California College Guidance Initiative
Leigh S. Ranck has a diverse work experience across various industries. They began their career as a Writer for Crossings Magazine in 2006 and later worked as an Intern for the Chris Turner Campaign for Texas State House, where they assisted with research and community outreach. In 2009, they interned at the West Africa AIDS Foundation, teaching and managing an AIDS education program. They also interned at ABC New Haven and CNN, where they gained experience in various roles such as writing, editing, interviewing, and video production.
In 2010, Leigh interned at NBC News' TheGrio.com, conducting research, writing, editing, and pitching stories. They then went on to work as a Communications Assistant for the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, maintaining the organization's website and publishing content.
Leigh joined Rabin Martin, a global health strategy firm, in 2012 as an Associate. They worked with various clients and focused on health initiatives, public policy, and crisis communications.
From 2014 to 2015, Leigh worked as a Communications Manager for The Connected Learning Alliance, where they managed communications for the Alliance and its signature program, Cities of Learning. They produced strategic communications for a range of audiences, including employers, funders, parents, and youth.
In 2016, Leigh joined the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) as a Communications Manager, managing communications for the organization and its college and career planning platform, CaliforniaColleges.edu. They later served as the Director of Technology and Communications, overseeing the redesign process for CaliforniaColleges.edu. In 2018, Leigh became the Vice President of CaliforniaColleges.edu, driving ongoing iteration and executing development strategies. Currently, they serve as the Chief Product Officer at CCGI, leading the Product Division with a focus on the CaliforniaColleges.edu platform.
Leigh S. Ranck completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism, Politics, and African Studies from New York University in 2010. They also earned an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from the same institution in 2008. During the year 2009, Leigh pursued studies in Ghanaian Culture at Ashesi University and Journalism in Ghana at the University of Ghana.
This person is not in any offices
California College Guidance Initiative
The California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) smooths the path to college and career for all California students and unites the efforts of the systems and institutions that serve them. CCGI serves as the core of the college application tools in California's newly-established Cradle-to-Career System. Today, our unique, data-informed tools are available to one-in-five CA 6th-12th grade students - a population larger than the entire K-12 systems of 22 U.S. states. Over the next few years, they'll become available to all California students. Through CaliforniaColleges.edu, the state's official college- and career-planning platform, we provide comprehensive college, career, and financial aid information, along with tools that are informed by students' transcript data. These tools are designed to support counselors and help students identify and realize their college goals. Using a combination of data infrastructure, hands-on support, and online curricula, CCGI works to bring together educational systems and create a better academic and vocational future for California students. We do this by streamlining the college application process for students and families, supporting data accuracy and transparency to make sure data errors are resolved before they have negative impacts on students, and providing educators in both K-12 and higher education with the information and tools they need to make informed decisions around admissions, placement, guidance, support services, and financial aid.