Opening Doors: A Day in the Life of a Director of College Counseling at TYWLS Manhattan
Tyra Riedemonn, Director of College Counseling (DCC) at TYWLS Manhattan, starts her mornings with one-on-one sessions. She meets with seniors weighing pivotal decisions, like deciding between which nursing programs, St. Francis or Mercy College to go to. These conversations, part academic advising, part life coaching, sit at the heart of her role. By midday, she’s leading college application workshops with 11th grade English classes, then shifting to support seniors sorting through financial aid award letters and comparing college offers.
Afternoons bring a different kind of work. Tyra coordinates with her principal on upcoming overnight trips, including the TYWLS Glows Up for juniors, a mentorship and empowerment event designed to boost confidence, leadership, and career readiness. She also preps for junior parent nights, ensuring families feel informed and engaged throughout the process.
As a TYWLS Manhattan alum herself, Tyra brings something to her role that no training manual can provide, lived experience, she remembers what it felt like to be a first-generation college student with no roadmap and she uses that story intentionally. “It helps families see that this process, as daunting as it can seem, is navigable.”
Tyra Riedemonn, Director of College Counseling (DCC) at TYWLS Manhattan
Tyra works to ensure no student has to figure it out alone. Juniors are required to complete three college trips, with seniors completing three more, including visits to out-of-state campuses that expand students’ sense of possibility. Tyra also actively connects eligible students to Educational Opportunity Program and Higher Education Opportunity Program, New York State-sponsored initiatives supporting high-potential students who face academic and financial disadvantages.
Through Tyra’s hard work and unwavering commitment to each student’s journey, young women are stepping onto campuses across the country in the fall. This year alone, her efforts have helped students like Valery P., Kadissatou S., and Michelle A. who are attending Babson College, Lafayette College, and Stony Brook University, respectively — find their path to higher education.
Michelle A.; Kadissatou S.; Valery P.; Tyra Riedemonn
Collaboration is key. Tyra’s impact doesn’t happen in isolation. Her work relies on close partnerships with teachers, administrators, and fellow DCCs. Whether it’s coordinating shut-in application days at TYWLS Manhattan, organizing parent nights, or tailoring support for a student’s unique circumstances, the collective effort is what makes outcomes possible.
From the first college trip in 6th grade to the moment a senior commits to a school, it is built on the belief that every young student deserves a knowledgeable, caring guide on their path to higher education. Counselors like Tyra are that guide, showing up every day to make the college going atmosphere not just an aspiration, but a lived reality.
