Candace Reese, DLS

For nearly three decades, Dr. Candace Reese has dedicated her career to helping people navigate educational transitions with clarity, confidence, and purpose. As a college professor, educational strategist, author, and founder of Are You Ready, Inc., she believes that education should be one of the most intentional decisions a person ever makes.

Throughout her career, Dr. Reese has worked at the intersection of student success, educational innovation, and human development. She has taught English, Developmental Integrated Reading and Writing, Humanities, and College Success while designing educational pathways that help learners thrive. Her work includes developing accelerated bridge programs for colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations, leading Upward Bound initiatives, and serving as a Thurgood Marshall Pathways Fellow with Gallup, where she became one of the early higher education educators to integrate CliftonStrengths into student development.

What distinguishes Dr. Reese's work is not simply the programs she has built, but the philosophy that guides them. She believes that before choosing a degree, certification, or career pathway, people should first understand themselves. Educational decisions are life decisions. When individuals understand their strengths, values, interests, and aspirations, they are better equipped to make choices that lead to meaningful and fulfilling lives.

That belief became the foundation for Degree by Design™, her signature educational planning framework and guided learning experience. Through reflective practice, strengths exploration, educational strategy, and personalized guidance, Degree by Design™ helps adults connect who they are with where they want to go, empowering them to make thoughtful educational investments that support the life they want to build.

Dr. Reese holds a Doctor of Liberal Studies from Southern Methodist University, a Master of Arts in English from Texas Southern University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Houston. She continues to serve as a college professor while leading Are You Ready, Inc., where she designs educational pathways that help people move forward with purpose.