Ms. Eleanor Green Long ’76 was among the first cohort of women to matriculate at the school and participated in a coeducation discussion panel this fall. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, where she works as an independent college counselor.

Ms. Long grew up in Orange, Virginia. “Orange was an agricultural community where half of the class went to college and the others went to work on the farm,” she said. “I had an eye-opening experience at Hotchkiss with amazing teachers and realized I wanted to give the gift of English to the next generation of students.”

Ms. Long was a member of St. Luke’s Society and tutored English at the Town Hill School, now the Indian Mountain Lower School. “I still remember the head of school at my time, Mr. Bill Olsen, who said, ‘To those whom much is given, much is expected.’ Although I was not privileged financially, I was so privileged to get such an excellent education,” Ms. Long said.

Ms. Long attended UNC Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain scholar and earned a B.A. in English and Secondary Education. She then earned an MBA from NYU and began a career in marketing in the banking industry. Ms. Long worked in the field for over 20 years as a product manager.

However, when Ms. Long turned 50, she took a step back from banking. “I had a breaking moment because all my life I wanted to be an English teacher. I love high school students—they are young adults who have not quite matured, but have a wonderful sense of humor and enthusiasm.” Ms. Long took an online course at the University of California, Los Angeles and began volunteering in public schools.

Today, Ms. Long is an active college counselor at her business, Long Road 2 College. She said, “I not only help a kid get into college but also help them figure out affordability. I work with students during their Junior year spring to come up with a realistic college list. I help with applications, financial aid, essays, and more. This way, I take away stress from students when they reach their Senior year.”