"I am excited for the opportunity to be a part of the college application process with students and their families! During the college search, students experience personal growth, new family dynamics, and defining their goals. There is so much to celebrate for each student while finding the colleges that fit them!"
After completing his K-12 education in Durham, Dean of College Counseling Christopher Briggs majored in Philosophy and minored in African and African American Studies at Elon University. During his undergraduate studies, he began learning about college admissions while working as a Multicultural Ambassador for the Elon Admissions office and as a summer mentor for the Elon Academy. After graduating from Elon, he began his 12-year college admissions career at Georgia Institute of Technology while also completing a master’s degree in Social Foundations of Education at Georgia State University. He continued his admissions career for a year at Mercer University then Duke University for the six years prior to joining the team at Durham Academy. Christopher is currently a third-year Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development doctoral student at North Carolina State University with a program area of study in Higher Education. His research interests are the impact of counseling in the college search and application process.
Across his career, Christopher has coordinated recruitment efforts for Black and international students, chaired admissions committees, led open houses and admitted student weekends,
and worked with coaches recruiting athletes.
Beyond his institutional admissions work Christopher is a frequent presenter at regional, national, and international conferences, served on the Board of Directors for the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling (SACAC), and delegate to the General Assembly for the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC). In 2019 SACAC recognized Christopher as the recipient of the Garrett Klein Award for Mid-Level Service.
Christopher is passionate about helping students identify their college fit because of his meaningful growth experiences during his undergraduate time. Away from school, Christopher spends time with his wife Kaitlin and son Julian, trying new recipes, and listening to his favorite podcasts — Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!, This American Life, and 99% Invisible.