Mr. Dobben

After growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Mr. Dobben was fortunate to have a transformative college experience at Emory University, where he was an English major, varsity swimmer, newspaper staff writer, and tour guide. Initially planning to become a professor, he earned a masters degree at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and quickly discovered that his true passion was for promoting and expanding access to higher education more broadly. He returned to Emory as an admissions officer, where he gave presentations, evaluated thousands of applications for admission, supervised over one hundred tour guides and student interns, and helped plan major on-campus events. He also managed a large West Coast territory as an admissions representative, dramatically increasing the number of Bay Area applications to Emory. This is how he first became acquainted with the SHP community, as well as the values and legacy of the RSCJ. Drawn to the more relationship-driven work of college counseling, he joined SHP in 2018. It is an honor and privilege for Mr. Dobben to support students as they discern their unique talents and discover their best college fits. In his spare time, Mr. Dobben can be found reading, debating current events with friends, serving as an alumni volunteer for both his alma maters, and walking every neighborhood in San Francisco.