Leigh and Robert M. - Louisville, KY

Brian was our oldest child's school counselor.  In him, we saw the unique ability to balance idealism with pragmatism.  He believed in our son categorically but also exercised leadership at appropriate inflection points.  

As long as I've known him, Brian has been one of those people who is too wise for his years, and the philosophy he articulated to us a while back has come to inform my own.  

“I cannot guarantee anything, in terms of admission or scholarships. What I can promise you is that I will listen to you and counsel according to your values as I walk through this process with your son. We’ll watch your budget, and it’ll be good.”

That may seem simple, but it’s pretty profound in my book. Notably, Brian did not talk about statistics or lament the scarcity of openings at MIT; he did not fret over our son’s lack of a singular excellence (e.g. groundbreaking research, Olympic gold) which would lift him atop a crowded field; he didn’t boast about his clout within the counseling community or preen over his past students’ accomplishments.

Instead, Brian modeled what I have come to recognize as a healthy and proactive counseling posture: he made a commitment, and he lived up to it. He let Bob, our son, know that he would be supported through all manner of outcomes. In other words, Brian led by example, helping Bob focus on what he could control without allowing the rest of the chaos to paralyze him.

Brian is a follower of Jesus Christ.  As such, he values Truth above hype, love above exclusivity, and purpose above achievement.