I’m Michelle (Stark) Fetherston, an educator, researcher, and data professional specializing in career coaching for teens and young adults navigating the future of work.

I help high school and college students and early-career individuals make confident, informed decisions about their next steps through holistic career coaching, career exploration, and job search guidance. My approach combines academic research on career decision-making, career information-seeking, and self-efficacy with real-world experience navigating multiple career paths.

I thought I had my entire career path figured out at 22…until I didn’t. That moment of uncertainty led me to explore new directions, return to school, and ultimately discover a passion for teaching and learning—something I hadn’t originally planned for.

Since then, I’ve built a career that spans college teaching, career development, corporate training, instructional design, program management, and data analytics. While it may look like a non-linear path, every step has been connected by a common thread: helping people learn, grow, and communicate effectively.

Through years of working with college students and early-career professionals, I’ve seen firsthand how challenging it can be to choose a career path, explore options, and navigate job searches, especially in a rapidly changing world shaped by technology and AI.

That’s why I focus on holistic career coaching for teens and young adults. Instead of treating career choices as one-time decisions, I help clients build the skills and confidence to adapt over time. The right path can change depending on your interests, life stage, responsibilities, and the evolving job market—but it becomes much easier to navigate when you’re grounded in your core strengths and values.

My approach is also informed by my doctoral research on how students seek out career information and develop confidence in their decisions (self-efficacy). I integrate those insights into every session, helping clients move from feeling overwhelmed to taking clear, intentional next steps.