Meet the Team | Zenith Prep Academy

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EXPERT COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CONSULTANTS

With over 200 combined years of experience in education, our college consultants have collectively dedicated over 100,000 hours to become world-class experts in helping 6^th–12^th graders get into Ivy League/Top 25 universities, or at least a tier or 2 better university

Daniel Abarca

College Consultant

Graduated from Harvard University & 4+ years of experience as an alumni interviewer
10+ years of education experience across tutoring, college counseling, success coach, and teacher at Teach for America (one of the most competitive teaching positions to get in the US and distinguished within the top 5% of teachers)
Demonstrated track record of helping students get accepted into Ivy League & Top 10/20 universities for both STEM & non–STEM majors and some of the most competitive programs/internships in the US (MIT Research Science Institute (RSI), Bank of America Student Leaders, etc.)

Albany Vega

College Consultant

Graduated from UCLA and holds a Master of Education from the University of Pennsylvania
Reviewed 1,400+ applications for undergraduate admissions between Stanford and UC Berkeley across a variety of STEM & non-STEM majors
8+ years of education experience, including helping students gain admissions to the Ivy Leagues and Top 25/50 universities including earning full-tuition scholarships

Stefan Waldschmidt

Stefan Waldschmidt

College Consultant

Graduated from UCLA & received a PhD from Duke University
10+ years of education experience across college counseling, tutoring, and serving as an instructor at Duke
Demonstrated track record of mentoring STEM & non–STEM students who matriculated to Top 10/25 universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, Boston University (BS/MD program), and more

Samantha Fifield

Samantha Fifield

College Consultant

Graduated from Boston University (Bachelor’s & Master’s Degree) with 10+ years of undergraduate admissions experience at Boston University (7+ years as an Assistant Director)
Regularly advised students on the application process and evaluated 10,000+ applications across multiple academic disciplines as a member of the Board of Admissions
Current member of the National & International Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC & IACAC) to keep up with college admissions trends & network with admissions officers at universities across the US

Melissa Benski

College Consultant

5+ years of college counseling experience helping students gain admission to Ivy Leagues and top 25 universities (i.e. Yale, Penn, Dartmouth, Duke, Rice, NYU, USC, etc.)
Former Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at New York University where she's reviewed over 10,000+ applications including those for Stern School of Business & Tandon School of Engineering before making final admissions decisions

Audrey Verderaime

Audrey Verderaime

College Consultant

Graduated from Harvard University (Magna Cum Laude with Highest Honors)
Experienced in successfully designing, developing, and consulting on college applications to Ivy League & Top 10/20 universities for a variety of undergraduate majors including STEM, Healthcare/Pre–Med, Business, Psychology, and Pre–Law

Yohan Ahn

College Consultant

9+ years of experience working with students to gain admission to the top 25 universities for both STEM and non–STEM majors (Columbia, University of Penn, University of Chicago, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins)
Helped students get accepted to competitive programs and research internships, including Penn’s M&TSI, MIT BeaverWorks, UCSC SIP, and Harvard Med research labs

Shivani Suresh

College Consultant

Graduated from Cornell College & holds a Master's degree from the London School of Economics
6+ years of education experience with a proven track record of guiding students to gaining admission to Ivy Leagues, Top 10/20/50 universities, and competitive pre–college programs/internships

Ian Collis

College Consultant

Graduated from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) & received a Master of Science in Education, with a specialization in secondary education (6-12) from Johns Hopkins University
6+ years of education experience working with 6^th–12^th graders across tutoring, college counseling, and teacher at Teach for America (one of the most competitive teaching positions to get in the US and distinguished within the top 5% of teachers)
Demonstrated track record guiding students pursuing STEM & non-STEM majors admission into Ivy League & Top 10/25 universities, as well as some of the most competitive programs/internships in the US (Simons SRP, UCSB RMP, etc.)

Haley Tudor

College Consultant

5+ years of college applications/essays editing experience and has worked with over 500+ students to develop, shape, and showcase compelling & unique college application profiles
Demonstrated track record of guiding students on college applications/essays with prior students gaining admissions to Top 25 universities (Stanford, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Caltech, John Hopkins University, Georgia Tech, UC Berkeley, etc.) for both STEM and non–STEM majors

Alexis Rouben

College Consultant

Graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds a Master of Educational Leadership
10+ years of education experience teaching and advising 6-12 grade students, including assisting 800+ students in matriculating to Top 10/25/50 universities including University of Chicago, Duke University, Washington University in St. Louis, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt, and more

Cate Mclaughin

College Consultant

12+ years of education experience across university teaching and college counseling, including as a writing coach for the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business's Communication Program
Extensive college counseling track record in providing individualized strategy plans for 2,000+ students and help them gain acceptances into Ivy Leagues & Top 25 universities
Received a MFA in Creative Writing from Syracuse University, a top 5 nationally ranked program

Jacob Stewart

College Consultant

7+ years of education experience in providing guidance, recommendations, and counseling to students & families on admissions into the Ivy Leagues and Top 10/20/50 universities
Extremely well-versed and knowledgeable of top programs, internships, and competitions for both STEM & non-STEM majors/fields with student acceptances into Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UPenn, Cornell, and more

Jonathan Lee

College Consultant

Graduated from Cornell University and received a Master of Arts in Teaching from UC Irvine
Extensive education experience including teaching high school science subjects (chemistry & physics) and college counseling with student acceptances into the Ivy Leagues and Top 25 universities

Kassandra Valles

Kassandra Valles

College Consultant

Extensive experience in successfully guiding students on college applications/essays to Ivy League and other top 10/20/50 universities
Reviewed, edited, and finalized over 2,000+ college application essays for students by leveraging their strengths to showcase their profiles

Andie Abrams

College Consultant

Graduated from Columbia University with a Dual Masters in Counseling
7+ years of education experience across college counseling, college admissions, and social-emotional counseling
Demonstrated track record of mentoring STEM and non-STEM students accepted into Top 10/25 & Ivy League universities including Yale, Stanford, Duke, UCLA, Cornell, and more

Nitya Mani

College Consultant

Graduated Stanford University with a B.S. in Mathematics and is currently working at Jane Street (trading firm) before starting her PhD in Mathematics at MIT
Goldwater Scholarship recipient, granted the Karl Menger Award from the American Mathematical Society, and received an honorable mention for the Alice T. Schafer Mathematics Prize

Adriana Fernandez

Adriana Fernandez

College Consultant

Graduated from Cornell University and has reviewed 2,000+ applications as an Admissions Officer at Johns Hopkins University
7+ years of experience in college admissions, guiding domestic and international students to gain admission into Ivy League & Top 10/25 universities

Elizabeth Davis

College Consultant

Graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and holds a Master of Education in Administration and Policy
10+ years of education experience in college counseling, tutoring, and teaching, including through Teach For America
Demonstrated track record of helping students get accepted into the Ivy Leagues and top 25/50 universities

Victoria Sheffield

Victoria Sheffield

College Consultant

Graduated from Georgetown University and is a candidate for a Master’s in Global Mental Health at the University of Glasgow
8+ years of experience in education working with students of all ages, including in academic consulting
Success in helping students gain admission to Top 10/25/50 US universities, including Penn, Duke, Caltech, etc.

Daniel Klein

College Consultant

4 years of college counseling experience at top private high schools including Quarry Lane (ranked #17 Best High School for STEM in America)
8 years of coaching, mentoring, and education experience with a strong track record of helping students get accepted into the Ivy Leagues and Top 10/25 universities
Holds a M.A. in Education with a concentration in counseling and student personnel

Brittany Merrick

Brittany Merrick

College Consultant

Graduated with highest honors from New York University and counseled students both domestically and internationally
Oversaw hundreds of student applications with admissions into Top 10/20/50 universities, many with significant scholarships like the Global Excellence Scholarship
Strong track record of student success in prestigious extracurricular programs (Yale Young Global Scholars, Pioneer Academics, etc.)

Elizabeth Barna

Elizabeth Barna

College Consultant

Graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Ph.D. in Sociology
8+ years of education experience working with K-12, undergraduate and graduate students
Served as an undergraduate admissions evaluator at Vanderbilt, with 1000+ applications reviewed, including for the School of Engineering. Also served as a Vanderbilt undergrad science fair judge

Mackenzie Guzman

Mackenzie Guzman

College Consultant

5+ years of education experience as both a Teach for America educator, having been selected from a competitive pool of applicants, and a former Admissions Officer at Johns Hopkins University skilled in holistic application review
Successfully mentored students and families with a range of academic goals and backgrounds, driving academic growth through individualized strategic planning and guidance

Olivia Burd

College Consultant

Holds a dual Master's degree in School Counseling & Clinical Counseling from the University of San Francisco and a Pupil Personnel Services certification
Served as an Undergraduate Admissions Evaluator and scholarship recommender at Vanderbilt, including conducting reviews for the School of Engineering
6+ years of education experience as an admissions professional, school counselor, tutor, and teacher, working with K-12, undergraduate, and post-graduate students

Rebecca Mendez

College Consultant

Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, with Honors for Senior Thesis Research
Featured on DC Inno’s 25 Under 25 list and named Georgetown University’s Undergraduate Entrepreneur of the Year
8+ years of experience in education working with students of all ages, including helping students get into best fit and top 10/25/50 universities

Sydney Locklear

Sydney Locklear

College Consultant

7+ years of education experience at both the high school and university level, including working as a graduate advisor, psychology teacher, and college counselor
Extensive experience reviewing hundreds of essays and application materials, including customizing profiles and essays for students who gained admissions to Ivy League and Top 25 universities

Jasmine Huang

College Consultant

Graduated from UC Berkeley with 4+ years of experience in coaching, college counseling, mentoring, and education, with a track record of successfully guiding students to admission at Top 25/50 and best-fit universities
Extensive background in business and technology as a former Product Manager that led to market-critical cybersecurity solutions now relied upon by Fortune 100 companies

Jayme Dinnerstein

Jayme Dinnerstein

College Consultant

Holds a B.S. in Applied Health Sciences, a College Counseling certification from UCLA, and a current member of the IECA (professional organization for educational consultants)
4+ years of college counseling experience and has reviewed 2,000+ essays across 500+ students all across the US with her students gaining acceptances into MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Barnard, Northwestern, Tufts, Emory, and other top 10/20/50 universities

Gabriella Reyes

Gabriella Reyes

College Consultant

Graduate of Brown University with an MA from University College London
7+ years of coaching and education experience, in the US and internationally, with a strong track record of helping students get accepted into the Ivy League and other top universities for STEM/Business/Healthcare and social sciences/pre-law majors

Ashley Varela

College Consultant

Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Boston University; MS in Education from Johns Hopkins University
13+ years of education experience including being a teacher at Teach For America and coaching and mentoring students in writing
Track record of helping students gain admission to Top 25/50/75 universities including earning full-tuition scholarships

Alana Newman

College Consultant

8+ years of college counseling experience, having worked with 1,400+ students of STEM and non-STEM backgrounds, including BSMD programs, all across the US with her students gaining acceptance into top 10/25/50 universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Brown, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, USC, and more
Holds her Certificate of College Counseling from UCLA, completed her master’s in Strategic Communication from American University, and is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling

William Chung

College Consultant

Track record of working with families whose students are interested in STEM, Business, and Healthcare to gain admissions into Ivy Leagues, UCs, and other top universities (Stanford, Caltech, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Duke)
Consistently guide students to land prestigious internships/programs (BU RISE Internship, Penn’s M&TSI, Garcia, SUMaC, lowa SSTP, and more) in addition to winning national/international competitions (ISEF, DECA, Conrad Challenge, TSA, ISSCY, etc.)

Sam Deery-Schmitt

Sam Deery-Schmitt

College Consultant

Graduated from the University of Notre Dame and holds a M.S. in Applied Data Science from Syracuse University, with a focus on data engineering and machine learning
9+ years of education experience and has successfully guided hundreds of students through competitive undergraduate, graduate, and professional school admissions with a track record of acceptances into Ivy League, top-25, and top-50 schools

John Fujita

College Consultant

Graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
5+ years experience of college counseling experience with his students gaining acceptances into Harvard, MIT, UPenn, UC Berkeley, and other Top 10/25/50 universities

Nathan Ho

College Consultant

Graduated UCLA with a B.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from University of Southern California (USC)
Currently pursuing his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from USC where he’s co–authored and published multiple research papers in scientific journals

Maiko Kitaoka

College Consultant

Education: B.S. in Biology from MIT, PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, currently a postdoctoral scientist at the Whitehead Institute
Former Amgen Scholar, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and iBiology Share Your Research Competition Winner
Passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists and building inclusive communities

Annie Cheng

College Consultant

Education: Graduated from Yale University with a double major in social sciences
5+ years of college counseling experience specializing in helping both U.S. & international students gain acceptances into Ivy League and Top 25 universities (Yale, Princeton, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Northwestern, Georgetown, and many more) for both STEM & non-STEM majors/fields

Charles Wang

College Consultant

Graduated Johns Hopkins University with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, and a Masters of Health Science in Molecular Biology and Immunology
Former McKinsey associate with 5+ years of experience in Health Systems and Services
Currently serves as the Senior Director of Operations for Optum/DaVita medical group, one of the nation’s leading independent medical groups

Amethyst King

College Consultant

Graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Concentration in Education, followed by a Master’s of Science in Teaching from the University of Pennsylvania
Served as an alumni interviewer for Columbia University
5+ years of education experience including teaching, tutoring, and college counseling with extensive experience reviewing hundreds of essays and application materials

Linda Ayala

College Consultant

10+ years of experience in college counseling, consulting, and teaching, with a proven track record of guiding students to prestigious universities including NYU, Barnard, Rice, Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, and MIT
Specializes in developing personalized college application roadmaps that have helped students secure admissions and scholarships at top institutions

David Newman

College Consultant

Graduated with honors from UC Berkeley
4+ years of experience working as a writing tutor and college application counselor with a proven track record of helping students with acceptance to Dartmouth, UC Berkeley, Emory, and other top 25-50 schools
Served as a strategist on multiple California political campaigns and crafted local zoning reform legislation for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Linda Phan

College Consultant

Graduated from Pomona College with a B.A. in Politics and a minor in Asian American Studies
5+ years in education through college advising, essay editing, private tutoring, summer program applications, writing competitions, and teaching English as a Princeton in Asia fellow at Soc Trang Community College in Vietnam
Demonstrated track record of student acceptances to the Ivy League and Top 25 universities, including Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Princeton, Columbia, UPenn, Cornell, and more

Raiven Harris

College Consultant

Graduated from Cornell University and admitted to 17 US medical schools including multiple top 20 programs
Former College Advisor with the College Advising Corps with experience advising thousands of students and advising prospective medical school applicants
Track record of helping students earn prestigious scholarships and get accepted into Ivy League and top universities, including Harvard, Brown, UPenn, Cornell, Vanderbilt, Emory, Duke, Northwestern, Georgia Tech, UCs, and more

Kaiti Liu

College Consultant

Graduated from USC as part of the Global Leadership Program (invite-only for the top 10% of the Marshall School of Business) and awarded the USC Presidential Scholarship (merit scholarship considered for only 2% of students)
Earned a Master of Music in Commercial Music Songwriting, specializing in guiding students interested in music and the arts
8+ years of education experience across test preparation, college counseling, and personal statement essay revision

Victoria Kwong

College Consultant

Graduated from Colgate University and received a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Boston University
6+ years of professional experience guiding domestic and international students through the college search and application processes as a College Advisor and Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions
Demonstrated track record of student acceptances to the Ivy League and Top 25/50 universities including MIT, Harvard University, Tufts University, Wellesley College, Boston University, and more

Steve Han

College Consultant

Graduated from the University of Chicago (Dean's List)
7+ years of education experience as a college counselor and a former admissions officer for the University of Chicago
Demonstrated track record of student acceptances to the Ivy League and Top 25 universities, including Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, MIT, Northwestern, Duke, Johns Hopkins, and more

Hannah Banks

College Consultant

7+ years of education experience across college counseling, college applications/essay editing, academic advising, dual enrollment, and supporting special education students
Holds a Master's degree in Educational Counseling and a Pupil Personnel Services certification
Demonstrated track record of student acceptances to the Ivy League and top 25/50 universities including UPenn, UC Berkeley, UIUC, Emory, UCLA, and more

Crystal Gill

College Consultant

Graduated from Cornell University (B.S., Magna Cum Laude) and received a Master’s in Education (Ed.M) from Harvard University
5+ years of education experience across college admissions prep, tutoring, and edtech
Demonstrated track record of student acceptances to Top 25 Universities, including Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, UCLA, and more

Clarissa Delgado

Clarissa Delgado

College Consultant

Graduated from New York University and holds a Master’s in Adolescent Literacy from CUNY Hunter College
10+ years of experience in education as a teacher and college advisor
Demonstrated track record of student accepted to the Ivy League and Top 25 Universities, including Yale, Columbia, Princeton, UPenn, Amherst, and more

Lindsay Goff

College Consultant

Graduated with a Master of Education in Higher Education from Hope International University
20+ years of college admission and consulting experience in both private and public consulting with a demonstrated track record of student acceptances to top 25/50 universities
Enjoys working with families to understand the college admission process and assist students with making their college dreams a reality

Jordan Adams

College Consultant

Graduated from Johns Hopkins University with degrees in Creative Writing and English.
5+ years of education experience across college counseling, academic advising, and teaching
Utilizes a holistic approach to mentorship and college counseling by incorporating elements of social-emotional learning
Demonstrated track record of helping students get into top 10 and top 20 schools, including Johns Hopkins, Rice, Columbia, Vanderbilt, and Brown

Mitchell Murtagh

Mitchell Murtagh

College Consultant

Graduated from Duke University with a Ph.D. in Literature and certificates in College Teaching and Philosophy of Science
10+ years of experience in education, including teaching at the high school and college levels, as well as teaching in advanced summer programs (TASP), mentoring students in college admissions and academic research
Previously served as a university professor at Emory and has coached high-achieving students—particularly those pursuing humanities, computer science, and pre-health pathways—toward successful admission to selective programs and top-tier universities, including Stanford, MIT, and Duke
Holds active CompTIA Security+ certification and draws from his interdisciplinary background in cybersecurity, philosophy of science, and emergency medicine (former EMT) to guide students in building distinctive, mission-driven applicant profiles that stand out to elite colleges and BS/MD programs

Katie Leishear

College Consultant

10+ years of working as a college counselor at elite international schools, a seasonal application reader for UCLA, and a committee member for the International Association of College and Admissions Counselors
Demonstrated track record of student acceptances to the Ivy League and Top 25 universities, including UPenn, Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, USC, UC Berkeley, Duke, Brown, Cornell, and more.
IC3 Movement's 2023 LATAM Counselor of the Year recipient

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