30+ years
mentoring and guiding students
2,500+ students
mentored from high school through early career
1,200+ applications
successfully guided
About Dr. Klyne
Dr. Klyne Smith has dedicated over 30 years to helping students fulfill their highest potential as they transition from high school to college. His work begins with guiding students through the college application process and extends to internships that help shape their careers.
He recently founded the nonprofit organization, Your Next Steps–US, focused on empowering youth to lead passion-driven lives by transforming their interests into education and career pathways while defining their own meaning of success.
Through the College Bound initiative, Education Unbound provides an abundance of resources — including people, processes, and funding — to support often under-resourced students as they navigate the college application journey.
In addition to his work with Education Unbound, Dr. Smith collaborates with other nonprofit organizations to mentor students and young adults, provide STEM training, and offer life coaching support.
Board of Advisor - CoFounder - Sean Subra
“We rise by lifting others.”
Robert Ingersoll
25+ years
mentoring and guiding students
1,100+ students
mentored from high school through early career
200+ applications
successfully guided
About Sean Subra
Sean Dubra is a native of Gulfport, MS, and currently resides in Clinton, MS.
In his professional career, he brings over 25 years of experience in the engineering field. As an Engineering Manager, he developed a strong passion for mentorship and leadership.
Sean has a background in recruitment and professional skill development and enjoys connecting individuals with the right opportunities. He considers himself an altruistic leader and takes pride in the careers he has helped advance.
He has volunteered on the Engineering Curriculum Advisory Board for the Clinton High School Vocational Education Program and currently serves on the Advanced Technology Advisory Board for Alcorn State University.
Within his community, Sean is active on his church’s Parish Council, helping promote the church’s mission and providing leadership to the parish. He and his wife also served for two years as advisors for the church’s youth organization, where they deeply valued the relationships built during that time.
Board of Advisor - CoFounder - Vanessa Bailey
“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”
Maya Angelou
20+ years
mentoring and guiding students
~750 students
mentored from high school through early career
100+ applications
successfully guided
About Vanessa Bailey
A military “brat”, and a first-generation college graduate, Ms. Bailey never intended to pursue a career in higher education. The opportunity to work in higher education presented itself nearly 25 years ago when she was recruited into continuing education at the University of New Orleans.
From managing educational programs focused on employee development to PhD programs in the traditional college setting, her experience as an administrator in education provides her with an understanding of how important support is at all levels of education and, more importantly, the impact it can have on underserved and disadvantaged student populations.
Ms. Bailey, currently resides in San Antonio, Texas, continuing education at Alamo Colleges District. She provides student and program implementation support, focusing to reverse the negative economic impact COVID-19 had on the low-income working-class population through retraining, certification and job placement.
Board of Advisor - CoFounder - Haven Smith
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
Muhammad Ali
5+ years
mentoring and guiding students
~75 students
mentored from high school through early career
20+ applications
successfully guided
About Haven Smith
Mr. Haven Smith is a founding board member of YourNextSteps-US and a Software Engineer at JPMorgan Chase in Chicago. He earned both his B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Oklahoma, specializing in data mining and machine learning.
During college, Haven served as president of the Computer Science Club and was an active member of NSBE. He also mentored students through YourNextSteps-US.
Haven is passionate about helping students succeed in STEM. He supports students as they navigate college, internships, and career preparation.
As a young professional, he brings a fresh and relatable perspective that encourages students to pursue their goals with confidence and purpose.
Need help?
Book a free consulting session with Dr Klyne to assist you in this process