Helping Students Find Their Direction and Families Navigate the Path to College and Career
Personalized advising, academic planning, and college guidance from educator Kari Hynes, with more than 20 years of experience supporting students from middle school through postsecondary transitions.
CompassED Consulting helps students and families navigate the college admissions process, explore career pathways, and make confident post-secondary decisions. Every student’s journey is unique and their planning should be too.
With more than 20 years of experience supporting a wide range of learners, CompassED Consulting provides personalized, strengths-based advising that meets students exactly where they are. Whether a student hopes to attend a four-year university, pursue a trade program, take a purposeful gap year, prepare for a mission, or simply explore their options, students receive guidance designed to help them chart a clear and achievable path forward.
CompassED Consulting proudly supports students from all backgrounds, including first-generation college applicants and students with IEPs or 504 plans navigating the transition to post-secondary life. Services also include study-skills development such as time management, organization, note-taking strategies, and executive functioning support. All to help students build confidence and independence both in and out of the classroom.
At CompassED Consulting, the focus isn’t just planning for what comes next, it’s helping students discover who they are, what they value, and how to move forward with clarity and purpose.
Meet Kari
I’m Kari Hynes, the founder of CompassED Consulting, and a first-generation college student who understands firsthand how overwhelming the path to college and career can feel, especially without a roadmap. That experience sparked my passion for helping students find direction, confidence, and a sense of belonging in their post-secondary journeys.
I studied History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and earned my Master of Education from Northeastern University in Boston. Over the past 20+ years, I have worked across nearly every corner of education: academic advising, career counseling, transfer and dual-credit advising, and teaching career development and study-skills courses.
My work has included supporting students at a large public university (California State University, Northridge), a community college (North Idaho College), and—most recently—students in grades 8–12 as they navigate course planning, college admissions, career exploration, trades pathways, and life after high school.
Throughout my career, I’ve partnered with educators, families, and community leaders to help students better understand both their opportunities and the skills needed to succeed in the modern workforce.
I believe every student deserves a plan that reflects their strengths, interests, and story.
As someone with ADHD and dyslexia, I approach my work with empathy, flexibility, and a deep understanding of what it means to develop skills like organization, time management, and self-advocacy. I enjoy helping students discover not only what they want to pursue, but how they learn best.
My goal is to help students build both a pathway and the confidence to walk it.
Outside of work, I’m a mom to two teenagers (a senior and a freshman), a lifelong learner, an avid camper and reader, and a devoted New England sports fan. Like the students I work with, I’m still finding my own path—one filled with curiosity, growth, and a love of helping others move forward.
