Who We Are  

Kate Grant, Director of College Counseling
Kate has been a college counselor at Catlin Gabel since 1997 except for a two-year period when she served as the Upper School’s mental health counselor. Before coming to Catlin Gabel, she was dean of first-year students at Wellesley College, assistant director of admission at Smith College, and has worked in admission and student affairs at Georgetown University, Reed College, and Lewis & Clark College. Kate served as the national alumnae admission coordinator for Smith College and is president-elect of the Smith Alumnae Association. A national leader among college counselors, Kate has presented at the National Association of College Admission Counselors. She has an AB in American studies and economics from Smith College, and an MEd in counseling and consulting psychology from Harvard University.

Blythe Butler, Associate Director of College Counseling
Blythe worked for ten years in the Lewis & Clark College admissions office as the associate dean of admissions, where she read thousands of applications, coordinated the college’s electronic recruitment efforts, and visited high schools from Idaho to Connecticut. She has served on the executive board of the Pacific Northwest Association of College Admissions Counseling, the steering committee of the Pacific Northwest Colleges Consortium, and the Professional Development committee of the National Association of College Admissions Counseling. Blythe received her bachelor’s degree from Willamette University and earned her MA in nonfiction writing from Portland State University. Before joining Catlin Gabel in 2010, she was the director of college counseling at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland.

Robyn Washburn, Registrar
Robyn held positions from 1999-2010 as Middle School administrative assistant and as Upper School registrar. She worked as registrar for the Oregon College of Art and Craft before returning to Catlin Gabel this school year. Robyn supports the College Counseling office by offering tech support and record maintenance for Naviance, preparing and sending school materials for colleges, and tracking deadlines. Robyn holds a BA in English literature from The University of Montana.

Leanne Moll, College Writing Coach and Upper School English Teacher
New this year to Catlin, Leanne assists students with their application essays and provides support to the college counseling team. Leanne is currently a PhD candidate at Cornell University. She has a BA in music history and literature from Mills College, a Master's in musicology from Cornell, and a MAT in education from Lewis & Clark College. She has been an instructor at Portland Community College and at Cornell, and a visiting professor at Syracuse University. Leanne worked as a literacy curriculum developer in the North Clackamas School District and taught high school English language arts at Clackamas High School and the Native American Youth and Family Center Early College Academy.

 What We Do 

Catlin Gabel's college counseling program, with its emphasis on personalized guidance, helps each student explore the many college opportunities available. Through individual counseling sessions throughout the junior and senior years, Catlin Gabel's two college counselors help students identify those colleges that best suit their interests, abilities, and goals. Counselors guide students through all aspects of the college admission process, from developing appropriate college lists to completing applications, writing essays, and applying for financial aid. We keep parents informed and involved in the college counseling process through written communication, class meetings, and parent information sessions, and individual meetings.