Jane Alexander grew up on a 26-acre ranch along Idaho's Snake River, the youngest of seven children raised by two UC Berkeley graduates who had traded California's counterculture for rural Idaho.
Her parents believed in intellectual freedom, self-reliance, and living outside the conventions of the rural community around them. They raised their children on classic literature, music, and outdoor adventures. They also believed the local public schools didn't have much to offer. Jane was homeschooled on and off, and at 16, she dropped out of high school, earned her GED, and enrolled at the local community college.
At 17, she transferred to a private four-year university on a full academic scholarship and graduated at 20. But despite moving quickly through college, it would take years for her to discover a direction that was truly her own. That journey led to graduate school at Harvard, a career advising university leaders across the country, and a talent for business strategy and entrepreneurship.
Today, she's back in Idaho as the founder of Emma Advisor, a technology company helping families navigate the journey from high school to college.
