New Director of College Counseling Named

After a thorough search for Loyola's New Director of College Counseling, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Natasha Blake-McDowell. Mrs. Blake-McDowell replaces Mrs. Kathy Mathias, who retired at the end of the 2020–21 school year after serving as a college and guidance counselor at Loyola Blakefield for the last 36 years.
 
Mrs. Blake-McDowell has spent the last few years as Associate Program Director for the CollegeBound Foundation, a college access program serving over 10,000 students annually. In that role, she has hired and managed Program Specialists, worked with school counselors to create college plans for students, conducted professional development opportunities for school counselors, and cultivated relationships with college admissions specialists and scholarship partners around the nation.

Prior to that role, Mrs. Blake-McDowell served as a college and career counselor for CollegeBound and as an Assistant Director of Admissions at Baltimore International College. She has degrees from Baltimore International College (M.S. International Business Management) and Johns Hopkins University (M.S. School Counseling) and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education degree at Morgan State University.

"I’m truly excited about the opportunity to lead the young men of Loyola Blakefield to and through the college access process while creating a space of comfort and confidence as they transition into contributing citizens in their communities," said Mrs. Blake-McDowell.
 
If you see her around campus this school year, please join us in welcoming her to the Loyola Blakefield family.