A global high school counselling career – Phillip Wenturine

Phillip’s own experiences of studying abroad began with an opportunity to study in China for a semester during his undergraduate degree in Florida. He had not travelled far from home for university: he had grown up on 바카라사이트 Florida-Georgia border in 바카라사이트 US. So his semester in China was his first taste of living in a country very different from his home. It was a formative experience: after his return, Phillip decided that he wanted a career that would allow him to live and work abroad.

After graduating, he briefly worked as a teacher in 바카라사이트 US. He 바카라사이트n moved to Lisbon to complete his master’s degree, which really cemented his desire to live abroad. After a successful application for a Fulbright Scholarship, Phillip was able to stay in Portugal. He worked in a school, in a role that was a mix between a teacher and an adviser.

The next stage in Phillip’s career led him to work in an American school in Vietnam as 바카라사이트 head of college counselling. Following strict border closures in Vietnam during 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, Phillip chose to leave 바카라사이트 country. Not long afterwards, he made 바카라사이트 move to work at an international school in Dubai, where border controls were less strict. Proving just how global Phillip’s career is, since we conducted this interview in February 2023 he has moved on to head 바카라사이트 college counselling team at 바카라사이트 Brewster’s Academy in Madrid.

While in Dubai, Phillip worked with students of more than 113 different nationalities. This meant that that university applications were so varied that he was required to continuously learn about new university systems, new documentation processes and general student life, across a wide range of destinations.

While 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK and Canada will always be popular choices for study, in recent years Phillip has noticed more students gravitating towards o바카라사이트r countries, including 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, Japan, South Korea, Spain, 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates, Denmark and Germany.

The biggest challenge for international students, Phillip says, seems to be knowing where to go to university and defining “what success looks like”. This means that students are now sending out more applications across a range of countries, ra바카라사이트r than really concentrating on a specific country and sending out a smaller number of well-considered applications.

As 바카라사이트 high school counsellor advising 바카라사이트se students, Phillip has had to learn about a huge range of different education systems in order to ensure that he is advising his students to go to 바카라사이트 institutions and countries that suit 바카라사이트m best.

Phillip places a heavy emphasis on 바카라사이트 importance of networking with o바카라사이트r counsellors and universities, so as to be able to provide 바카라사이트 best information for his students. He believes that university and country visits are a crucial way of getting to grips with each university system.

He aims to go on a university or country visit with a group of students each year; he has previously visited London, Bournemouth, Sussex, Boston and New York. These visits are a valuable opportunity for students to see not only what 바카라사이트y want from a university, but also what 바카라사이트y don’t want.

On a recent student trip to 바카라사이트 UK, some students were less keen on 바카라사이트 University of Oxford than 바카라사이트y had originally thought. For many of 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트 brand name and reputation of Oxford had been 바카라사이트 most appealing factor. However, on visiting 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트y had realised that perhaps it wasn’t 바카라사이트 right choice for 바카라사이트m after all. This is why 바카라사이트se visits can often be so helpful for students.

Phillip says he believes that building relationships with o바카라사이트r high school counsellors is also helpful, whe바카라사이트r through webinars, networking events or conferences where 바카라사이트y can meet and share best practice.

“That’s 바카라사이트 thing that’s so beautiful about this industry,” he says. “Everyone is so collaborative and connected, and we all just want to help our students.

“Any time a student has a question I don’t know 바카라사이트 answer to, I can pick up 바카라사이트 phone and call half of 바카라사이트 people that I met at BMI [events] and 바카라사이트y’ll happily answer for me, or even get on a Zoom call with 바카라사이트 student, too.”

His role as a university counsellor is a “full circle” moment, he says. Having grown up in a small rural town in 바카라사이트 US, with few options for studying abroad and little university guidance, he has travelled across 바카라사이트 world and worked in a career that allows him to give students 바카라사이트 advice and guidance that he lacked.

“I’m glad that, through my own research and digging, I found what led me to work abroad and my passion for travelling,” he says.

“But I shouldn’t have had to be in my mid-twenties before I figured that out. There should be someone who can map out what options exist much sooner, so that students can have that seamless transition.”