“It’s a really fulfilling and satisfying process to help students meet their potential and take steps closer to realizing their dreams,” said Sara Kratzok, the newest member of Hackley’s college counseling team.

Ms. Kratzok is eager to begin this new part of her career at Hackley. Her radiating happiness and work ethic make her a great fit for this role. The success of students is very important to her, and Ms. Kratzok’s ability to empathize with students makes this somewhat grueling process much easier.

Ms. Kratzok grew up in Rockland County, New York and attended Pearl River High School. She began her career in 2010 at a charter school in Boston, and from there she worked as a private counselor with individual families and students. Mrs. Kratzok, her husband, and two kids moved back to New York where she was a dean of students as well as a college counselor at Avenues in the Chelsea, NYC area. Most recently she was part of the faculty at the French American school in Westchester.

Ms. Kratzok attended an all women’s college and expressed that her biggest takeaway from this experience “was the friendships.”

Her ability to make friends has served her well in her career since a major part of college counseling is developing close knit relationships with students. While there were many factors that led her to pursue this career, she says “getting to know the students” has a huge impact on her.

Ms. Kratzok’s empathy, and drive to see students grow through the college process allows for her to not only match students with colleges but also develop trusting relationships. These qualities make the process much more exciting and personal.

Through the counseling process, she feels rewarded by witnessing a student go from having a “dream” in their head, to making that dream a reality. The social aspect of this job for Ms. Kratzok was a huge pull factor. She enjoys seeing first-hand how much students grow, and how throughout their high school years, their personality is able to be perfectly aligned with potential colleges.

It was not a difficult decision for Ms. Kratzok to choose Hackley. She said that through interviews with students it was clear that Hackley’s student body was motivated, thoughtful, and working at a high level of scholarship. Those qualities made it enchanting to envision a future career at Hackley and working with these students.
Coming to Hackley was a smooth transition for Ms. Kratzok. She has grown up hearing about Hackley from various peers, and had previously known Rebecca Hall, another college counselor at Hackley. Additionally, members of her husband’s family attended Hackley in the past. Through the encouragement of the members around her, Ms. Kratzok decided Hackley was the place for her. She is passionate about helping students, and providing them with a sense of joy during the college process.