Dr. Mary Jordan

About

I am an award-winning school counselor, department chair, and lifelong advocate for college access. With a deep-rooted commitment to equity, collaboration, and student success, I bring more than a decade of leadership across K-12 and higher education. Currently, I serve as Department Chair of one of North Carolina’s top high school counseling programs at Weddington High School in Union County Public Schools, where I was honored as the district’s first-ever School Counselor of the Year.

My journey began at Fairmont State University as a work-study student in Career Services. That early role shaped my passion for helping students align their goals with meaningful careers. I later served as Executive Student Director of New Student Orientation and worked in the Office of the University President—experiences that cemented my dedication to student transitions and institutional leadership.

I’ve since earned graduate and doctoral degrees from Nova Southeastern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Fairmont State, with research focused on the college transition for students with learning disabilities. My professional background spans academic advising, college counseling, student affairs, and administration, including service as Assistant Principal of Academic Advisement & School Counseling at the University of Florida’s PK Yonge DRS.

I’m honored to serve on Counselor Advisory Boards at High Point University, University of Tampa, University of South Carolina Lancaster, as well as the Appily Inaugural Advisory Board and Sallie Mae National Advisory Board. These roles have enabled me to collaborate with presidents, provosts, financial aid directors, enrollment leaders, and national education organizations, shaping policy and practice to improve student outcomes. I also serve as a statewide liaison, helping analyze college matriculation and retention trends.

Through counselor fly-ins at institutions like Ohio State, Alabama, and Kentucky, I continue to gain firsthand insight into admissions models and student success strategies. These experiences have helped me build strong relationships with admissions professionals and better guide students through the ever-changing college landscape.

I’m actively engaged with organizations like SACAC and the National Resource Center on the First-Year Experience and remain deeply committed to building inclusive, high-impact systems that prepare every student to thrive beyond high school.