About Us

Dr. Grudier founded Southeast Texas College Counseling in 2020 after completing her doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Texas Christian University. She has a passion for helping students achieve their educational goals, no matter their age or background. She has a wealth of knowledge about the college admissions process from her 10 years of experience working at various colleges and universities in Housing & Residence Life, Admissions, and Student Success. She is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), the preeminent organization for independent college admissions consultants, as well as the Texas Association of College Admissions Counseling (TACAC). Dr. Grudier also has a BS in Communication from Lamar University, MA in Higher Education Administration from Sam Houston State University, and a MA in Marketing & Communication from Loyola University New Orleans. Dr. Grudier’s philosophy is to make the college admissions process approachable and enjoyable to any and all students.

Kristy is an experienced educator who has worked for the past 12 years teaching high school honors English. She has a Bachelor’s in Secondary Education for English from Pennsylvania State University, and obtained a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction online through Concordia University-Portland. In addition, she has worked for several years as a SAT class instructor and tutor, helping students see significant gains in their standardized test scores. She also loves helping students share their stories by creating compelling, unique college essays that will help them to stand out among other applicants. Kristy brings strong instructional and creative strategies to engage and motivate students, helping them to develop a love of reading and writing. It is her passion to help students grow in their literacy skills, and to develop and hone their unique voices as writers. She genuinely cares about her students, and desires to see them thrive both within and outside of the classroom. In her free time, Kristy enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Mrs. Hellums has a passion for words. Ever since she was a little girl, she has been writing stories about faeries, steampunk adventures, and slaying dragons. This turned into a love of literature and reading. She began teaching in college and found a love for helping students succeed, whether practicing a monologue, working on a college essay, or designing a kick-butt resume. She graduated from Lamar University with a Bachelors of Science in Communication Studies and is currently getting her Masters in Marketing and Communications from Loyola University New Orleans. When she’s not helping students with college essays and resumes, she can be found writing with her fountain pen collection, playing Dungeons & Dragons, or with her nose buried in a Neil Gaiman novel.