Meet the College Counseling Staff

Susan McCarter (mccarter@gps.edu) 634-7625

Director of College Guidance

B.S. University of Tennessee Chattanooga

Appointed 1998

After many years as an English teacher and as the GPS/McCallie coordinator, Susan McCarter happily accepted the Director of College Guidance position at GPS in 1998. In addition to shepherding high school students through the college admissions maze, she is on the Board of Directors of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC) and is a delegate to the National Conference (NACAC). She recently served as SACAC's Professional Development chair and is currently the Annual Conference Chair. A member of the strategic planning committee, she helped start the Tennessee State Initiatives committee/program and attends the National Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. each spring. She was recently honored with the Larry West Award, SACAC's highest honor for �outstanding contributions to the admission counseling profession, leadership within that profession, and dedication to the students� served.

Her daughter Jordan is a graduate of GPS ('96), Tufts University (2000) and Vanderbilt (2006).

Claudia Goldbach (cgoldbach@gps.edu) 634-5441

Associate Director of College Guidance

B.S. Bowling Green State University

Appointed 2006

After graduating from Bowling Green State University, Claudia worked briefly as an Admission Counselor for The Defiance College before heading west to California. She worked for nearly nine years at Mount St. Mary's College before going home to Ohio where she met and married her husband Rafe. They moved to Chattanooga in 2001 and live in Hixson with their daughters Hannah and Eva. Claudia has worked with The College Access Center at both Tyner Academy and Hixson High School as a College Advisor.

Kathy Commander (kathyc@gps.edu) 634-7624

College Guidance Assistant

After working for TVA, Kathy enjoyed many years as a stay-at-home mom. She came to GPS in 2000 as an Administrative Assistant in Admissions and began her new position in the GPS college guidance office in 2007. Her daughter Kate is a 2004 graduate of GPS; son Matt graduated from the McCallie School in 2007.

An experienced and highly regarded college counseling staff works with students from the freshman year through college acceptances in the senior year.