Kevin Krebs Inspired by his parents, Kevin’s journey from a first-gen, diverse, low-income background to Northwestern University shaped him. After experiencing challenges, including student loan debt, he founded HelloCollege and has spent the last 30 years helping students successfully navigate college admissions.
Allison Dahleen As an MSA holder, Allison brings a wealth of experience supporting students in higher education. As the respected Service Leader at HelloCollege, she leads her team in expertly navigating admissions and academic advising, empowering students to achieve their goals with confidence and success.
Ian Simon Ian has dedicated his life to helping others achieve their full potential and learn about the world around them. After graduating from UIUC with a BS in Electrical Engineering, he owned and operated a private tutoring business, where his team specialized in individualized curriculum development and helping students achieve their academic goals.
Chris Bench Chris Bench, the Director of Essay, is a seasoned essay coach with a decade of experience. Holding an BA from Kenyon and an MA from University of Chicago, Chris's expertise shines through, particularly in the realm of commas, where his opinion is unwavering.
Amanda Yoder Amanda leads our counseling team with over 10 years of high school counseling experience. She holds a Master's in Education with a counseling concentration and graduate certificates in Military & Family Education and Administration & Supervision (Educational Leadership).
Jeannine Palhegyi
Jeannine draws from personal experience as both a team member and client. As a mother navigating the college planning process for her son, HelloCollege provided invaluable support. Now, with over 20 years of customer service expertise, she compassionately guides families on their own successful college journeys.
Cody Forrest With a DMA in Music Composition, Cody brings experience as an adjunct professor and higher ed administrator. A lifelong learner and dedicated advocate, he’s committed to helping students find their best path—while also being a proud dog dad.
Niloufar Azarnia Niloufar has a BS in Marketing from Miami University, she loved her college experience and strives to help others find their SAFE school.
Sue Nelson Sue has 25 years of experience in financial services and assists families with the financial aid process and cost saving practices.
Kelly Shultz Kelly has 30+ years of experience in financial areas, including audits, consulting and advising clients, and real estate/property management. She’s looking forward to bringing that financial focus to assist HelloCollege families in navigating the financial decisions that come with the college application process.
Sarah Bellardini Sarah Bellardini is a comedy and animation writer with nearly a decade of experience working in television. She graduated with a degree in Film & TV from Boston University.
Kimberly Shipman Kim brings over 10 years of experience in college counseling, including 7 years as a high school college counselor. With a background in career services at universities including Rice and Duke, she has supported students in earning admission to institutions such as Rice, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, University of Michigan, and Boston University.
Don Keller Don brings 27 years of experience in college admissions and counseling, including 10 years as a licensed high school counselor and 8 years as an admissions reader for UC Berkeley, Northeastern, and the QuestBridge Scholars program. Throughout his career, Don has guided more than 1,000 students through the application process, supporting acceptances to institutions like Brown, Dartmouth, UChicago, Northwestern and UT Austin.
Raymond Gonzales Raymond brings 11 years of experience guiding students to Ivy and elite college acceptances from Brown, Duke, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, and UCLA. A first-generation college graduate with master’s degrees from Harvard, UPenn, and USC, Raymond specializes in BS/MD programs, liberal arts colleges, and nursing students. He also serves on the Common App Advisory Council to shape best practices in college admissions.
Miracle Husband Miracle brings 16 years of experience guiding students through college admissions, including 6 years as a high school counselor and 3 years in admissions at UC Berkeley. She has helped students gain acceptance to elite schools such as Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Notre Dame, UNC-Chapel Hill, Michigan, UCLA, and USC.
Leslie Riccio Leslie brings 20 years of college counseling experience, including 15 years as a licensed high school counselor She has helped students earn admission to highly selective universities, such as Harvard, Brown, MIT, UVA, and Notre Dame, while specializing in athletic recruiting and East Coast admissions.
Brigid brings 15 years of admissions consulting experience, including years leading her own admissions consulting firm. She has guided students to institutions such as Tufts and Carleton College and specializes in highly selective and East Coast admissions, as well as supporting first-generation students.
Anson Tong Anson is an expert college admissions counselor with 13 years of experience at top college admissions consulting firms. He specializes in Ivy League and highly selective college admissions and has guided hundreds of students to top-tier colleges, like Princeton, Columbia, and UPenn, maintaining a 95% acceptance rate.
Adam Salazar Adam brings 8 years of industry experience working directly in university admissions and student advising. He has served as an Admissions Advisor, Admissions Committee Reader, Graduate Advisor, and financial aid specialist at the University of Central Florida, giving him an insider’s perspective on how applications are evaluated.
Claire Kirchoff Claire is a licensed high school counselor and Fullbright Scholar with 10 years of experience guiding students through highly selective and Ivy League college admissions. She has served as a counselor across public, private, and boarding school settings, supporting acceptances to institutions such as Harvard, Cornell, Vanderbilt, and Emory.
Will Wagner Will is an admissions essay expert, published author, and editor working on everything from national magazines to websites.
Sara Walsh With eighteen years of experience in international schools, Sara holds a B.A. in English from Notre Dame and an M.A. from SUNY New Paltz.
Andi Taylor Andi graduated from the University of Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics. She has 3+ of experience working college admissions at the University of Chicago and over 7 years working with students through the college application process.
Steven Flores
Steven Flores is a writer and educator with 11 years of experience in higher education, including 4 years of one-on-one essay coaching. He is currently an AOP Fellow at UW-Milwaukee.
Gina Twardosz Gina Twardosz is a curious lifelong learner with a BFA in English Writing and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction.
Elena Van Lare Elena Van Lare is an Academic Dean and English Teacher with over 30 years of experience working with young adults from Grades 6 to college. She earned her M.Ed. from Nazareth College in Rochester, NY.
Ellen Boyette Ellen Boyette holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and currently studies at Yale. Her expertise in essay coaching comes from seven years of experience teaching writing at major universities and prestigious summer programs.
Liana Zhen-Ai Kleinman Liana Zhen-ai Kleinman is a dancer, movement director, and writer based between New York City and London. Her background as an application mentor for international students makes her a passionate Essay Coach dedicated to unveiling and articulating students’ passions.
Michelle Nordmark Michelle is an editor, coach, and writing instructor with an MA in Education from Columbia University and a BA in English from Villanova. She’s an academic editor and holds certifications in TESOL, SAT, and TOEFL.
Zoe Van Lare Zoe Van Lare is a writer, educator, and college admissions professional with a global upbringing. Passionate about storytelling and education, she is currently pursuing her Master’s in English Education at the University at Buffalo.
Lauren Johnson Lauren Kay Johnson is an Afghanistan veteran, writing coach, and author of an award-winning memoir. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has written for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Boston Globe Magazine.
Margaret Wickham Margaret has a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire and an M.A. from Lesley University. She has worked as a high school counselor in several states as well as abroad, and in a previous life she led an editorial department at an ed-tech company.
Lauren is a versatile professional with a background in theater, literature, and pre-medical studies. A former actor and writer in Los Angeles, she now works as a STEM tutor and admissions essay editor in New Orleans.
Allison Hadley Allison Hadley brings her background in academia and her love of storytelling to helping college applicants hone their essays. She earned her PhD in Italian Language and Literature from Yale University in 2018, focusing on the intersection of literature, theater, and the urban form.
Bertrand Cooper Bertrand has a B.A. in U.S. History from Fairleigh Dickinson and an Ed.M. in Education Theory & Policy from Rutgers GSE. His essays on poverty, policy, and culture have been featured in the NYT and The Atlantic. He loves writing and teaching and shall never retire from either.
Stewart Lewis Stewart Lewis is an author, musician, film producer, and former creative writing professor at University of Maryland and Belmont University. He holds an MFA from the University of Southern California, and his latest YA novel is becoming a movie.
Josh Kalscheur Poet, teacher and editor Josh Kalscheur is the author of Tidal (Four Way Books). His work has appeared in The Nation, Boston Review, and Slate, among others. He currently serves as a Lecturer at UW-Madison.
Sam Hobson Sam is a PhD candidate who holds a B.A. from the University of Chicago and an M.A. from the University of Michigan. Sam has taught writing for 10+ years, and worked in Admissions at the University of Chicago.
Willow Green Willow holds a B.A. in Dance and English from Kenyon College. They are also a performance artist and dance scholar. They have mentored students in various capacities, including as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant.
Meg Hall
Meg has worked as a professional editor for more than 20 years. She has a BA in English and political science and is pursuing an MFA in creative nonfiction.
Zee Karim Zainab (Zee) has a M.S. in Written Communication and M.A. in Psychology from National-Louis University. She loves teaching personal essay writing and building community around writing practices.
Max Freeman Max holds a BA in English Literature from Bowdoin College. A former Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, he has helped students from around the world strengthen their writing and develop their personal voice.
Elizabeth Wiet Elizabeth Wiet is a writer and editor from the western reaches of Chicagoland who now lives in New York. A lifelong pop culture nerd, she holds a PhD in English from Yale University and currently edits for two art magazines.
Brenna Ehrlich Brenna Ehrlich is a journalist and author with more than 15 years of experience writing and editing for the likes of Rolling Stone, CNN, MTV, and more. She brings this expertise to HelloCollege students, as well as a BA in theater and english from Northwestern University and a master’s in journalism from Medill.
Hee-Eun Kim Hee-Eun is an experienced Essay Coach with seven years of experience. She holds a BA in Political Science from Columbia University and an MSt in American History from the University of Oxford. She is passionate about helping students discover their unique voice.
Paul Bowden Paul is an experienced educator with a background in math and science, critical thinking, ELL education, standardized test prep, international education, and individualized learning. Paul holds bachelor’s degrees in biology and science education and a master’s degree in teaching and learning.
Rees Horton Rees is a mathematician, software engineer, and lawyer with degrees from Duke University and the University of Georgia. He loves sharing his enthusiasm for all things learning to connect people’s education to their interests.
Asma Wazir Asma is currently a dental student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she also earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology. She has extensive experience tutoring students in grades K–12 across all subjects and has helped many prepare for standardized tests such as the ACT, SAT, and PSAT.
Shruti Patankar Shruti is a sophomore at Rice University majoring in Applied Mathematics and Sociology. In the past, she has worked with students of all ages preparing for schoolwork and standardized testing.
Tyler Pohlman Tyler Pohlman is currently attending University of Colorado Boulder where he is double majoring in Physics and German. While attending University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he was an undergraduate research assistant at the Center for Plasma-Material Interactions. He has a passion for math and teaching and has a year of tutoring experience under Ian Simon.
Daniel Smith
Daniel is a mathematical biologist. He holds a PhD in evolutionary biology from the University of Chicago, during which he studied tropical forests. Daniel loves teaching and simplifying concepts for students at all levels.
Amulya Addepalli Amulya is a sophomore at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as a biology major in the BS/MD program with acceptance into Albany Medical College. She has not only tutored students across a wide range of ages and subjects but has also built meaningful connections with each of them.
Shelley Farmer
Shelley has an M.S. in mathematics with a concentration in statistics, as well as 27 years of teaching and tutoring experience. Her passion is helping students achieve those dreams which seem impossible to them.
Jose Francisco Jose moved to America from the Philippines at the age of 2. Through his love of piano, salsa dancing, speaking, and writing, he found his way to Stanford University, where he studied computer science. From giving college tours to tutoring students of various ages, Jose now loves sharing knowledge to learners of all backgrounds.
Darryl Sheppard Darryl has over 17 years of experience as a teacher of wide-ranging math content, teaching students from the middle school level all the way up through college. He has a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Houston, in addition to a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Accounting from the University of Virginia.
Brian Berger Brian has a B.A. in International Studies along with a minor in French from Miami University and an M.Ed. with a focus on Social Studies and Global Education from the Ohio State University. He has taught, mentored, traveled with and coached students in a wide variety of settings including high school and outdoor education for over twenty years.
Lauren Fogg Lauren has always had a passion for education. Lauren has a PhD in Engineering with a concentration in Engineering Education. She has conducted research across many topics and is currently teaching Engineering subjects at the college level.
Muhammed Alsafi Automotive engineer and weekend mechanic with a passion for solving complex problems through mathematical precision. When not fine-tuning engines, I am exploring the art of exceptional coffee and various cuisines.
Divya Maheshwari Divya Maheshwari is a civil engineer who is currently working towards her MS in Sustainable Infrastructure. She is known for her passion for all things sustainability, and her adventurous mindset. She loves spending time with children of all ages, and is excited to work at a place where she can help students reach their goals.
Lily Decatorsmith Lily studies at Chicago-Kent College of Law where she is a J.D. candidate. She has been tutoring a variety of subjects for the past 7 years and has helped many students through both school and the college application process.
Stone Xia Stone holds an MS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas and brings 3 years of private tutoring experience in high school STEM subjects. He draws on his passion for science, history, and philosophy to make complex concepts relatable by using real-world examples, and hopes to make education a fun and inspirational process for all of his students.
Elena Rollins Elena is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida. She enjoys making math and science approachable, fostering engaging learning environments, and helping students build confidence with learning.
Gabriel Newsham Gabriel has years of experience as a pianist and language coach for classical singers, in addition to teaching French and English in Spain. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, he loves finding unexpected connections between languages.
Andrea Emmons
Andrea Emmons is not just a CMO/CPO; she's a mentor, a leader, and a force for positive change in education. Her innovative approach and genuine care for students are shaping a brighter and more equitable future in higher education.
Jennifer Bosco Jennifer has over 20 years experience working with students on their college journey. She has extensive experience as an educational leader and instructor. Dr. Jennifer Bosco earned her doctorate in international education and a master’s degree in educational leadership.
Jeannine Palhegyi
Jeannine draws from personal experience as both a team member and client. As a mother navigating the college planning process for her son, HelloCollege provided invaluable support. Now, with over 20 years of customer service expertise, she compassionately guides families on their own successful college journeys.
Cody Forrest With a DMA in Music Composition, Cody brings experience as an adjunct professor and higher ed administrator. A lifelong learner and dedicated advocate, he’s committed to helping students find their best path—while also being a proud dog dad.
Mike Sear Mike is a professional storyteller who makes his clients stand out. An award-winning producer/director for 30+ years, with content ranging from documentaries on ESPN to concert videos for Jay-Z, Mike helps students tell their own stories that get them into their dream college and land that dream job.
Austin Lucas Austin is a Technical Strategist and Management Consultant with a broad background in both industry consulting and solutions delivery. With 25 years experience in mission-driven technology and process solutions, combined with a passion for User Experience, Austin strives to provide Product Management expertise that makes the most of Counselor/Student relationships.
Duryab Aziz Sukhera Duryab has 6 years of practical experience in various web technologies, including backend, frontend, no-code tools, and APIs. He's an enthusiast for crafting cutting-edge solutions.
Toni Rexroat Driven by a passion for learning, Toni Rexroat brings with her 12+ years of success in email marketing and a wealth of knowledge in crafting a journey to guide others on their own path to achievement. She utilizes her gift for storytelling to further our mission and help students on their college decision journey as they create their own life story.
