MEET THE TEAM

Meet The Leadership Team
Founder and Managing Director

Kevin Krebs
CEO

Andrea Emmons
President & COO - College Counselor

Dan Farnesi
Investor & Board Member

Kevin Taylor
Chairman of the Board

Jim Bresingham

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.

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.

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
Senior Coordinator

Jeannine Palhegyi
Rasha Myers
Program Director

Rasha Myers
Student Success Director, College Counselor

Terri C. Houston
Allison Dahleen
College Counselor

Allison Dahleen
College Counselor

Debra Gershow
Leah Powell
Customer Success Associate/Advisor

Leah Powell
Sales Operations & College Advisor

Kevin Bookbinder
Financial Specialist

Sue Nelson
Career Success Coach

Colette Tracy
Will Wagner
Essay Coach

Will Wagner
Essay Coach & Career Success Coach

Sara Walsh
Essay Coach

Chris Bench
Digital Marketing Manager

Ashley Tuminello
Tutor

Michael Paroly
Tutor

Hafsa Shibli
Tutor

Iffat Naveed
Tutor

Kyle Ambrose

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.

Rasha Myers

Program 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.

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.

Allison Dahleen

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.

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.
Leah Powell

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. 

Leah can remember her road to attending the number 1 HBCU (as noted in U.S.News). 

She thinks about the things that she wishes she knew when prepping for scholarship interviews, or even how to stand out on campus in order to reap all the benefits of the college experience. She is prepared to work diligently to ensure that every student who begins a HelloCollege program, is well equipped for life after high school. You will quickly notice Leah’s hard work and dedication. She was even awarded the Servant’s Heart Plaque during her time with AmeriCorps, which is given to select members who go above and beyond in service. Leah is thrilled to be back in her home state to work with families as they navigate the exciting road to college! She would love to meet you, so feel free to introduce yourself when you see her.

Sales Operations & College Advisor

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.

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

Career Success Coach

Colette Tracy

Colette is passionate about inspiring students to seek lifelong education as well as personal growth. Colette aims to work as a mentor with students, helping them navigate their college years and assisting them in strategizing and planning their future careers.

Colette chose to join the team because her values are in line with what HelloCollege endeavors to accomplish. As a first generation college student, she realizes the challenges that come with attending college. She feels very fortunate for her own positive college experiences, career, and great mentors and seeks to pay this forward to the young people trying to make their own way today.

Colette has worked in education for 10 years. She spent 7 years as Director of Operations for Junior Achievement of Chicago where she managed a staff of 8 Operations Managers and was also responsible for fundraising and partnership development. It was at JA she first began her teaching career presenting and developing workshops for K-12 students on entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and career readiness. Additionally, Colette has taught for the last 10 years part-time at several universities such as Benedictine, Concordia University of Chicago, HUEB School of Economics and Business University Hebei Province in China, and National Louis University. She has taught undergraduate courses in management, marketing, entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, and leadership.

Colette has a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Communication from DePaul University, a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Lewis University, and a master’s degree in Psychology from National Louis University. She is also a certified Life and Career Coach.

Colette has been married to her high school sweetheart for many years and has two amazing sons, 24 and 17 years old. One of her favorite things to do is to spend time entertaining with family and friends. She loves to cook and bake and thoroughly enjoys music, theater, and books.

Will Wagner

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 & 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

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.

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

Hafsa Shibli

Hafsa completed her Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology and Psychology at Tulane University. She is currently pursuing a Masters’ in Education at Hunters College and has numerous years of experience tutoring and mentoring students in writing and standardized testing. She is passionate about helping students unlock their potential and reach their academic goals. In her free time, she enjoys yoga and knitting.

Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Psychology, Tulane University
Masters in Education, Hunter College

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

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

Kyle Ambrose

Kyle has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Master of Arts in Secondary Math Education from the University of Connecticut. He is a high school math teacher with a passion for education and helping students at all levels, including tutoring students for success on the SAT and ACT. He considers himself a math “nerd” and takes pride in making even challenging concepts seem easy to understand. When he’s not taking practice tests for fun, he enjoys reading books, playing golf, and spending time with his wife and their three-year-old daughter.

Education
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, University of Connecticut
Master of Arts in Secondary Math Education, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut.

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

Meet The Leadership Team
CEO

Andrea Emmons
President & COO - College Counselor

Dan Farnesi
Investor & Board Member

Kevin Taylor

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
Chairman of the Board

Jim Bresingham

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
College Counselor

Debra Gershow
Senior Coordinator

Jeannine Palhegyi
Leah Powell
Customer Success Associate/Advisor

Leah Powell
Will Wagner
Essay Coach

Will Wagner
Essay Coach

Chris Bench
Tutor

Hafsa Shibli
Tutor

Kyle Ambrose

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.

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.

Leah Powell

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. 

Leah can remember her road to attending the number 1 HBCU (as noted in U.S.News). 

She thinks about the things that she wishes she knew when prepping for scholarship interviews, or even how to stand out on campus in order to reap all the benefits of the college experience. She is prepared to work diligently to ensure that every student who begins a HelloCollege program, is well equipped for life after high school. You will quickly notice Leah’s hard work and dedication. She was even awarded the Servant’s Heart Plaque during her time with AmeriCorps, which is given to select members who go above and beyond in service. Leah is thrilled to be back in her home state to work with families as they navigate the exciting road to college! She would love to meet you, so feel free to introduce yourself when you see her.

Will Wagner

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.

Tutor

Hafsa Shibli

Hafsa completed her Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology and Psychology at Tulane University. She is currently pursuing a Masters’ in Education at Hunters College and has numerous years of experience tutoring and mentoring students in writing and standardized testing. She is passionate about helping students unlock their potential and reach their academic goals. In her free time, she enjoys yoga and knitting.

Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Psychology, Tulane University
Masters in Education, Hunter College

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

Tutor

Kyle Ambrose

Kyle has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Master of Arts in Secondary Math Education from the University of Connecticut. He is a high school math teacher with a passion for education and helping students at all levels, including tutoring students for success on the SAT and ACT. He considers himself a math “nerd” and takes pride in making even challenging concepts seem easy to understand. When he’s not taking practice tests for fun, he enjoys reading books, playing golf, and spending time with his wife and their three-year-old daughter.

Education
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, University of Connecticut
Master of Arts in Secondary Math Education, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut.

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

Rasha Myers
Program Director

Rasha Myers
Allison Dahleen
College Counselor

Allison Dahleen
Sales Operations & College Advisor

Kevin Bookbinder
Financial Specialist

Sue Nelson
Career Success Coach

Colette Tracy
Essay Coach & Career Success Coach

Sara Walsh
Digital Marketing Manager

Ashley Tuminello
Tutor

Michael Paroly
Tutor

Iffat Naveed
Rasha Myers

Program 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.

Allison Dahleen

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.

Sales Operations & College Advisor

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.

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

Career Success Coach

Colette Tracy

Colette is passionate about inspiring students to seek lifelong education as well as personal growth. Colette aims to work as a mentor with students, helping them navigate their college years and assisting them in strategizing and planning their future careers.

Colette chose to join the team because her values are in line with what HelloCollege endeavors to accomplish. As a first generation college student, she realizes the challenges that come with attending college. She feels very fortunate for her own positive college experiences, career, and great mentors and seeks to pay this forward to the young people trying to make their own way today.

Colette has worked in education for 10 years. She spent 7 years as Director of Operations for Junior Achievement of Chicago where she managed a staff of 8 Operations Managers and was also responsible for fundraising and partnership development. It was at JA she first began her teaching career presenting and developing workshops for K-12 students on entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and career readiness. Additionally, Colette has taught for the last 10 years part-time at several universities such as Benedictine, Concordia University of Chicago, HUEB School of Economics and Business University Hebei Province in China, and National Louis University. She has taught undergraduate courses in management, marketing, entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, and leadership.

Colette has a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Communication from DePaul University, a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Lewis University, and a master’s degree in Psychology from National Louis University. She is also a certified Life and Career Coach.

Colette has been married to her high school sweetheart for many years and has two amazing sons, 24 and 17 years old. One of her favorite things to do is to spend time entertaining with family and friends. She loves to cook and bake and thoroughly enjoys music, theater, and books.

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).

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

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

Sign Up Today!​

Interested in getting the latest college planning resources and announcements?
Sign up today to subscribe to updates.
get more resources