Youth Leadership Summit:

Ben Gutierrez is a Lead Counselor with Empowerly who has spent over a decade guiding students and families through the college search and application process, with particular expertise in highly selective admissions. As a first-generation college applicant and graduate himself, he brings both professional expertise and personal perspective to his work—especially in supporting students navigating the process for the first time. He began his career at his alma mater, Vanderbilt University, where he served as an admissions officer evaluating applicants across the United States, with a focus on first-generation, low-income, and international students. He later joined Johns Hopkins University, where he served on the admissions leadership team and as a senior committee chair, making final decisions on thousands of applications in one of the most selective applicant pools in the country.

Across his admissions career, Ben has reviewed more than 10,000 applications and led over 100 workshops designed to demystify the college admissions and financial aid processes for students and families. He specializes in working with students interested in engineering, pre-med, entrepreneurship, global studies, and research-driven pathways, helping them build thoughtful, cohesive academic and extracurricular profiles that stand out in competitive applicant pools while remaining authentic to their interests and goals.

Since joining Empowerly, his students have earned admission to institutions such as Dartmouth College, Johns Hopkins University, Northeastern University, Purdue University, Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, Fordham University, Santa Clara University, and the University of Toronto, among others. Drawing on his depth of experience and industry insight, Ben provides highly personalized, strategic guidance—helping students reflect on their experiences, articulate compelling personal narratives, and identify college communities where they can thrive academically and personally.