Our Team

AllLeadershipCounselorsEssayTutors

Kevin Krebs
Founder and Managing Director

A graduate of Northwestern University with a M.A. from Medill in Journalism, Kevin has devoted the last 20 yrs to admissions coaching.

Andrea Emmons
CEO

Andrea has 15 years experience mentoring students on their path to college. She has extensive background in EdTech and product management.

Dan Farnesi
President & COO - College Counselor

Dan's extensive finance and business background helps families navigate paying for college and develop strong strategies for success.

Jim Bresingham
Chairman of the Board

A former CFO for Berkshire Hathaway’s The Pampered Chef and CFO at THI, (owned by TA Associates).

Rasha Myers
Thought Leadership Director

Rasha holds a Master of Science (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction and a Bachelor’s of Science (B.S) in Biology from Tuskegee University.

Terri C. Houston
Student Success Director, College Counselor

Terri brings over 25 years supporting families in higher education, including UNC Chapel Hill. She holds an M.A. in Professional Counseling.

Allison Dahleen
College Counselor

Allison has an MSA in Administration Leadership and has worked with hundreds of students in higher education and graduate school.

Debra Gershow
College Counselor

Debbie has her MEd in School Counseling from Long Island University and has over 20 years of experience counseling teens.

Amanda Yoder
College Counselor

Amanda has over 10 years of experience as a high school counselor, She holds a Master’s in Education with a counseling concentration.

Rabab Darwish
College Counselor

Rabab has her Doctorate of Education in Leadership Studies and expertise in academic and non-academic aspects of college readiness.

Leah Powell
Customer Success Associate/Advisor

Graduating from the number 1 HBCU in the nation where the motto is “women who serve,” Leah loves being the support person for HC families.

Niloufar Azarnia
Customer Support

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
Financial Specialist

Sue has 25 years of experience in financial services and assists families with the financial aid process and cost saving practices.

Will Wagner
Essay Coach

Will is an admissions essay expert, published author, and editor working on everything from national magazines to websites.

Sara Walsh
Essay Coach & Career Success Coach

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.

Chris Bench
Essay Coach

With an AB from Kenyon and an MA from UChicago, Chris has been a pro essay coach for a decade. He has very strong opinions about commas.

Alisha Braun
Essay Coach, Workshop Facilitator

Alisha has worked in higher ed for 12 yrs, teaching at MSU and USF. She has her Ph.D. in Educational Policy from Michigan State.

Jeannine Palhegyi
Senior Coordinator

Jeannine has extensive background in Administration. Her son, Anthony went through the HelloCollege program.

Kevin Bookbinder
Director of Growth & Systems Engineer

Kevin has over 20 years of experience working with start-ups, primarily focused on driving growth through innovative problem solving.

Baylee Butler
Admissions Advisor

Baylee holds a master’s degree from Oklahoma State and has spent the last four years helping students achieve their educational goals.

Tanya Lance
Admissions Advisor

Tanya is an admissions advisor with extensive experience in helping families navigate the successful transition from high school to college.

Ashley Tuminello
Digital Marketing Manager

Ashley has 10+ years of experience as a Marketer and Graphic Designer, bringing a number of brands to life with her organized creativity.

Iffat Naveed
Tutor

Iffat has a B.S. in Business Management from Adelphi University. Iffat had amassed several years of tutoring at the secondary school level.

Michael Paroly
Tutor

Michael has B.A. in History from Stonybrook University and a M.S. in Adolescent Education. He has over 15 yrs of experience tutoring.

Sujoy Datta
Tutor

Sujoy graduated with a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur.

Milan Mistry
Tutor

Milan completed his B.S. and PhD in Biomedical Sciences. He specializes in test prep, math, science, and AP subjects.

Doreen Rose
Tutor

Doreen has her Bachelor's from ASU and M.S. from Dowling College. She is a New York State certified Italian and Spanish teacher.

Nickki Figurski
Tutor

Nickki is currently a full-time Spanish teacher and is pursuing a Master of Science in Teaching. She excels in language, math, and history.

Yashwant Mirajkar
Tutor

Yash graduated from VCU with dual B.S. in Bio and Psych, as well as a minor in Chemistry. Yash multiple years experience tutoring online.

Fabiha Khalid
Tutor

Fabiha graduated from Hofstra with a B.A. in Math and a minor in Biochemistry. She is currently pursuing a M.S. in Computer Engineering.

Walaa Saad
Tutor

Walaa earned her M.S and B.A in Engineering. With over a decade of experience, Walaa has taught at international schools and tutored online

Denis O’Byrne
Tutor

Denis has a B.S. in Mathematics and Physics and M.S. in Statistics and Finance. He is currently a college teaching assistant.

Meet The Leadership Team

President & COO - College Counselor
Dan Farnesi

CEO

Andrea Emmons

Andrea Emmons leads HelloCollege as CEO. Andrea has over 15 years of experience working with students and their families from across the country to help them navigate their path to college. Andrea has spent over 13 years mentoring and building online college planning resources for students. Andrea knows the profound impact proactive college planning has on the lives of students and is passionate about mentoring families through the process.

Formerly, Andrea was VP Product at Next College Student Athlete, a Chicago-based market leader in path-to-college services for student-athletes. NCSA, a Crain’s Fast 50 company, has helped over 100,000 students since 2002. Over her 13 year tenure, Andrea spent many years working directly with students and their families in addition to leading product management for the organization.

Andrea’s passion for helping students stems back to early days as a headstrong teenager with an unknown direction. Andrea credits her grandmother and key sports coaches for pushing her through those early years. This led Andrea to believe in the power of guidance and mentorship to help students make more informed choices that lead to better outcomes and has driven her career to date.

Andrea played collegiate volleyball and continues to enjoy volleyball in her free time. Andrea enjoys time with her husband David and four year old son Cooper.

Email:aemmons@sayhellocollege.com

President & COO - College Counselor

Dan Farnesi

Dan enjoys helping students make the most out of their lives, and he is able to follow this passion daily at HelloCollege. Dan began working as a consultant for HelloCollege’s parent company, Partners For Achievement, in 2013 and soon took on the role of Executive Vice President. He has helped lead the company in developing structure, efficiency, useful tools, and an ever-refined approach to college planning that has deeply impacted its families. In June 2019, Dan was named President and COO of PFA/HelloCollege.

After graduating from college and earning his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation, Dan spent the early part of his career working for a large corporation. He realized that sometimes the best way to improve your work environment is to start your own company. He built his own companies in the mortgage, home building, and restaurant/live music industries and then began a consulting practice that led him to PFA. Dan draws on life lessons from many important people who motivate him to never stop learning, never stop improving, and to continually stretch for new and more effective ways to help others. He is very excited about HelloCollege and the opportunity to serve more and more families throughout the country.

Dan’s favorite thing to do is spend time with his wife and family. He also loves music, golf, the outdoors, and being involved in his community.

Working with students and parents has proven to be the most rewarding job of his career. Dan is grateful to be on this journey with teammates who share his passion for helping students and their families.

Investor & Board Member

Kevin Taylor

Kevin Taylor is an entrepreneur and angel investor who joined HelloCollege (formerly Partners For Achievement), in 2012 as an investor and technology advisor. He held the role of CTO from 2015 to 2018, setting the technology strategy for the company and building the initial software platform HelloCollege is built on today. Now as a board member, Kevin helps the management team explore new and better ways to help students and families explore their educational possibilities.

Kevin has a daughter who attends George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a son who attends high school, so he has gone, and is still going, through the college admissions process personally. He believes strongly HelloCollege can empower families so they are equipped to make informed decisions and best position their children for college success.

Prior to HelloCollege, Kevin founded and ran Obtiva Corporation, a software firm acquired by Groupon in 2011, and he was a partner in MadMimi, another software firm that was acquired by GoDaddy in 2014. Currently, he is an investor or advisor in more than 10 companies around the country and is on the faculty of DePaul University, where he teaches management and entrepreneurship.

Founder and Managing Director
Kevin Krebs

Founder and Managing Director

Kevin Krebs

Kevin Krebs is a first-generation college student and lifelong entrepreneur; he has founded four companies and helped launch a student-athlete mentoring program at his alma mater Northwestern University. A two-sport athlete at Northwestern in football and baseball, Kevin supports higher education by empowering schools and parents with expert college admissions and guidance on paying for college while inspiring students to achieve their potential through goal-oriented mentoring programs.

Chairman of the Board

Jim Bresingham

A former CFO for Berkshire Hathaway’s The Pampered Chef and CFO at THI, (owned by TA Associates).

Meet The Experts

Student Success Director, College Counselor
Terri C. Houston

Customer Success Associate/Advisor
Leah Powell

Student Success Director, College Counselor

Terri C. Houston

Terri Houston is a trainer, partner and mentor of students, college administrators, and business professionals around the country. “Ms. H”, as affectionately known by students she has guided and mentored, most recently served as an independent consultant designing customized inclusive leadership training for colleges and universities.

Terri shares HelloCollege’s goals of helping students and parents navigate the complicated college planning process. Terri’s unique and extensive experience working with college students and universities provides HelloCollege families with unparalleled insight into higher education. For more than 13 years, Terri served as senior director for recruitment and multicultural affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she partnered with admissions, financial aid and orientation departments overseeing pre-enrollment and retention programs for high school juniors, seniors, college freshmen and their parents.

Additionally, she managed diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for Portland Oregon’s largest behavioral healthcare organization and directed recruitment, student leadership and career development programs at Iowa State University, Ferris State University and Chicago’s Robert Morris University where she began her higher education career. And although a proud Chicago native, she traveled around the world through the internationally renowned Semester at Sea Program.

Terri holds a Bachelors from Loras College and a Masters from Central Michigan University. She is a certified Life Coach, Safe-zone® trainer and professionally accredited through the Central Association of College and University Business Officers. Terri’s commitment around making college accessible and achievable for students and parents is her number one goal.

College Counselor

Debra Gershow

Debbie began her educational career as a school guidance counselor on Long Island, New York and has worked in schools on Long Island, New York City and in Florida. She has over 25 years of experience counseling and advocating for teens.

While attending the State University of New York at Albany as an undergraduate, Debbie designed her own major in counseling. She then completed a Masters of Science in Education at Long Island University and holds certification as a school counselor in New York State. Debbie had the opportunity to design counseling programs in two new schools, including a comprehensive college advising program for 350 9th-12th graders at a new high school in the Bronx, New York. She has visited many colleges and universities throughout the country.

Debbie enjoys breaking down the college application process into steps that teens are comfortable with to help them navigate their journey. Her passion is helping to guide teens every step of the way in their education and sharing in their success

Debbie is on the executive board of Hofstra University’s Parent Counsel as well as the Board of Scientific and Professional Advisors for the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.

When Debbie is not working, you can find this native New Yorker playing catch with her black lab, spending time with her grown children or volunteering for grassroots organizations in her community.

College Counselor

Amanda Yoder

Amanda moved 14 times between kindergarten and 12th grade. This life of constant change taught her a lot about how to build resiliency and form relationships with all types of people. After the 9/11 attacks, she felt the call to serve her country and joined the military, where she learned key components of leadership, various careers, and diverse cultures–all of which she loves to apply when working with students.

Amanda then worked as a financial counselor while completing her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Education at Old Dominion University. Since then, she has served as a school counselor for nearly 10 years. In part due to her background as a combat veteran, Amanda possesses a diverse and extensive understanding of the challenges that military families face. When she became a counselor, she found they were underserved in the college application process, so she used that knowledge to innovate various presentations and programs to support children of military members in their pathways to college.

She has delivered training to thousands of educators and families and has served on the Virginia Department of Education’s Military Student Support Process Action Team since 2017. Amanda was born in Pennsylvania and now resides in Virginia. When Amanda is not working, you can find her traveling, gardening, or spending time with family and friends.

College Counselor

Rabab Darwish

Rabab Darwish is a coffee fanatic, adventure seeker, and proponent of student success. She has worked with diverse student populations in K-12 and higher education. She served as their academic advisor, mentor, and college success coach. She is a firm believer in the holistic student experience. As a proponent of student success, she aims for her students to thrive in and out of the classroom.

Rabab has her Doctorate of Education from Bowling Green State University in Leadership Studies. Her expertise in the realm of college readiness allows for her to enhance the successful transition of secondary graduates to post-secondary education through the utilization of the concepts of sense of belonging, the academic and non-academic factors of college readiness, and various data collection techniques. Her passion for student success stems from her inaccessibility to an inclusive learning environment that was designed to foster high academics, social, and emotional competencies of each student while growing up.

When Rabab is not working, she enjoys visiting local coffee shops, cooking, and running.

Senior Coordinator

Jeannine Palhegyi

Not too long ago, Jeannine’s family faced the challenges of navigating the college planning process for her younger son. Not only does she belong to the HelloCollege Family as a team member, but she was also a client. Her appreciation for the challenges that families face as well as her knowledge of our programs allow her to assist in guiding families on the right path.

Jeannine has more than 20 years of customer service and sales experience. She has an extensive background in administrative services including budget management, personnel support, and client interaction to provide the utmost in customer satisfaction. Her organizational skills, attention to detail, and pleasant personality ensure each family has a successful start in the HelloCollege program.

Additionally, she volunteers with Hope for the Journey, a company that assists senior citizens with organization, decluttering and staging as they prepare to move to a smaller living environments.

Jeannine lives with her husband and youngest son in Chicago. She enjoys time with her family, her three grandchildren and her older son and daughter-in-law. She enjoys singing occasionally with her husband’s band and spending time with her parents and siblings.

She loves being a part of the HelloCollege Team, motivated by her passion for taking care of families.

Customer Success Associate/Advisor

Leah Powell

“ Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome.” One of Leah’s favorite quotes that she often heard while she was working to accumulate 1700 hours of service with AmeriCorps Hands on Atlanta. Life is often about using the tools you have to create something great, and that is exactly what Leah has instilled in the youth that she has worked with over the years.

She has assisted high school students with becoming Gates Millennium Scholars and guided them into being superb essay writers. The foundation of pushing young people towards greatness has always been tapping into their strengths so that they can adapt to any situation and of course overcome.

Hailing from the south suburbs of Chicago, Leah has worked in the education field for nine years now. A graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, she has educated and guided students in cities such as Detroit, Atlanta, and New York. Leah has had the opportunity to work with young people of all ages. Some of her experience includes teaching Gifted and Talented Prep classes specifically for pre-k age, serving families as Parent Coordinator at the Talented and Gifted School for Young Scholars in NYC (K-8), and assisting high school students with essay writing and reading comprehension at Sylvan Learning Center in Dearborn, MI.

Customer Support

Niloufar Azarnia

Essay Coach

Will Wagner

Will fell in love with the written word his junior year in high school, thanks to an English teacher named Mrs. Kelley. She exposed him to the magic of writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and especially John Steinbeck. Just like that, his future came into focus.

And while Will never became the next Steinbeck (darn!), he did go on to have a gratifying career in publishing as a writer and editor for everything from national magazines to websites. He even wrote a book of his own, Wrigley Blues: The Year the Cubs Played Hardball with the Curse (but Lost Anyway), published in 2004 by Taylor Trade. For the past several years, he also has worked as an essay coach at HelloCollege. His goal in this role is simple: to bring a little “Mrs. Kelley” to the game and help students down the path of fulfilling their passions and achieving their dreams.

Essay Coach

Chris Bench

Since he was a child, Chris has known he wanted to teach. Whether it be in his classrooms at the University of Chicago or Roosevelt University or the hundreds of students he’s worked with in his decade of essay coaching, Chris loves helping students find their voice on the page. “It’s an amazing privilege,” he reports, “seeing a student learn who they are as a writer. You’re really watching them discover themselves.”

In his free time, Chris is an avid cook. He particularly enjoys preparing Mexican food, even growing his own chiles for salsas and moles, and every Fourth of July, he throws a pig roast for his friends. An Eagle Scout, Chris also enjoys camping, backpacking, and paddling. He has gone trekking in Glacier, King’s Canyon, Yellowstone, and Gates of the Arctic National Parks. When he’s relaxing, Chris loves music and record collecting, and he’s always excited to learn what’s in his students’ earbuds.

Chris received his A.B. in English Language and Literature from Kenyon College and his M.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago.

Admissions Advisor

Tanya Lance

Tanya is an admissions administrator with extensive experience in recruitment and admission processes. She has a passion for higher education and helping students and families navigate the admissions process resulting in positive outcomes.

Prior to joining the HelloCollege Team, Tanya has spent several years as an admissions advisor completing meaningful work with high school students and parents. With a deep knowledge of admissions processes, Tanya has made significant team contributions in her professional career. She has led projects to improve student retention leading to the successful onboarding of high school students transitioning to college. She has also been instrumental in managing diverse projects for quality improvement and organizational growth. Tanya holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from the University of South Florida. She believes learning is a shared experience and looks forward to the quality conversations with prospective students and parents.

Orlando, FL, known as the city beautiful has been her home for many years. When she is not working you can find her enjoying many different personal interests to include exploring tourist attractions, reading, exercising and traveling. Tanya is right at home being a part of the HelloCollege Family.

Email:tlance@sayhellocollege.com

Admissions Advisor

Baylee Butler

Baylee has been immersed in higher education since the start of her own post-secondary education in 2010. Throughout her educational journey she consistently made efforts to help other students, whether that was through tutoring, volunteering as a peer mentor, or serving on Student Government or as a College Ambassador. It was through experiences such as these that Baylee realized helping students achieve their highest level of academic and personal potential is what she is most passionate about.

The desire to work with students and share in their successes somewhat naturally led Baylee to return to her alma mater, Oklahoma State, as an Honors College Academic Advisor. During this time, she was able to connect with and learn from thousands of incredible students. She can personally attest to the importance of finding the right college fit and is eager to engage with high school students and their families to help them find confidence and comfort with where they’re at.

Baylee was raised on a cattle ranch in southern Oklahoma. Outside of work, she enjoys listening to podcasts, playing with her rescue pup, trying new recipes, and all of the board games, cards, and puzzles she can get her hands on.

Email:baylee@sayhellocollege.com

Tutor

Milan Mistry

Milan completed his Bachelor of Science and Doctorate in Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Florida. He graduated with honors and began working in Silicon Valley in the growing technology sector before returning to graduate school. He has over nine years of tutoring experience and specializes in SAT and ACT Test prep, math, science, and AP Subjects as well as graduate exams such as the GRE and the MCAT. Outside of work, he enjoys spending his free time golfing, traveling and listening to podcasts.

Education:

Bachelor of Science and PhD, Biomedical Sciences – University of South Florida

Specializations:

ACT English
ACT Math
ACT Reading
ACT Science
SAT Reading
SAT Writing & Language
SAT Math

Algebra I
Algebra II
Geometry
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
GRE
MCAT

Tutor

Fabiha Khalid

Fabiha graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a minor in Biochemistry. Originally planning to go on to medical school, she began to develop a keen interest in engineering and is currently attending the New York Institute of Technology to obtain her Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Fabiha has been with Method Learning for over three years and has particularly enjoyed working on math and science with students at multiple grade levels. She likes to encourage students to learn to trust in their own ability and surpass the limits they have set for themselves. When Fabiha is not tutoring or studying herself, you can find her baking chocolate chip cookies, watching her favorite shows on Netflix, or spending time with her family and younger siblings.

Specializations

ACT English
ACT Math
ACT Reading
ACT Science
SAT Reading
SAT Writing & Language
SAT Math
Algebra I
Algebra II
Geometry
Chemistry

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Minor in Biochemistry, Hofstra University

Tutor

Walaa Saad

Walaa earned her Masters of Science in Electronics Engineering from the German University in Cairo and her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at Ain Shams University. With over a decade of experience, Walaa has taught at international schools and tutored online in the areas of physics, mathematics and engineering. She is currently a teaching and research assistant as part of the faculty of media engineering and technology at the German University. Walaa combines her deep subject knowledge with patience and keen insights to help her students overcome learning challenges and excel.

Specializations

ACT Math
ACT Science
SAT Math
Algebra I
Algebra II
Geometry
Calculus

Education

Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering – Ain Shams University | Master of Science, Electronics Engineering – German University in Cairo

Tutor

Denis O’Byrne

Denis is a graduate of Binghamton University with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Physics. He recently completed his Master of Science degree in Statistics along with an Advanced Graduate Degree in Quantitative Finance at Stony Brook University. As an undergraduate, Denis was selected by the Chairs of both the math and physics departments to be a Teaching Assistant, the only freshman to ever be offered this role for his outstanding work assisting in upper level classes and excellent recommendations by his professors and students.

With Method Learning, Denis has taught numerous SAT and ACT classes and tutors students in SAT and ACT, math, physics and statistics (Algebra I/II, Geometry, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Physics). He helps students by sharing his knowledge and experience to break down complex topics and providing key insights and practical applications of concepts. Using different methods and approaches, he seeks to meet the unique needs and learning styles of each student. He looks forward to helping students improve their understanding, confidence and scores to get them one step closer to their dream college or career.

Specializations

ACT English
ACT Math
ACT Reading
ACT Science
SAT Reading
SAT Writing & Language
SAT Math
Algebra I
Algebra II
Geometry
Calculus
Physics
Statistics

Education

Bachelor of Science, Mathematics and Bachelor of Science, Mathematical Physics and Master of Science in Statistics | Stony Brook University

Essay Coach & Career Success Coach
Sara Walsh

Essay Coach, Workshop Facilitator
Alisha Braun

Director of Growth & Systems Engineer
Kevin Bookbinder

Digital Marketing Manager
Ashley Tuminello

Thought Leadership Director

Rasha Myers

Rasha Myers is a former teacher, and program manager. With more than 10 years experience in educational management, Rasha has instructed students through distinct individualized teaching methods, aimed at improving their overall performance. Myers is a dynamic thinker who focuses on identifying individual strengths to apply her findings in the most effective and efficient manner. Rather than apply forced, quick fixes to potential areas of struggle, Rasha opts to build upon areas of skill and excellence through which she guides students and professionals towards logical practices and endeavors.

Rasha holds a Master of Science (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction and a Bachelor’s of Science (B.S) in Biology from Tuskegee University. As a Chicago native, she enjoys joining friends and family to try new restaurants, attending musicals, and traveling off the beaten path.

College Counselor

Allison Dahleen

Allison is a self-proclaimed “people-person” and has a variety of experiences working with students within the higher education field. She has worked as a student advocate for graduate students while also founding new digital learning programs for renowned institutions such as the University of Kentucky. Allison has her BSBA in Comprehensive Marketing from the University of West Florida where she also completed her MSA in Administration Leadership. Allison brings a wealth of knowledge about college programming, expectations required of a student, and the ins and outs of university procedures and policies.

Allison was born and raised in Chicago’s southwest suburbs and attended Stagg High School in Palos Hills, IL. In her free time you can find Allison traveling or coaching basketball for the Southside Shooters basketball club.

Financial Specialist

Sue Nelson

After working 30 years in the business world, Sue is thrilled to be using her skills and experience assisting families with the college planning process. Sue’s expertise includes marketing, operations, financial management, and team leadership/HR management.

Sue leads HelloCollege’s Paying for College, Scholarship, and FAFSA/CSS Profile Workshops and meets individually with families to discuss their unique financial situations. She is happy to be helping students pursue their dreams and obtain a high-quality education while providing insights and tips on the financial implications of choosing a college. After having been through the process with her own two children, her goal is to facilitate the process to make it a stress-free, positive experience for all family members during this exciting time in their lives.

Sue loves to travel, spend quality time with family and friends, play tennis with her husband, and float on a raft soaking up the summer sun on a calm lake. She also enjoys weekend trips to her alma mater, UW-Madison. Go Badgers!

Email:snelson@pfacollege.com

Essay Coach & Career Success Coach

Sara Walsh

Sara currently serves as an Essay Coach and Career Success Coach at HelloCollege. She has worked as a high school English teacher for the past 15 years, beginning her career at The Dwight School in New York City. Sara later taught at EF Education New York, an international boarding school, where she taught students from more than 49 different nations.

Sara is a graduate of The University of Notre Dame and holds an M.A. in English from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She has been published in The Washingtonian, The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, and Chronogram. As an essay coach at HelloCollege, she is honored to be a witness to the students’ stories. Sara currently lives in Oak Park with her husband, son and Frankie (their terrier).

Essay Coach, Workshop Facilitator

Alisha Braun

Alisha worked in higher education for 12 years, having taught at Michigan State University and the University of South Florida. She is the author of 28 book chapters and research articles on diversity and inclusion, comparative and international education, and qualitative research methods. She has consulted for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and has led numerous independent and collaborative community-based research projects and service-learning study abroad programs in Tanzania, Ghana, Botswana, South Africa, England, and the United States. Working on multiple college campuses domestically and abroad has made Alisha appreciate the diversity of collegiate experiences available to students. As an essay coach and workshop facilitator, she enjoys mentoring students and families as they navigate the college application process and step towards their college and career goals.

Alisha received her Ph.D. in Educational Policy from Michigan State University with graduate specializations in International Development and African Studies. She also holds a M.A. in School Psychology from Michigan State University and a B.A. Honors degree from the University of Calgary. In her free time, Alisha enjoys yoga, golf, Broadway, and most of all spending time with her husband, two-year-old daughter, and dog Elphie (named after Elphaba from her favorite musical, Wicked).

Email:abraun@sayhellocollege.com

Director of Growth & Systems Engineer

Kevin Bookbinder

Kevin Bookbinder brings over a decade of innovative start up experience with a focus on scalability, business systems, data efficiencies and documentable results. He served his Country as a member of the USAF and USAFR. Kevin has shepherded two of his children into adulthood and is a full time Dad for his youngest, a junior in high school. He discovered a way to predict the roster opening every college team would need to fill and where they would look to fill them 2+ years into the future. He created this as a means to help his then Varsity football player son Jacob. Unfortunately a hyper-extension ended the hopes of Saturday football, but gave birth to a business and quick acquisition. Kevin likes to spend his time digging into large datasets, looking for patterns that elicit the discovery of truth. In his spare time he enjoys fishing and running trails with his dog Charlie.

Digital Marketing Manager

Ashley Tuminello

Ashley has led an impressive career as a Marketer and Graphic Designer in her 10+ years working in the marketing industry. A unique blend of creativity and organization, Ashley operates on both strategic and tactical levels, giving her the ability to come up with great ideas and create a plan to successfully bring them to life. She is a versatile marketer with well-rounded experience designing for both print (large and small format) and digital for a variety of industries.

Serving as the new Digital Marketing Manager at HelloCollege, Ashley will use her innovative visual, written, and verbal communication skills to bring the help of HelloCollege’s expertise to families across the nation.

Prior to her current role at HelloCollege, Ashley was a critical part of executing two major rebrands, including website redesign, development of logo, collateral and advertising, staff training, teaser campaigns, brand implementation, and brand consistency. Before joining the HelloCollege team, she was the Marketing Director at one of the country’s most advanced car washes for 3.5 years, preceded by 5 years as the Marketing Coordinator at one of Louisiana’s largest credit unions.

When she’s not working, Ashley is settling into her first home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, enjoys music, and takes every opportunity to enjoy the beaches of the gulf coast.

Tutor

Michael Paroly

Originally focused on a career in academia, Mike’s path to becoming a teacher and tutor now seems all but inevitable. After finishing in Bachelors of Arts in History from Stonybrook University, Mike went on to complete a Master of Science in Adolescent Education and began teaching students part-time, quickly finding his true vocation. Mike is a natural educator with a commanding presence in the classroom whose enthusiasm engages students at all levels. With over fifteen years of experience as a tutor, Mike’s deep knowledge and energetic personality keep him in high demand, as he strives to inspire students to believe in their own potential for success. Outside of teaching, Mike spends most of his time these days enjoying the new adventures of fatherhood.

Education:
Bachelor of Arts in History, Stony Brook University
Master of Science in Adolescent Education, Stony Brook University

Specializations:
ACT English
ACT Math
ACT Reading
ACT Science
SAT Reading
SAT Writing & Language
SAT Math
English
Writing
History

Tutor

Sujoy Datta

Sujoy graduated with a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur, where he was awarded the prestigious DAAD Scholarship. He began working in education, primarily focused on test preparation for the SAT, ACT, GMAT, and GRE. Sujoy has mentored students across the globe, from the USA, UK, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Nigeria, Ukraine, Malaysia, Dubai, Riyadh, and India. In addition, he has done a great deal of content development for various standardized and cognitive assessment tests. Sujoy loves to teach his students using personalized, simple, innovative, and effective methods. He focuses on the “why” and “how” of concepts, going beyond rote memorization and enabling students to comprehend more deeply.

Specializations

ACT Math
ACT Science
SAT Math
Algebra I
Algebra II
Geometry
GRE
GMAT

Education

Bachelor of Science, Engineering – Jadavpur University | Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering – Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Tutor

Iffat Naveed

Iffat has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Adelphi University. Before joining us, Iffat had amassed several years of tutoring for students at the elementary and secondary school levels. Her dream job growing up was to be a teacher, so she is thrilled to help HelloCollege Students. Iffat understands the challenges presented by standardized tests and the struggles many students face and does her best to provide an individualized approach that best suits each student. Outside of tutoring and developing her personal and professional skills, Iffat can be found painting, reading, and studying several foreign languages.

Education:
Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Adelphi University

Specializations:
ACT English
ACT Math
ACT Reading
ACT Science
SAT Reading
SAT Writing & Language
SAT Math
English
Writing

Tutor

Doreen Rose

Doreen Rose is a New York State Certified Secondary Spanish and Italian teacher with additional certifications in elementary foreign language and English as a Second Language. She graduated magna cum laude from Arizona State University with dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Journalism and Spanish and a minor in Portuguese. She received her Master of Science in Secondary Education from Dowling College and most recently completed a post master’s advanced certificate in TESOL at Queens College. She has worked as a Spanish teacher at Locust Valley High School, preparing students for the Spanish Checkpoint B and International Baccalaureate examinations. Having traveled extensively throughout her life, Doreen shares her unique and broad perspective with her students. Outside of work, she owns her own small farm and regularly competes in dressage competitions throughout the United States with her horses.

Specializations:

ACT English
ACT Reading
SAT Reading
SAT Writing & Language
English
Writing
Spanish
Italian

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Spanish, Arizona State University | Master of Science in Secondary Education, Dowling College

Tutor

Yashwant Mirajkar

Yash graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Psychology, as well as a minor in Chemistry. He currently serves as a Research Assistant at the Medical College of Virginia studying seizure activity and will be attending University of Central Florida School of Medicine next year. As a tutor, Yash utilizes his background in Learning and Cognition Psychology to supplement his teaching methods and create a personalized tutoring plan for his students. By relating concepts to real world applications, he hopes to not only educate, but also create a more engaged learning environment. With multiple years experience tutoring online for standardized tests and Basic and Advanced level science courses, Yash is always expanding his opportunities to connect with and help a wide variety of students.

Specializations

ACT Math
ACT Science
SAT Math
Algebra I
Algebra II
Geometry
Calculus
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Education

Bachelor of Science in Biology and Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University

Tutor

Nickki Figurski

An avid fan of language, Nickki received her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Allegheny College. Never quite able to settle upon only one subject, she also excelled in Math and History, and was the recipient of the Albert and Bessie Seidel Scholarship for Academic Achievement. Facing and overcoming challenges (academic and otherwise) is one of her strongest personality traits. Nickki finds deep joy in educating, and has been teaching and tutoring students in many different subjects for several years. Able to adjust to students’ individual needs, Nickki can help students at all levels with various learning styles and understanding.

Nickki is currently a full-time Spanish teacher at Christ the King High School, while she pursues a Master of Science in Teaching at Wilkes University. Whenever she ever gets a spare moment, Nickki loves drawing, playing her drums, singing, writing, and performing other creative feats. Her talents are only surpassed by her love of learning as she wishes to impart wisdom upon as many young minds as possible!

ACT English
ACT Math
ACT Reading
ACT Science
SAT Reading
SAT Writing & Language
SAT Math
English Language Arts
Spanish

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Spanish | Allegheny College

Connect with our Team

Interested in learning more about working with the HelloCollege team?

Our Team

Kevin Krebs

Andrea Emmons

Dan Farnesi

Jim Bresingham

Kevin Taylor

Rasha Myers

Terri C. Houston

Allison Dahleen

Debra Gershow

Amanda Yoder

Rabab Darwish

Leah Powell

Niloufar Azarnia

Sue Nelson

Will Wagner

Sara Walsh

Chris Bench

Alisha Braun

Jeannine Palhegyi

Kevin Bookbinder

Baylee Butler

Tanya Lance

Ashley Tuminello

Iffat Naveed

Michael Paroly

Sujoy Datta

Milan Mistry

Doreen Rose

Nickki Figurski

Yashwant Mirajkar

Fabiha Khalid

Walaa Saad

Denis O’Byrne

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