I came to Dra. Yvette for assistance on PhD applications. She provided me with invaluable planning support, writing support, and coaching... After working with Dra. Yvette, I gained concrete skills and better self-confidence! …. When I wasn’t sure how to approach a task – like emailing a current graduate student or drafting a diversity statement – she provided examples and worked with me to figure out a realistic work plan. As someone who balanced a full-time job…, breaking down tasks was crucial and Dra. Yvette’s meetings kept me accountable. Deciding to work with Dra. Yvette was the best investment I made in myself along this journey... First, she’s immensely knowledgeable about the process …. Second, she understands the challenges that first gen and BIPOC students face... From day one Dra. Yvette … helped me see myself as capable of navigating the PhD application process and beyond.

I came to Dra. Yvette for assistance on my med school application. I really needed help and guidance on my personal statement essay and I was so lost. Initially, my essay was very generic and lacked focus. Dra. Yvette helped me create an impactful opening. I really wanted for whoever to read my essay to be drawn in. Dra. Yvette helped me write my authentic story and made me think and write down why I was really doing this. After working with Dra. Yvette, I gained clarity in focusing on a cohesive essay and learned how to effectively use examples. I also learned a lot about what admissions committees want to see in an essay and how I can showcase my experiences and aspirations. I am grateful for her expertise because she has significantly contributed to the strength of my application.

I came to Dra. Yvette for assistance with managing my time during my one-year fellowship. She provided sound advice on various methods of time management, helped me create a timeline of activities… and we worked on a 5-year plan to help me strategize how to leverage the fellowship for future opportunities….After working with Dra. Yvette, I gained self-confidence and structure. I learned to celebrate the small and big wins and to be patient with myself about my productive output. She reminded me time and time again that things sometimes just needed to get done, they didn't need to be perfect. I learned about myself … and know that this experience will help me accomplish many things… My favorite thing about working with her was her non-judgemental demeanor, her willingness to learn about my style, and her ability to be accepting and supportive.

“I came to Dra. Yvette for assistance on writing and reviewing my personal statement and statement of purpose. I am forever grateful to have met her and truly respect her dedication to student success. After working with her, I gained a better understanding of how to prepare for graduate school and improve my writing skills. She also helped me acknowledge that as a first-generation Latina, it is okay to give myself grace for learning to navigate a graduate setting alone. My favorite thing about working with Dra. Yvette was working through the written documents together in real time. It makes it that much easier to explain my process and we can both ask each other questions. Working with her, I felt safe and respected at all times, especially discussing my writing skills because that can be an intimidating thing to do.”

“I came to Dra. Yvette for assistance on writing strong fellowship applications and tools to better manage my time. Thanks to her support, I received a prestigious national fellowship award for this academic year! I am so grateful for Dra. Yvette's incredible feedback that was instrumental to receiving such a prestigious award! I have further gained tools as well more confidence to believe in myself to finish the last major milestone of my PhD program. She is truly a pleasure to work with and I appreciate her flexibility and understanding for scheduling meetings and meeting deadlines! Dra. Yvette is always prepared for coaching sessions that are tailored to your needs. My favorite thing about working with Dra. Yvette is her passion and dedication to uplift and empower first gen students, particularly other mother-scholar-activists like myself.”

“I came to Dra. Yvette for assistance on my CV and personal statement. She was able to help me by providing great feedback, all of the valuable information she shared was great as it allowed me to see what areas of both needed a little more work. If someone was considering working with her, I would tell them that they should totally do it! Sometimes you need extra help and she is able to offer the help needed with grad school applications. She is very knowledgeable in the whole process. If you’re like me, where the process is new to you, Dra. Yvette is a great person to seek! My favorite thing about working with her was that she was so sweet and honest. I’m forever grateful for the support she was able to offer me during the coaching sessions we had.”

“I came to Dra. Yvette for assistance on organizational systems. Although I felt a little embarrassed about asking for help with managing my unwieldy schedule, my favorite part about working with Dra. Yvette was her ability to empathize and understand my anxieties and challenges. I felt seen, understood, and supported by her and this helped me feel empowered to make immediate changes. Dra. Yvette also took the time to walk me through some organizational tools that she recommends and she reminded me that it is okay to take some time to see what strategies work for me. I would encourage folks, even if they aren't students or academics, to hire Yvette for her experience and skillset around organizational systems. She is VERY organized and knows how to get things done with systems. She is MORE than worth it!”

“Dra. Yvette helped me break down the personal statement I had to write. She helped me by asking questions on how I can elaborate more on what I had written. She took the time to ask questions and get to know me and the current field I work in. She also helped me prepare for my virtual interview. We did mock interviews and she prepared me for questions I may get asked. She made me feel confident going into my interview. She brings lots of years of experience and schooling that will help anyone during their journey on applying to schools. I also really enjoyed how professional and organized she was. When I was applying to grad school I was a mess and she put my nerves at ease and had wonderful advice to get me through the process.”

“This [1:1 coaching] program has been super helpful from beginning to the end of the process I feel confident in my ability to get into graduate school and I know that I have the skills to take the plunge into the application process … Going through the essay process was really helpful and being able to talk through the chaos in my head was really helpful. The most impactful part of the program was getting over my fear of writing about my childhood…It has helped me learn a lot about my own way of writing. I also have learned about the application process more in full which has helped me to understand how to navigate it.”