MEET THE TEAM
Kevin Krebs
Andrea Emmons
Dan Farnesi
Kevin Taylor
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.
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).
Jeannine Palhegyi
Rasha Myers
Terri C. Houston
Allison Dahleen
Debra Gershow
Leah Powell
Kevin Bookbinder
Sue Nelson
Will Wagner
Sara Walsh
Chris Bench
Ashley Tuminello
Iffat Naveed
Michael Paroly
Kyle Ambrose
Hafsa Shibli
Amanda Yoder
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Andrea Emmons
Dan Farnesi
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.
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.
Kevin Krebs
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).
Terri C. Houston
Debra Gershow
Jeannine Palhegyi
Leah Powell
Will Wagner
Chris Bench
Hafsa Shibli
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
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.
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
Allison Dahleen
Kevin Bookbinder
Sue Nelson
Sara Walsh
Ashley Tuminello
Iffat Naveed
Michael Paroly
Amanda Yoder
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.
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.
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.
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).
Digital Marketing Manager
Ashley Tuminello
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
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
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.
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