Mary Alice Katon is an experienced educational program leader and grant development professional with more than 25 years of experience advancing college access, career exploration, and student success initiatives. Her career has focused on creating opportunities for low-income, first-generation, and underserved students through federally funded programs, college and career advising, and strategic educational partnerships.

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Mary Alice currently serves as a Pre-College and Career Pathways Consultant with Nosotros Education Center, where she develops competitive federal TRIO grant proposals for educational institutions and nonprofit organizations. She collaborates with clients on program design, needs assessments, budget development, evaluation planning, and compliance with Department of Education requirements. She also contributes to the development of grant strategies supporting career pathways and workforce development initiatives.

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Previously, Mary Alice served as Program Director for the College Advising Corps at Davidson College, where she led a statewide college advising initiative serving students in up to 19 rural and urban North Carolina high schools. She oversaw program administration, staff recruitment and supervision, budget management, strategic planning, and partnerships with schools, colleges, and community organizations. She also mentored AmeriCorps College Advisers as they prepared for graduate education and careers in education, counseling, college access, and related fields.

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Earlier in her career, Mary Alice directed federally funded college access programs at Communities In Schools, including the TRIO Talent Search program and the ThinkCOLLEGE & Career Center. She helped students connect their educational choices with career opportunities through college and career planning, hands-on career exploration, and community partnerships. Her work included coordinating a five-year healthcare career fair with Carolinas HealthCare System, now Atrium Health; arranging job-shadowing experiences with Charlotte-area businesses; and serving as a trusted local adviser to Road to Hire during its launch, helping its leadership understand the local school landscape and identify potential high school partners.

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Mary Alice holds a Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA Extension, a Master of Science in Counseling from Fitchburg State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Skidmore College. She brings extensive expertise in federal grant development, TRIO programs, program management, college and career advising, staff development, compliance, and strategic partnerships.