DEbbie Sammons Keown
After my own boys went off to college, one to Princeton University to study Sociology and Theater, the other to Washington University in St. Louis to study Engineering, I realized that I had just completed my first college counseling training program.
As parents we help our children find their values, their character, and their voices so they can share it all with the world. We guide them to their aptitudes before they’re even aware of their many gifts, then we encourage them to hold on to those gifts in all phases of life to come. We push them to try as many activities and extracurriculars as they can, not so they look nice on a cleanly organized resume, but so that they can find their passions and recognize the threads of joy that extend beyond our care into the rest of their lives. We let go when it’s time for them to go to college, but we do so confident that our young scholars will not only value the breadth of experiences available on a college campus, but value themselves enough to make the most of every one of those experiences.
I started Monarch College Counseling after receiving my College Counseling Certificate with distinction from UCLA and completing the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) Summer Training Institute. With this industry specific training, along with my Finance degree from the University of Illinois, I feel well-equipped to handle all aspects of the college admissions process and provide guidance to students and their parents as a caring third-party. The college admissions process is undoubtedly exciting, but can be equally confusing and frustrating. With years of experience acting as a counselor and mediator to families across the country, I can assure you there is always a solution to the many bumps along the road. At the end of that road however, is a beautiful realization of your child’s journey as a student, and your journey as a loving parent.
At Monarch College Counseling, we look forward to lovingly guiding students to the next stage of their life, just as I was so lucky to do with my boys. We dedicate ourselves to helping them find the best college fit. After all:
College is Match to be made, not a prize to be won!
Robert (Robby) Lincoln Keown
Leading our essay process is Robert (Robby) Lincoln Keown. Originally from Niwot, CO, Robby has always had a love for storytelling: at age eight, he wrote his own comic books to entertain his family. At age 14, he pushed his improvisational comedy troupe to a championship at the Bovine Metropolis Comedy Competition, and at age 17 he competed at the state Shakespeare competition. However, it wasn’t until he went to college that he fully grasped the power of a good story.
At Princeton University, class of ‘17, he studied Sociology and Theater, winning the Frances LeMoyne Page Prize for Outstanding work in the Dramatic Arts. During his time there, he joined the Mercer County fire department at Station 60, serving as a firefighter, president of the Student Firefighters Support Union, and Head of Recruiting. A lifelong athlete, he also became an ACE-certified Personal Trainer to both supplement his duties as a firefighter and to have a more active role in sharing his love of fitness. His senior thesis, The Body as Performance: An Exploration of Contemporary Bodily Capital, synthesized his passions for sociology, acting, and fitness by examining the ways in which we “perform” by manipulating muscle mass and body fat for implicit social messaging. After graduating, he realized that his thesis was more than the product of four years of academic work: it was the story of his life. His values, passions, and character had been fully realized in a single written work. He has dedicated his time since to helping others tell their stories as a performance coach, writing tutor, and artistic collaborator.
In NYC, he has appeared in several feature films, short films, television shows, and Off-Off-Broadway productions. As an actor, his movies have won awards at the Golden Picture International Film Festival, The Grove Film Festival, Monmouth Film Festival, Jersey Shore Film Festival, and the Golden Door International Film Festival.
As a storytelling professional, he believes that a comprehensive artistic process held in a safe space in which all parties can be vulnerable and honest will lead to the most inspired, eye-catching content. He brings the same approach to his college essay work; at the heart of any essay is a story. In the college essay, YOU are the main character. Together, we’ll tell the world about your hero’s journey: the trials, the tribulations, but most importantly the great triumphs in the story of your life.