worked with us tirelessly to get my daughter into the university. Dr. Wilkerson also provided guidance and recommendations on completing the required FAFSA application. Thanks to Dr. Wilkerson’s extensive knowledge of all the requirements, expert technical assistance with so many facets of the process and continuous support, my daughter is enjoying her freshman year as a student in her chosen university. Our family cannot say enough to convey our thanks and appreciation to Dr. Belinda Wilkerson and Steps To The Future, LLC!

C. Littlejohn, Parent

Instrumental Help

The Steps To The Future program was instrumental in assisting my son in selecting a college. The researched information on colleges and universities on his list gave him the assurance that his decision would be solid.

Dr. Wilkerson was dedicated to working with my son on a weekly basis through Skype meetings ensuring he had all the information needed to make an informed decision.

Dr. Wilkerson was very knowledgeable about the process for submitting essays, scholarships, and financial aid . She shared many resources with me from the parent perspective that educated and prepared me. Even though we were out of state she did not let miles be a barrier to assisting my son. The process from high school student to college student is a stressful endeavor but with the insight Dr. Wilkerson provided him made the process more manageable. Her mentorship, encouragement, and patience served as the catalyst for him selecting a college that was best suited for his individual needs and educational goals.

Dr. Wilkerson’s program was an integral part of my son’s journey to higher education as he was accepted to several colleges and universities and awarded various scholarships through his hard work and her guidance.

I recommend Steps To The Future to every child that is interested in attending college. I have another son entering middle school next year that I will be enrolling with Dr. Wilkerson.

Parent of college freshman – Fall 2013,  L. Robinson

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May 2021 Update

Professional development continues to be a major factor in my work life. With physical visits to campuses curtailed during 2020 (most are re-opening for in-person visits), I spend about 7 -10 hours per week on virtual visits with college admission counselors. The IECA, one of my professional organizations, regularly conducts College Conversations, an hour-long presentation with time built in for Q & A. To date, members of IECA had sessions with the colleges on the chart. Additionally, I added to this list by facilitating sessions in my capacity as the college counselor for the Montessori School of Raleigh where, along with the students, we learned more about UNC Charlotte, UNC Wilmington, the College of Wooster, Queens University of Charlotte, Muhlenberg, Elon, Western Carolina, North Carolina Central, the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Did you know UNC Wilmington has a major in Coastal Engineering or that Western Carolina (along with UNC Pembroke and Elizabeth City State) is a NC Promise institution? A NC Promise school’s in-state tuition is $500 while non-residents pay $2500 per semester.

Our virtual world allows for hours upon hours of accessible college information sessions. I had to step back and limit myself to a reasonable number of hours of “college visits”.

I challenge my students regularly to move beyond their comfort zone and during the height of the pandemic, I stretched myself way beyond my level of comfort. I am one of 14 co-authors of Becoming The Shero, an anthology depicting the journeys of entrepreneurs at different stages of their lives. My story is in the Embracing the Pivot section.

Another way I stay current is through my new position at Providence College. As of August 2020, I am the College Supervisor for the School Counseling Program. What does the college supervisor do? I supervise the students in the program during their 2-semester internship at a school, where they are directly supervised by their Site Supervisor, a certified professional school counselor. It is the student teaching equivalent for school counseling.

Reading is a daily pleasure for me. Here are nine books (not in chronological order) that helped me to educate myself about current events and issues of social justice:

  • Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents ~ Isabel Wilkerson
  • How to Be An Anti-Racist ~ Ibram X. Kendi
  • Stamped From The Beginning ~ Ibram X. Kendi
  • I’m Still Here ~ Austin Channing Brown
  • The Color Of Law ~ Richard Rothstein
  • We Want To Do More Than Survive ~ Bettina Love
  • Down Along With That Devil’s Bones ~ Connor Towne O’Neill
  • Interrupting Racism: Equity and Social Justice in School Counseling ~ Rebecca Atkins & Alicia Oglesby
  • Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race ~ Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D.

To stay up-to-date on trends in college, career and paying for college, see my list of books under the “Parent Resources” tab.

I challenge my students to be lifelong readers. I am practicing what I preach. What are you reading today?

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