Brenna Firek has more than a dozen years of experience in the field of education, from her former roles as a high school teacher and college essay advisor to her current position as a highly skilled advisor and application support specialist at Scholar Co. A member of the Scholar Co. team since 2022, Brenna graduated from the University of Washington with a major in Earth and Space Sciences and a specialization in geology. She spent several years working as an environmental geologist in Southern California while providing private chemistry tutoring and essay writing assistance to high school students in the evenings; it was through this work that she discovered her passion for working with students to help them achieve self-actualization. She soon returned to graduate school, attaining her master's degree in Planetary Science from Washington University in Saint Louis, with a special focus in isotope geochemistry. While completing her graduate studies, Brenna published two peer-reviewed research papers in scientific journals, co-authored four others, was invited to present her research on potassium isotopes at the esteemed Goldschmidt Conference, and attained her secondary teaching certification.

Since her graduate work, Brenna has spent many years working directly with students. Even as a high school teacher, she spent her afternoons helping her students polish their college essays and navigate the arduous college application process. She brings that expertise and commitment to her work with her Scholar Co. students, providing thoughtful mentorship and support to college applicants and their families. Brenna believes that the celebration of self, diversity, and curiosity are integral to successful education, and applies this mindset to every student interaction.