We were lucky to catch up with Isabelle Eribo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Isabelle, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
Creating The Career Compass Coalition began as a simple idea sparked during my junior year. The college application process felt overwhelming, even with supportive resources at my school and guidance from watching my older brothers navigate it. I started thinking about how much more difficult it must be for students who don’t have similar support, and that realization led me to create a TikTok account to promote an educational mentorship program, but with little initial traction, I set it aside.
When I revisited the idea that summer, I started posting educational videos more consistently. Slowly, the account gained attention, but I knew I needed more help to bring my full vision to life. After seeing Sophia Sim’s TikTok account that documented her senior year, I reached out to her, explained my ideas, and asked if she’d like to join me as a Co-President of my organization. Thankfully, she said yes, and together we began shaping The Career Compass Coalition.
Our first major project was setting up Google Classroom sections to organize resources. After one of our promotional videos went viral, hundreds of students joined our classrooms. Realizing we’d need more hands on deck, we recruited about 15 “Compasses,” our staff members, to help create educational resources. By mid-June, we had a dedicated team, and I managed the nonprofit daily, balancing this work alongside a research internship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Hosting live streams where students could ask questions allowed me to connect directly with them, learn about their needs, and motivate them to pursue higher education.
By July, we introduced a Google form where students could share their backgrounds and goals. Over 1,000 students responded, helping us tailor resources, such as finding scholarships for specific identities and backgrounds. Seeing thousands join, I knew it was time to make our organization official. I researched tirelessly and learned how to register as a nonprofit. With guidance from an online friend, I completed Ohio’s 532b form to register as an Ohio nonprofit, followed by the 501(c)(3) IRS application to become a nationally tax-empt nonprofit. Checking the mail daily, I finally received our tax-exempt status letter on August 7. That approval allowed us to begin fundraising, with proceeds going to 3 educational charities we thought well promoted “education for all.”
From there, The Career Compass Coalition expanded. We introduced a Discord server for community-building and held a 5K follower celebration where students could get their essays personally edited. I also began outreach efforts, emailing local and national media. In mid-July, a writer from The Columbus Dispatch covered our story, which led NBC4 to reach out for a TV interview. That interview aired on my birthday, September 3, marking a major milestone for our nonprofit.
Our next initiative was establishing school chapters nationally and internationally, bringing our resources to even more students. We added new ways to connect with students, including an AP advice google form, a college essay-sharing platform, and an educational newsletter, which is currently in development with a team of student journalists.
What started as a personal struggle turned into a global network of students helping each other navigate the path to college. Looking back, I’m grateful for each step and challenge, as they have shaped this journey and strengthened my resolve to support students worldwide.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Isabelle Eribo, and I am a senior at Columbus Academy. At school, I am a Co-President of the Black Organization of students, Co-president of the Health Occupations Students of America club, an Alumni Board Representative, member of speech and debate, and I do tennis and track and field. My journey with The Career Compass Coalition began with a realization during my junior year. As I was diving into the college application process myself, I couldn’t help but think about how overwhelming it must feel for students without access to the same resources and guidance I had. I knew that if I could make even a small difference, it would be worth it.
So, I began researching everything I could about college applications, career paths, and the resources available to support students. With this knowledge, I set out to create a platform that would simplify the journey for others, a place where students could access a full range of educational resources for free and in one easy-to-navigate place. This idea quickly grew into The Career Compass Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to bridging educational gaps and empowering students to achieve their college and career goals.
Through Google Classroom, we provide a wealth of resources that cover all aspects of college prep and career exploration. Students can join our classrooms with just a code and immediately gain access to resources on resumes, scholarships, internships, college essays, community service ideas, and so much more. Each classroom section holds 250 students, and we’re continually expanding to meet the high demand. We’ve designed our resources to be engaging, accessible, and easy to navigate, saving students hours they would otherwise spend hunting for this information themselves. We wanted to create a system that doesn’t just hand out resources but truly motivates students to believe in their potential.
One of the aspects I’m most proud of is the level of dedication and persistence it took to grow this organization. It hasn’t always been easy, but I stayed committed to the vision of “education for all.” This drive kept me going through every obstacle, fueled by the belief that every student deserves access to the guidance and tools they need to succeed. Our nonprofit isn’t just about resources; it’s about changing the narrative for students who might otherwise feel left behind.
Our work is far from done, and I am deeply passionate about continuing this mission as I grow. Access to education remains uneven, with countless students worldwide missing out on their full potential due to a lack of support. I’m committed to using this platform to inspire others to join my mission, to push for “education for all,” and to ensure that every student has the opportunity to build a brighter future. This journey has just begun, and I am more determined than ever to see it through.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
I keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty by continuously engaging and listening to them through multiple channels, ensuring they feel valued and supported within our community.
First, I focus on creating dynamic and interactive features, such as our AP Advice Google Form. This platform allows students to share their thoughts on AP classes, making them feel heard on a major platform while helping future students with valuable peer advice. We also launched a Discord server to foster a sense of community, connecting students with others who share similar questions and worries, and helping them realize they’re not alone in this process.
When we reach milestones, we like to celebrate by offering special opportunities for our audience. For example, when we hit 5,000 followers, we hosted a drawing where selected students received one-on-one essay guidance, a way to thank them while providing a memorable, personalized experience.
Feedback and personalization are key to maintaining loyalty, so we regularly share review forms where students can give feedback on our organization. We also use an audience form to gather information that helps us tailor resources to better serve our students. We’re constantly opening opportunities for students to get involved, whether as a chapter president or a journalist for our newsletter, so they can actively contribute to our mission.
Finally, we keep all communication channels open and accessible, such as Instagram DMs, LinkedIn messages, and email, to ensure that students can reach out anytime they need assistance. By consistently making our students feel welcomed, valued, and heard, we create a strong sense of brand loyalty and a supportive community that grows with them.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
In a world where social media can often feel negative, I wanted to use it as a tool for positive change, particularly to help students navigate the overwhelming college-prep and career exploration process. That’s what inspired me to create The Career Compass Coalition TikTok account. My goal was to make high school students aware of the wealth of resources available to them, making the whole journey a bit easier and less stressful.
To build an audience, I focused on creating content that students would find valuable and engaging. For anyone just starting their social media presence, I’ve found a few key strategies really made a difference in gaining attention and building trust:
Popular Hashtags: By using hashtags that were trending or specific to education, college prep, or careers, I was able to reach a wider audience of students interested in those topics.
Engaging Background Music: I used popular background music that matched TikTok trends to make my videos more appealing and help them reach a broader audience.
One-on-One Connections: Hosting live streams allowed me to connect with students directly, answering their questions and learning about the specific challenges they faced, which helped me create even more relevant content.
Attention-Grabbing Hooks: I always started my videos with a hook, something interesting or surprising to grab viewers’ attention right away.
Save-and Share-Worthy Content: I made my videos with the goal of making them “save/share-worthy.” I asked myself, “Is this video important enough that someone would want to save it for later or share it with a friend?”
Keep it Engaging: Finally, I aimed to make each piece of content engaging, whether through visuals, text, or interesting facts.
Through these methods, I was able to grow The Career Compass Coalition’s presence organically and connect with over 14,000 of students who now have a supportive community for their college and career journeys. My advice to others starting out: focus on being genuine and helpful. Create content that truly benefits your audience, and they’ll respond in kind.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thecareercompasscoalition.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecareercompasscoalition/profilecard/?igsh=MTlocnRydzY4N3BveQ%3D%3D
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/103338284/admin/notifications/all/
- Twitter: https://x.com/TheCareerCC
- Other: Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thecareercompasscoalition
Donate: https://thecareercompasscoalition.org/donate
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecareercompass?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/vrcpPS2HvK
