Coed, independent, PK3-12th grade school in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Meet the College Counseling Team

Myra Simpson
Director of College Counseling
msimpson@shorecrest.org

Myra Simpson joined Shorecrest as the Director of College Counseling in July 2022 after an extensive national search. With over 20 years of experience in college admissions at both the college and secondary school levels, Myra arrived most recently from Oak Hall School in Gainesville, FL, where she has served as the Director of College Counseling. In addition to overseeing the College Counseling program at Shorecrest, Myra will sit on the School’s senior administrative team. 

Myra has a demonstrated history of success running a comprehensive college counseling program for students in grades 9-12. Prior to joining Oak Hall School in 2016, she served as Co-Director of College Guidance at Ranney School in Tinton Falls, NJ, for 10 years. At both of her prior independent schools her leadership supported diverse classes of students in finding their best-fit college choice, with 100% of students matriculating to college.

Ms. Simpson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Mary Washington and a Master of Arts in Counselor Education from The College of New Jersey. She has served in leadership roles for industry professional associations at the state and national levels for over 17 years. In April 2020, she was elected to a three-year term as a Board Director for the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Grants and Fiscal Oversight Committee. From 2012-2015, Myra served in the presidential cycle for the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling while serving as an At-Large Member for the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS). She initiated both Ranney School and Oak Hall's memberships in ACCIS. She is involved with the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and has served on committees including Current Trends and Future Issues, Admissions Practices, and the Governance and Nominating Committee. 
John Fanning
Senior Associate Director of College Counseling
jfanning@shorecrest.org

John Fanning joined the Shorecrest community in July as the Senior Associate Director of College Counseling with more than 20 years of experience in college counseling and educational leadership. Passionate about helping students and families navigate the path to higher education, John has served on the undergraduate admissions team of Stanford University, as the Director of Post-Secondary Access and Success at Aspire Public Schools, and the Senior Director of Early College Pathways at Wonderful Education, a regional non-profit that offers college access programming. He came to Shorecrest most recently from College Track, a national non-profit headquartered in Oakland, CA, where he was Vice President of Program Design. John shares, “At my core and in my heart, I am a high school academic and college counselor, working closely with students and their families to help them better understand higher education and to prepare to navigate those systems successfully and fulfillingly, fully through to graduation and what comes next.” He is a member of and presenter for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and its regional affiliates, and is a committee participant with NPEA, the National Partnership for Educational Access.

John holds an undergraduate degree in business from the University of Illinois, an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and a master of social work degree from the University of Chicago.
Meghan Schneider
Associate Director of College Counseling
Meghan Schneider is a veteran member of the Shorecrest College Counseling office, having joined the faculty in 2007. Over her 15+ years at Shorecrest she has held roles of increasing responsibility from College Counseling Associate, Assistant Director of College Counseling and, her current role, Associate Director of College Counseling, working closely with students and families to empower them throughout the college search process. From 2009-2016 she spent her summers in New Hampshire serving as the College Advisor for the Phillips Exeter Academy Summer School. Her attention to detail, empathetic and supportive demeanor, and understanding of what makes colleges and students ‘fit,’ make her a sought-after source for college advice. Deeply committed to issues of equity and inclusion, Meghan is a member of the Board of Trustees’ DEI Committee and serves as the Upper School Diversity Coordinator, working in concert with Shorecrest’s Director of Diversity & Inclusion. In 2022, she was invited to serve on the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools’ (ACCIS) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. Meghan is experienced in multiple facets of Shorecrest student life, having served as Bright Futures Coordinator, Homecoming Coordinator, and Student Advisor, among other roles. She is a parent of three Chargers - Annie '15, Lily '19, and Dexter '23. 

Meghan is a graduate of St. Lawrence University and is currently completing her DEI Certification from the Muma School of Business at USF. 
Dan Burkett
Assistant Director of College Counseling
dburkett@shorecrest.org

Dan Burkett joins the Shorecrest College Counseling Team as the Assistant Director of College Counseling. Formally trained as a chemist, Dan holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Indiana State University and a Master of Science in Organic Chemistry from Marquette University. Dan served as a tenure-track professor of chemistry at Judson University before joining the Shorecrest faculty as a chemistry teacher in 2020, where he has fully integrated himself into the School community, serving as assistant cross country coach, varsity cheerleading coach, and Homecoming Coordinator. In addition to his teaching experience at the university level, Dan has served as a Scholarship Assistant at Indiana State University, where he helped recruit and review scholarship applications, and plan scholarship events. In his new role as Assistant Director, Dan plans to expand the programming and services College Counseling is able to offer to underclassmen while also providing guidance and support to upperclassmen as they navigate the college application and selection process. He says, “I’m excited to expand the impact I am able to have in students’ lives beyond the classroom.” Dan will continue to teach one section of chemistry, in addition to supporting students through the college counseling process. 

Shorecrest Preparatory School

5101 First Street Northeast
St Petersburg, FL 33703
Phone: (727) 522-2111  |  Fax: (727) 527-4191
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Privacy Policy | Faculty


Shorecrest Preparatory School is a private, non-sectarian, coeducational, college preparatory day school for students preschool through high school, located in St. Petersburg, Florida.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Shorecrest acknowledges its obligation to prohibit discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin sex, citizenship status, genetic information, handicap or disability in admissions, access, employment, tuition assistance, educational policies, or other school administered student and employee programs and activities. Questions regarding the School’s compliance with the application and administration of the School’s nondiscrimination policies should be directed to Kristine Grant, Head of Middle School, 5101 First Street Northeast, St. Petersburg, Florida 33703, (727)-522-2111, kgrant@shorecrest.org or to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Please refer to the School’s Non-Discrimination Compliance Policy on the School’s website for information on how to file complaints with OCR.