Bright Futures Consulting, LLC
College and Career Guidance Since 1999
Bright Futures helped me navigate the college application process and made it a breeze!
Claire Mangrum
Director of Development & College Counselor
Get to Know Claire Mangrum
In addition to supporting the Bright Futures team, Claire Mangrum draws on her 8 years of experience in…
- Selective college admissions
- Study abroad advising
- Experiential education
… to help students build their confidence, character, and resume through unique projects or programs while strategically navigating the college admission process.
Where Claire Thrives
As a born organizer, Claire thrives when helping students stay organized as they manage their college applications (sometimes more stress than an AP class!) Can you see her Birkman red coming out?
Claire loves helping students find their voice and articulate their unique strengths through the essay writing process. She knows that essays that are authentic, thoughtful, and entertaining can swing an admission decision.
Claire Mangrum’s Background
Claire has been Bright Futures Consulting since 2018; however, she’s been around the company a lot longer as Dr. Beth Dennard (Owner & Director) is her mom!
Before earning the Certificate in Educational Consulting from UC Irvine, Claire Mangrum graduated with a BA in Sociology from Pepperdine University. She also received a certificate in Dispute Resolution & Conflict Management from Pepperdine Law School. Her certification in Multiple Subject Teaching (CA) has equipped her to teach students from a wide range of backgrounds how to become self-directed in the pursuit of their goals.
Claire has all the tools to guide your student through college admissions and transition. Claire coaches students to be self-aware and how to articulate their distinctive features on their applications. She also helps students to…
- Make informed decisions about academic coursework
- Take steps toward career exploration
- Develop management and planning skills
When she’s not working with her students or chasing around her two pre-schoolers, Claire loves to travel on Southwest Airlines (her favorite!), discover great hole-in-the-wall restaurants , and score vintage finds at local thrift shops.
Credentials You Can Trust
Our consultants have the experience and qualifications to guide students towards their bright future. We are proud members of the following organizations – adhering to their standards of ethics.