My Story

A headshot of Ellen Bremen. She is wearing a dark pink sweater and smiling. She has dark blond hair and kind eyes.

In high school, I dreamt of a journalism career. My parents had not gone to college, and there was no college plan for me, financially or otherwise. They divorced when I was 15. I was desperate to finish high school and begin working to become independent. I learned about an option to finish through correspondence courses. At barely 17, a secretary handed me my diploma and I took my first job.

I tried community college when I was 19, but I floundered through core classes. Then my father died suddenly at 51. I didn't know what to do, so I dropped out … for six years.

When I was young, my mother, a home-trained secretary, taught me to type. She said, "If you know how to type, you'll always have work." She was right. When I left college, a doctor's office hired me, which grew into a career in medical transcription. By 24, I owned a home, something even my parents had never done, and a small transcription business.

I should have felt successful, but I was miserable. I'm an extrovert. Working alone at home was isolating. But I was financially stuck. I couldn't stop working, and I couldn't change careers without going back to school. Even if I went back, what would I do?

Then a turning point: teaching continuing ed courses on transcription at my local two-year college, which led to a part-time teaching job. Bingo. I loved teaching! Could I be a college professor? Professors need advanced degrees. I had no degree and a messy transcript.

So I finished what I attempted at 19. I returned to my two-year college, used academic forgiveness to clear my failed term, improved my GPA, and transferred to University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Their Post-Secondary/Workforce Education program granted 30 workforce credits for my professional transcription experience — enabling me to finish my A.A. and Bachelor's in three years, my Master's in two.

Traditional paths don't work for everyone. Systems are unclear, unless you know who to talk to and what questions to ask. I promised myself that if I ever reached my teaching goal, I'd become the support I needed for others. Someone who shares the behind-the-scenes, does the investigative work, finds alternatives, and provides concrete tools to move forward — so the path that seems impossible becomes clear.

My Credentials

  • Tenured faculty and advisor, Highline College — since 2004

  • Faculty and advisor, Darton College (University of Georgia system) — 2000-2004

  • Advisor of the Year, Darton College

  • Three national awards for innovation in education

  • Author, Say This, Not That to Your Professor (Cognella)

  • Mental health first aid certified

  • Trauma-informed teaching trained

  • Featured in USA Today, Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report

  • M.A., Communication Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

  • B.S., Post-Secondary Education/Workforce Development, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

  • A.A., College of Southern Nevada

Book cover titled "Say This Not That to Your Professor: 20 Talking Tips for College Success" by Ellen Bremen, featuring a simple illustration of a person with speech bubbles.

How This Practice Started

A friend's daughter sat on my couch in tears two weeks before high school graduation: "Everyone else has a plan except for me."

Addie* was an orchestrator and an organizer. She went through the hoops for a TEDx at her high school. She planned an art show. She worked as a technician for the theater department. She was also a talented fine jewelry artisan. In senior year, she felt lost.

After we dried her tears, my first question was if she wanted a creative career, which was a clear “no.” I said, “What about operations in the arts?” She replied, “Operations? That’s a career?” I showed her actual open roles in environments that she would love. She got excited.

She wasn’t ready for a university, so we planned core courses at a two-year college. The same college had an Integrated Design Bachelor’s degree that could be tailored for arts operations. Addie was excited and she started classes that fall.

Two years later, as Addie neared graduation of her Associate’s degree, she had a change of heart. During a routine dental cleaning, she noticed that the hygienist's tools looked similar to her jewelry-making tools. They talked and she suddenly found a new path in dentistry.

Addie pursued a dental assistant program and then made contact with me right before graduating. She had to complete 40 externship hours in order to graduate and she had none set up.

We mobilized into action. We built her resume, drafted an outreach email, and we sat together as she contacted dental practices. Three responded within 24 hours and she started her first externship just days later.

Two dentists offered her jobs before her externship finished. However, Addie already planned to move to Wisconsin. So, we updated her resume again, worked on cover letters, and, together, we searched for dental practices with openings. She had three phone interviews, then two in-person. She landed the practice she wanted most before she even arrived in the city.

Yes, everyone else had a plan. With investigation, research, and focused support, Addie did too. From crying on my couch at 18, to building a career in a new city at 23.

Addie is the reason I'm here and why I approach this work the way I do.

*Name changed for privacy.

  • "Our son was uncertain about higher education and high school until I happened to connect with Ellen in a mom’s group. Ellen helped to demystify and untangle the options available to high schoolers looking for a non traditional path forward. Ellen talked us through connecting to a program, college policies, and when/how to self advocate along the way. Thanks to Ellen, our son is getting ready to graduate high school and college with an AAS in the same year!"

    C.D.

  • "As I was receiving my college decision letters, getting directly accepted into the major was essential. I got accepted to my college, but not to the major I applied for, which would automatically cross it off the list. I didn’t know what to do since the college inner workings seemed impossible to navigate. Ellen immediately knew the people who could answer questions and helped me successfully deal with an appeal. This is one of the biggest reasons I am now in the program/major at my school. Ellen has the behind-the-scenes experience to open doors to more possibilities."

    B.T.

  • "My daughter doesn't fit the traditional mold of a student bound for a university. She was about to graduate high school without having applied anywhere and didn’t know what she wanted to do. Ellen interviewed my daughter and immediately helped her come up with an educational path and a potential career goal She’s helped my daughter access resources, make connections, and understand all the possible next steps. She is always available when we have questions and my daughter responds so much better to someone who isn't "mom." We are so thankful to have Ellen as our guide!"

    L.G.

  • From a Career Transition Client: “You have made a big impact on my prospects and in how I see my future employed self.”

  • From a Career Client Aiming for the C-Suite: "I am starting the formal offer process and my current work is still strategizing how to keep me. I did just send them my new resume which will be utilized for the pay negotiation, so that's great."

  • From a College Grad Parent: "Thank you for the nice email note/updates and for all of your work with (Client). I know he appreciates it, and I feel he has gotten a lot out of it."

  • From a Career Re-Entry Client: "I would be happy to be a reference for some of your new clients. I appreciated our time together and feel more confident now that I could succeed in a different field, so it would be easy to recommend your services!"