The Crossroads Experience
Upper School
College Counseling
Our Mission
We are deeply committed to sustaining a culture that celebrates academic achievement of students while promoting the pursuit of their multiple passions. We strive to make a connection with each individual student. We get to know them and explore with them all of the different opportunities that exist for post-secondary life. We believe that by providing personal and individualized guidance through the college admission process, we help students develop an authentic sense of themselves: their strengths, their areas for growth and what really drives them to get up in the morning and come to school. Together, we create realistic goals so students can take advantage of all the opportunities available at Crossroads and in the community at large. We are committed to inspiring students and guiding them through the process of deciding what to study, where to study, whether or not they will even go straight to college and how to get into the right-fit college.
College Counseling
Meet the Team
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Art McCann
“A perfect day at Crossroads includes listening to music during Morning Snack, while connecting with students and faculty friends, followed by more of the same at lunch, with a little ping-pong thrown in. But that's every day. Throw in a rap battle, dodgeball, flashmob, lip sync or air guitar contest, and you’ve got evidence that there is only one Crossroads.”
Fun Fact: I once paddled a surfboard the entire coast of New Jersey, over 200 miles, as a part of a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. It took 30 days. -
Yamilet Medina Lopez
Associate Dean of
College Counseling310-582-4219
Email“The vibrant and diverse community at Crossroads recognizes that we are all individuals who feel most comfortable when we can show up to spaces as our authentic selves. I am grateful to work with students in their transition to college in an environment that doesn’t limit their potential to flourish.”
Fun Fact: I grew up in the island of Puerto Rico and became fully fluent in the English language while on a 2-month summer vacation visiting family in the US when I was 6 years old. -
Brianna Shepard
Associate Dean of
College Counseling310-582-4242
Email“I love the community and creativity that I experience every day at Crossroads—and I am a bonafide groupie when it comes to watching Crossroads musicians perform! I also love Senior Projects, wherein students get to try something new or pursue a passion more deeply. Mostly, though, I love to see students’ dreams come to fruition.”Fun Fact: My son, a proud graduate of University of Chicago, was born in England, where I lived for several years after college. -
Alicia Valencia-Akers
Associate Dean of
College Counseling310-582-4215
Email“My greatest joy comes from working with students and supporting them on their unique paths to higher education. I am dedicated to empowering them to explore their passions and navigate the college application process with confidence. I firmly believe that every individual is inherently worthy and that college is just one step—not the sole measure of their value or potential—on their journey toward success.”
Fun Fact: I was caught in a snow storm while attempting to summit Mount Rainier.
College Visits
Each year, we organize local college visits for the junior class. A typical college visit will include an information session with an admission officer, a tour of the campus and, whenever possible, a visit with a Crossroads alumnus who can provide a unique perspective of the school. The goal of these visits is to “teach the students to fish.” We show them large research institutions, small liberal arts colleges and medium-sized private universities, so they can begin to contemplate what might be a good fit for them.
Learn More
Alumni Spotlight
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Madison Quan ’18
Alumna named “Athlete of the Year” by Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
