“I think she is a gem for Northern Arizona, as finding someone with her expertise can be difficult. Plus, she is very kind and thoughtful.”
“I was so nervous about the college application process, as it’s really stressful, but having someone who is by your side and supporting you is extremely helpful. I know it’s a dramatic thing to say, but Jeenah changed my life,” said Roman, a recent graduated of Flagstaff High School. “Sometimes we need a little bit of help to make us shine and that’s what she did for me. I didn’t think it would be possible for me to be in this blessed situation. I never dreamed that I would be attending an Ivy League college.”
Approaching her fourth season as an independent educational consultant and second season with her business, Evergreen Educational Consulting, Park’s services begin by determining the client’s needs. “I like to schedule a meeting with the student and parent so they can get to know me,” she said. “I then get to know the student as a person, because there’s more to a student than what transcripts show.”
Her job, she says, is to help students understand who they are so they can figure out what they want to share about themselves to the admissions officers. “I want to know what matters to the students and why, so I ask a lot of questions.”
Though Park helps with essays, she does not write them. “I help them brainstorm ideas for their essays by encouraging them to reflect on their experiences and share something meaningful.”
“It is really helpful to have somebody assist you with figuring out how to describe yourself in a way that colleges will be receptive to you,” said Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy (FALA) graduate Otis Koller. “Jeenah gave me a lot of helpful insight into the process of applying for college efficiently, along with a lot of helpful tips on deadlines, the admissions process, and making sure I did everything right and submitted the applications on time.”
Koller will be attending University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this fall and studying instrumental performance.
Park believes part of her success in helping students comes from her visits to the colleges they want to attend. “By personally visiting the college, I get a taste of the intangible things – like the atmosphere, safety, weather and political climate – things that students may not experience by exploring the website or reading published reports. I do a campus tour, speak to the admissions office and even talk to current students about their experience.”
Park was born in Korea and raised in Los Angeles. Her first job was teaching biology to underprivileged students at a South Los Angeles high school. She was 22. “My students weren’t much younger than me. It was the first time I realized how much disparity exists in our world. There was a daycare center across the street from the school. It wasn’t for teachers and staff, but for the teen moms.”
Leaving Los Angeles in 2009, Park set out to obtain her doctoral degree at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. “I wanted to pursue my education, so I headed to the East Coast to study human genetics.”
She met her husband, Eben, the first year in graduate school. “He was a medical student and today is a doctor at the Whiteriver Indian Hospital.”
Her bachelor’s degree is in molecular, cell and developmental biology. Her master’s is in education.
“I think it’s wonderful to live a life where you get to choose where you live, work and do the things you enjoy while having financial stability,” said Park. “My work at Evergreen Educational Consulting helps students understand that the ultimate goal isn’t just acceptance into college, but success in college and beyond.”
“Jeenah advised us on affordable colleges that provide merit-based scholarships and a school that offers a Japanese program,” said Allison White of Camp Verde, who has home-schooled her children. “I think she is a gem for Northern Arizona, as finding someone with her expertise can be difficult. Plus, she is very kind and thoughtful.”
When she’s not helping students and parents, Park is gardening, watching her three children enjoy strawberries and raspberries from their backyard, and traveling. “We love discovering hole-in-the-wall restaurants, independent ice cream shops and French bakeries.” FBN
By V. Ronnie Tierney, FBN
For more about Evergreen Educational Consulting, visit evergreeneducationalconsulting.com or contact Park at jeenah.evergreen@gmail.com.
Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: Evergreen Educational Consulting founder Jeenah Park helps students demonstrate who they are beyond their transcripts.
Leave a Reply