Jaclynn Powell
Community Development Manager, Non-profit Venues | Workshop Speaker
Jaclynn is a school counselor for a public high school in South Elgin, Illinois, where she helps support students and families throughout the college planning process. She has more than a decade of experience in education, having worked in student services for a state university and as a high school teacher before finding her passion for counseling.
In her current role, Jaclynn supports students and families by assisting with financial aid and scholarship applications, managing the college application process, and advising them about college essays and letters of recommendation. She has worked with students who come from diverse economic backgrounds including first-generation and DACA students and families.
Prior to becoming a school counselor, Jaclynn taught Family and Consumer Science, which included financial literacy and budgeting. She also worked in admissions and academic advising at a large state university in Illinois, where she helped incoming and transfer students determine their fields of study and course selections. This experience gives her invaluable insights that she applies when supporting high school students throughout the college planning process.
Jaclynn has a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer science education and a master’s in school counseling from Northern Illinois Universtiy. She lives in Lake in the Hills with her husband, three small children and dog, Maya. She enjoys baking, event planning, and going to the zoo with her family. She also used to work at Walt Disney World.