The Highlands Company

Nurturing Young Scholars. Graduating Culture-Makers.

What if education did more than prepare students for tests and college applications?
What if it helped young people discover who they are, how they are uniquely designed, and how their gifts can make a meaningful difference in the world?

At Innovate Academy, that vision is becoming reality.

Co-founders and Highlands Consultants Monica Gaglione and Amanda Ashworth are pioneering a transformative model of classical education that blends timeless learning with cognitive science, entrepreneurship, mentorship, career exploration, and guidance grounded in students’ natural abilities.

Their mission is deeply intentional: forming the whole scholar—head, heart, and hands—into thoughtful, passionate, and entrepreneurial leaders of culture equipped to pursue lives of significance, leadership, and lasting impact.

Inside Innovate Academy, joyful learning and deep discussion coexist with personalized pathways, real-world experiences, internships, and customized coursework designed to help students move beyond memorization into discovery, creation, and the confident application of their gifts in service to the world around them.

As Monica shares:
“When students begin to understand how they are uniquely designed—their natural strengths, patterns of thinking, and the ways they are best equipped to contribute—something powerful happens. They develop greater confidence, deeper clarity about who they are, and a stronger sense of direction for the future they are being called to pursue.”

We at The Highlands Company are proud to feature Innovate Academy’s remarkable vision for education and its commitment to nurturing young scholars into culture- makers.

Read more here:
A Classical Education for the Modern Scholar: https://tinyurl.com/2c3endh8

Self-Determination Theory of Motivation

Most people think of motivation as something you either have—or you don’t.

Self-Determination Theory offers a different perspective. First introduced by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, it reframes motivation as something that is shaped by conditions—specifically, our ability to direct our own choices, feel capable in what we do, and experience a sense of connection and belonging.

In her recent article, The Right Instrument in the Right Room, Highlands Certified Consultant Leanna Range-Norwood, EdD explores how this framework deepens Highlands Ability Battery (HAB) conversations. When paired with a clear understanding of natural abilities, it helps explain not just how someone is wired—but what those abilities need in order to thrive.

It’s a shift from viewing motivation as a personal trait to understanding it as something shaped by fit.

And in today’s evolving world of work, that shift changes everything.

Learn more: The Right Instrument in the Right Room: Using Self-Determination Theory to Deepen HAB Conversations https://tinyurl.com/dcxu84yp

From Friction to Flow: How Understanding Natural Abilities Improves Communication and Relationships

Some of the most frustrating communication challenges don’t stem from what’s being said—but from how each person naturally approaches the conversation.

When you begin to recognize those differences, something shifts. Frustration gives way to understanding. Conversations become more productive. Relationships grow stronger.

In this article, Highlands Consultant Mardee Handler Coaching & Consulting explores how awareness of natural abilities can transform the way we communicate and connect—at work and in life.

Read more: From Friction to Flow: How Understanding Natural Abilities Improves Communication and Relationships https://tinyurl.com/wr4y7kvy

What happens when high achievement and hard work still leave someone feeling deeply out of place?

In our latest Highlands spotlight, clinical psychologist and Highlands Certified Consultant Dr. Lisa Rouff (College Admissions Collective) shares a powerful case study illustrating how objective ability data can shift the narrative from self-doubt to clarity.

In When Ability Alignment Changes Everything, Dr. Rouff walks us through one young woman’s journey from discouragement in graduate school to renewed confidence—guided by the insights of the Highlands Ability Battery.

This story is a compelling reminder that success is not just about effort or interest, but about alignment with the way we are naturally designed to think and work.

If you’ve ever wondered why certain paths feel energizing while others feel exhausting, this case study offers meaningful perspective.

Read the full article here: https://tinyurl.com/3m87wcaj

How Divine Mercy University’s Career Development Course Prepares Counselors to Apply a Whole Person Framework in Practice

At Divine Mercy University (DMU), the School of Counseling prepares counselors to approach their work as a vocation—one that honors human dignity and the full complexity of the person. This commitment is reflected in COUN 540: Career Development, a core course in the Master of Science in Counseling program that integrates career development theory and ethical practice for personal growth across the lifespan.

Through the use of the Highlands Ability Battery and the Highlands Whole Person Method—now in its tenth year within the curriculum—students gain hands-on experience with evidence-based tools that link innate abilities to meaningful, sustainable career development.

Read the full article: https://bit.ly/3NWVfJl

College planning is full of big questions—but many families are answering the wrong ones first.

Instead of starting with who a student is, the focus often jumps straight to decisions they’re expected to make.

That’s the disconnect Highlands Certified Consultant Amy Trinnaman explores in her new article, The Best College Plans Start with Self-Knowledge, Not Certainty, now live on the Highlands Company website.

Amy’s work begins where meaningful planning actually happens:

• Understanding how a student thinks
• Recognizing what energizes (and drains) them
• Paying attention to learning environments where they do their best work

This is college planning that doesn’t rush students toward answers—but helps them build direction.
It’s about where college planning begins: understanding the student.

With more than two decades in education, Amy brings a steady, compassionate perspective to families navigating big decisions—reminding us that clarity grows through exploration and self-awareness, not pressure. When college planning starts with who the student is, the path ahead becomes clearer, more intentional, and far more sustainable.

If you work with students—or are parenting one—this piece is worth your time.

Read Amy’s full blog on the Highlands website: https://bit.ly/45zdmeh

Senior year doesn’t require having all the answers—but it does require making decisions that can carry long-term consequences.

Each year, students and families face high-stakes choices about college, majors, and next steps—often with limited insight into how a student actually learns, thinks, and performs best. When decisions are made without that understanding, it’s no surprise that many students change majors, extend time to graduation, or lose confidence early in college.

Highlands Consultant Kristi Hauck Windish, founder of True Compass, addresses this challenge head-on in her latest blog, Senior Year College Decisions – FAQs, now featured on the Highlands website.

In the article, Kristi answers the most common senior-year questions families ask—while introducing a more effective way forward through her Student Discovery Program. Her approach goes beyond interest-based career tools by incorporating objective aptitude assessment, helping students uncover their natural strengths and learning preferences before committing to a major or academic path.

The guidance in this piece is grounded in well-established research, including longitudinal research linking aptitude–path alignment to higher persistence and satisfaction.

For students, families—and the educators and consultants who support them—this article offers a research-backed perspective on how to reduce uncertainty, avoid costly detours, and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

👉 Read the full blog on the Highlands website and learn how Kristi’s Student Discovery Program helps students make smarter senior-year decisions. https://bit.ly/3NmBmuO

The Human Science of Potential

For generations, researchers have pursued one timeless question: What enables people to learn, adapt, and excel throughout life?

Across a century of studies in psychology, education, and performance science, a clear pattern emerges — aptitude is the blueprint of human potential.

• It’s what helps students discover how they learn most effectively.
• It’s what enables professionals to find the work that fits how they naturally think and create.
•And it’s what allows leaders to understand how they influence, solve problems, and inspire others.

Knowledge can be taught and skills can be trained, but aptitudes remain the constant—revealing how each person processes, connects, and contributes. Research continues to show that when people align their choices with their natural abilities, they experience greater persistence, satisfaction, and adaptability over time.

As artificial intelligence transforms how we learn and work, aptitude science reminds us that what sets humans apart isn’t efficiency—it’s originality, judgment, and insight. When you understand the design of your own mind, AI becomes not a competitor but a collaborator, amplifying your potential.

Explore the research shaping the next era of education, career development, and leadership:

🔗 Read the full article: Human Engineering: The Science of Natural Ability: https://bit.ly/4oKz5Ym

Are you competing with AI—or partnering with it?

The professionals thriving in today’s AI-driven world aren’t necessarily the most tech-savvy. They’re the ones who understand their unique strengths and use AI to amplify what they do best.

Your edge isn’t about chasing every new tool—it’s about knowing your cognitive abilities and choosing technologies that enhance them.

Key takeaways from our new blog:
• Self-assessment is the essential starting point
• The Highlands Ability Battery (HAB) reveals your natural processing patterns
• Map your strengths to emerging AI opportunities in your field
• Learn to articulate how you complement AI systems

When you know yourself deeply, you don’t just adapt to change—you drive it.

Read the full blog here: https://bit.ly/3I8asEF

Transforming Aptitudes to Action: The Highlands Approach

Data is powerful. But only if it leads to direction.

Aptitude testing can reveal how your mind works—your natural ways of learning, communicating, problem-solving, and thriving. But numbers and charts alone don’t create change.

The real transformation happens when those results are brought to life through interpretation and applied to choices in learning, work, leadership, and life. That’s the role of the Highlands Certified Consultant.

Unlike self-guided or automated assessments, the Highlands Ability Battery (HAB) is always paired with a feedback consultation. Highlands consultants are rigorously trained to bridge the gap between measurement and meaning—helping students discover career pathways, professionals navigate transitions, and leaders align their strengths with impact.

With this guidance, you don’t leave with just a score report—you leave with a personalized plan for growth, alignment, and resilience.

Your natural abilities are a gift. The real question is—how will you use them? The HAB isn’t just a test. It’s the beginning of a journey toward purpose, and possibility.

Read the full article on how Highlands Consultants transform aptitudes to action:
https://bit.ly/3HxtjJh