OHIO — High school students around the globe needing help with working through the college application process or getting the right resources to start their first year of college now have a one-stop shop they can go to online.

It’s all thanks to a Central Ohio high school student who jump started a business while navigating the process herself. 

Isabelle Eribo said it all started less than a year ago when updates on college prep started rolling out at her school. It was then that she said her common app essay would soon be due.

“I had to start thinking of teacher recommendations, and then also we have to take our AP classes,” Eribo said. “So, all of that was building up at the end of junior year and it was making me pretty nervous.”

That’s besides trying to make sure she had the right resources to complete everything. All of it created a level of stress she didn’t anticipate. 

Instead of allowing it to get the best of her, she decided to figure out a way to make things easier. That process led to a business idea that would not only help her, but students across the U.S. find resources they needed in one place.

Eribo started completing the paperwork to get the business started. She didn’t tell her parents until after she picked up traction on the site.

“I was shocked…is putting it lightly. Yeah…really crazy surprise,” said Pamela Gant-Eribo, Isabelle’s mother. “When she explained the reasons, you know, why she wanted to start the organization. That really, really touched me. “

Searching on social media, she found Sophia Sim, who had her own challenges. Eribo said she got to know Sim’s story.

“How she wasn’t provided similar resources as I was and wasn’t able to go on college visits and other things like that,” Eribo said.

That became another reason why it was all the more important for Eribo to start the business, so that she could help as many people as possible.

Jumping on board, Sim began helping the high school senior build The Career Compass Coalition to what it is now, which includes a 15 person staff, two school chapters and a 17,000 student following and counting.

“I wasn’t really expecting it to go international…like maybe national because of TikTok and stuff, but international was just super surprising to see,” Eribo said.

That following now includes students from New York and Los Angeles to Canada, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and many more places. 

“I’m really hoping to inspire as many students as I can, because the reason why I created this was to put all of these resources in one place so it motivates students to get more involved in their school and take an opportunity of all these things that are provided to them to help set themselves up for success,” Eribo said.

In the meantime, Eribo said she’s applied to several schools in California and on the east coast. She’s hoping she’ll be able to land at one of her top picks soon.