Carey Cimino: Educational Consultant
Carey Cimino has been an active San Diego community member for the last 25 years and an Independent Educational Consultant for 7 years, working with hundreds of students in San Diego County. Carey understands the importance of identifying students' goals and financial positions in order to achieve post-secondary educational success.
Carey has applied her experience as an advocate for students in the classroom, boardroom, community centers and charities to the college admissions process. As an American School Counselor Association (ASCA) trained counselor, Carey specializes in College and Career Readiness, Academic Preparation, and Social-Emotional Counseling through the entire college application and acceptance process. Her expertise includes choosing career paths, creating college lists, and narrowing college choices.
Carey holds a B.A. in International Relations with minors in French and Sociology from UC Davis. She received her Master of Science in Counseling from San Diego State University, specializing in School Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential. She is a member of the California Association of School Counselors (CASC), the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and the Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC).
Carey has two children. Her son is a graduate of UC Berkeley currently working as a Software Engineer, and her daughter is a graduate of Marist College and a Fulbright Scholar. In her spare time Carey can be found on a tennis or pickleball court, in the middle of a Scrabble or Wordle game or touring a college campus somewhere around the country. Carey looks forward to helping your children achieve their college and career goals.
Carey has applied her experience as an advocate for students in the classroom, boardroom, community centers and charities to the college admissions process. As an American School Counselor Association (ASCA) trained counselor, Carey specializes in College and Career Readiness, Academic Preparation, and Social-Emotional Counseling through the entire college application and acceptance process. Her expertise includes choosing career paths, creating college lists, and narrowing college choices.
Carey holds a B.A. in International Relations with minors in French and Sociology from UC Davis. She received her Master of Science in Counseling from San Diego State University, specializing in School Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential. She is a member of the California Association of School Counselors (CASC), the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and the Western Association for College Admission Counseling (WACAC).
Carey has two children. Her son is a graduate of UC Berkeley currently working as a Software Engineer, and her daughter is a graduate of Marist College and a Fulbright Scholar. In her spare time Carey can be found on a tennis or pickleball court, in the middle of a Scrabble or Wordle game or touring a college campus somewhere around the country. Carey looks forward to helping your children achieve their college and career goals.
Harriet Joslyn: Writing Consultant
Harriet Joslyn is a writing specialist and consultant. During her 30+ years as an educator, she has built collaborative learning communities that foster productive interaction for students and teachers alike. Her classroom experiences spanned the globe as she moved 16 times with her Marine Corps husband and family.
After his military retirement and their move to San Diego, she landed a teaching job at Rancho Santa Fe School District in Rancho Santa Fe, California, for over 23 years and most recently taught 7th & 8th grades’ Honors Literature and Writing classes. In 1994, she co-authored the school-wide writing curriculum for Rancho Santa Fe School District for grades 1-8. In 2014, she worked for three years as an instructional coach for beginning teachers, mentoring and evaluating them through their required 2-year California state credentialing program.
Ms. Joslyn has a Master of Arts degree in Teaching and Technology from National University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, and 24 graduate credits from the University of Maryland with minors in English, science, and history. She holds a supplemental English credential with 30 credits beyond her Master’s degree in writing and leadership.
She recently had an article published in The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Magazine. Ms. Joslyn continues her work for American Veterans and her love of teaching and learning by increasing knowledge and experiences to make her a better instructor/consultant and develop ways to serve humanity.
After his military retirement and their move to San Diego, she landed a teaching job at Rancho Santa Fe School District in Rancho Santa Fe, California, for over 23 years and most recently taught 7th & 8th grades’ Honors Literature and Writing classes. In 1994, she co-authored the school-wide writing curriculum for Rancho Santa Fe School District for grades 1-8. In 2014, she worked for three years as an instructional coach for beginning teachers, mentoring and evaluating them through their required 2-year California state credentialing program.
Ms. Joslyn has a Master of Arts degree in Teaching and Technology from National University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, and 24 graduate credits from the University of Maryland with minors in English, science, and history. She holds a supplemental English credential with 30 credits beyond her Master’s degree in writing and leadership.
She recently had an article published in The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Magazine. Ms. Joslyn continues her work for American Veterans and her love of teaching and learning by increasing knowledge and experiences to make her a better instructor/consultant and develop ways to serve humanity.
Denise Sparks: Career Consultant
Denise Sparks is an interview coach and career development specialist with a proven track record of providing highly personalized guidance to both high school and college students.
Denise conducts tailored one-on-one practice interviews with high school seniors to prepare them for evaluative college admissions interviews. She also assists students with introduction videos for college applications and ensures they make a strong first impression. Additionally, Denise advises college students seeking internships and full-time jobs.
Over the course of her 20-year career, Denise has conducted thousands of mock interviews with students, as well as thousands of evaluative interviews as a recruiter. Her multidimensional background includes 13 years guiding high school and college students at the University of Colorado, Harvard University, and in her current role as a Career Consultant. She also has seven years of corporate experience which includes recruiting for an executive search firm, interviewing and hiring for a Fortune 500 company, and managing staffing for a placement agency. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University with an emphasis in Marketing and a minor in Psychology.
Denise uses her compassion, interpersonal communication skills, and positivity to encourage, support, and guide her students. She strives to make interview prep fun and work through concerns before the big day. In her free time, Denise volunteers in the neonatal intensive care unit and enjoys traveling, surfing, comedy, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog Jax. Denise’s son will graduate from Indiana University with a Mathematics degree in the summer of 2023 with plans to pursue a post-baccalaureate degree in Computer Science. Denise’s daughter attends the University of Colorado and is a Media Studies major with hopes of working in the entertainment industry post-graduation.
Denise conducts tailored one-on-one practice interviews with high school seniors to prepare them for evaluative college admissions interviews. She also assists students with introduction videos for college applications and ensures they make a strong first impression. Additionally, Denise advises college students seeking internships and full-time jobs.
Over the course of her 20-year career, Denise has conducted thousands of mock interviews with students, as well as thousands of evaluative interviews as a recruiter. Her multidimensional background includes 13 years guiding high school and college students at the University of Colorado, Harvard University, and in her current role as a Career Consultant. She also has seven years of corporate experience which includes recruiting for an executive search firm, interviewing and hiring for a Fortune 500 company, and managing staffing for a placement agency. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University with an emphasis in Marketing and a minor in Psychology.
Denise uses her compassion, interpersonal communication skills, and positivity to encourage, support, and guide her students. She strives to make interview prep fun and work through concerns before the big day. In her free time, Denise volunteers in the neonatal intensive care unit and enjoys traveling, surfing, comedy, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog Jax. Denise’s son will graduate from Indiana University with a Mathematics degree in the summer of 2023 with plans to pursue a post-baccalaureate degree in Computer Science. Denise’s daughter attends the University of Colorado and is a Media Studies major with hopes of working in the entertainment industry post-graduation.
Melissa Clemens: Essay Consultant
As a kid, I had what many adults refer to as an “overactive imagination.” I would lose myself in the colorful worlds of Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein and Roald Dahl.
Later, as I traveled through the confusing landscape of adolescence, I leaned on writing as a way to make sense of the world, filling my journal with pages and pages of thoughts and questions, ideas and frustrations.
Now as an adult, writing continues to be my most trusted and treasured mode of communication. It has been an asset to me throughout my career, as I have authored and edited hundreds of pieces during my tenures as marketing manager, professional proposal writer, blog editor, and executive ghost writer.
Today, I enjoy my career as a writing and grammar coach, showing students how to become more effective and confident communicators. I am especially excited about my work with rising high school seniors, helping them stand out in the college application process through their unique and vibrant stories.
I received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University and completed a certification in creative writing from Brown. But all credit for my grammar education goes to my elementary school teacher Mr. Lane-Smith, whose love for the English language was contagious.
Later, as I traveled through the confusing landscape of adolescence, I leaned on writing as a way to make sense of the world, filling my journal with pages and pages of thoughts and questions, ideas and frustrations.
Now as an adult, writing continues to be my most trusted and treasured mode of communication. It has been an asset to me throughout my career, as I have authored and edited hundreds of pieces during my tenures as marketing manager, professional proposal writer, blog editor, and executive ghost writer.
Today, I enjoy my career as a writing and grammar coach, showing students how to become more effective and confident communicators. I am especially excited about my work with rising high school seniors, helping them stand out in the college application process through their unique and vibrant stories.
I received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University and completed a certification in creative writing from Brown. But all credit for my grammar education goes to my elementary school teacher Mr. Lane-Smith, whose love for the English language was contagious.
Christy Day: Research Consultant
Christy is a retired journalist who specializes in research. Her career includes teaching at San Diego State University, producing newscasts at television stations across the country, and writing for social media and Yahoo! Finance. Christy earned a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Florida and received a master’s in communication from SDSU.
Her love of research can be traced back to graduate school when she collected data for studies into conversational analysis within the medical field. She also participated in a deep dive into gender roles in media, watching more than 100 films to detail the percentage of male-to-female actors. Her job as a news producer required her to seek out the latest current events and add a local angle to each story. Since then, she has been sharing her passion for research with high school students. Her specialty is the “why us” essay, a critically important part of the application process. The “why us” essay demonstrates, through specific details and examples, why a student is a perfect match for a specific school.
When not working, Christy enjoys spending time with her two daughters. Her oldest attends Chapman University and her youngest is a competitive dancer.
Her love of research can be traced back to graduate school when she collected data for studies into conversational analysis within the medical field. She also participated in a deep dive into gender roles in media, watching more than 100 films to detail the percentage of male-to-female actors. Her job as a news producer required her to seek out the latest current events and add a local angle to each story. Since then, she has been sharing her passion for research with high school students. Her specialty is the “why us” essay, a critically important part of the application process. The “why us” essay demonstrates, through specific details and examples, why a student is a perfect match for a specific school.
When not working, Christy enjoys spending time with her two daughters. Her oldest attends Chapman University and her youngest is a competitive dancer.
Marianne Werdel: Athletic Recruiting Consultant
Marianne Werdel is a former professional tennis player on the WTA Tour and an All-American at Stanford University. She enjoyed an 11-year career on the WTA Tour from 1986 to 1997 with a career-high ranking of #21 in the world. As a junior player, she won 19 USTA Junior Championships, and as a student-athlete at Stanford, she was an All-American and a member of the 1986 NCAA National Championship team.
Marianne has multiple certifications in high-performance coaching, mentorship, sports and nutritional training, and college counseling. She uses this broad-based education to implement long term developmental plans and guidance through the college recruiting process for student-athletes and their families. She educates parents and coaches on the junior tennis pathway on her website (mariannewerdel.com) and is published in national tennis publications. For the past five years, she has helped top-level junior tennis players reach elite academic and athletic universities around the country.
Marianne is active in the San Diego community and nationally with organizations supporting youth athletics and academics. In 2018, Marianne was recognized as a Stanford Associate, an honorary organization of more than 3,000 Stanford alumni who have demonstrated significant and long-standing volunteer service to the University.
Marianne has three boys, one playing football at Wash U in St. Louis, one enjoying Santa Clara University, and two new stepdaughters. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering in the community, golfing, hiking, traveling, baking, reading, and yoga (when necessary).
Marianne has multiple certifications in high-performance coaching, mentorship, sports and nutritional training, and college counseling. She uses this broad-based education to implement long term developmental plans and guidance through the college recruiting process for student-athletes and their families. She educates parents and coaches on the junior tennis pathway on her website (mariannewerdel.com) and is published in national tennis publications. For the past five years, she has helped top-level junior tennis players reach elite academic and athletic universities around the country.
Marianne is active in the San Diego community and nationally with organizations supporting youth athletics and academics. In 2018, Marianne was recognized as a Stanford Associate, an honorary organization of more than 3,000 Stanford alumni who have demonstrated significant and long-standing volunteer service to the University.
Marianne has three boys, one playing football at Wash U in St. Louis, one enjoying Santa Clara University, and two new stepdaughters. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering in the community, golfing, hiking, traveling, baking, reading, and yoga (when necessary).
Carol Lewis: International Educational Consultant
Carol’s love of travel began when she was seventeen and an exchange student in Argentina. From that moment, she began her lifelong pursuits of intercultural understanding, global skillsets, and languages. She returned to study at UC Davis with a double major in in International Relations and Spanish.
Carol hold an International MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management. She worked for a decade in NYC in financial services at Citibank and Credit Suisse. She has also worked in Argentina, Switzerland, and England. She moved to London in 2013 with her family, where she currently resides. Her two daughters are being educated in the English school system. Her two daughters attend English schools.
Carol’s core values are at the heart of her work as an International Educational Consultant. She loves to help students join the ranks of global citizens by assisting them in fulfilling their dream to study in world-class institutions abroad. She knows first-hand that international living and studying allows students to see the world, experience new cultures, and prepare them to enter the workforce upon graduation.
Carol strives to make it easy to find the best-fit option for her clients. Looking to study abroad can be daunting because of the myriad of options. Different countries approach university applications differently, and within each country, there are often several types of universities from which to choose. Carol works with her students to demystify the requirements of international schools (including testing, grades, financial, language, and more) and help them find the best option for their international studies. The best interest of her students is always at the center of what she does.
Carol hold an International MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management. She worked for a decade in NYC in financial services at Citibank and Credit Suisse. She has also worked in Argentina, Switzerland, and England. She moved to London in 2013 with her family, where she currently resides. Her two daughters are being educated in the English school system. Her two daughters attend English schools.
Carol’s core values are at the heart of her work as an International Educational Consultant. She loves to help students join the ranks of global citizens by assisting them in fulfilling their dream to study in world-class institutions abroad. She knows first-hand that international living and studying allows students to see the world, experience new cultures, and prepare them to enter the workforce upon graduation.
Carol strives to make it easy to find the best-fit option for her clients. Looking to study abroad can be daunting because of the myriad of options. Different countries approach university applications differently, and within each country, there are often several types of universities from which to choose. Carol works with her students to demystify the requirements of international schools (including testing, grades, financial, language, and more) and help them find the best option for their international studies. The best interest of her students is always at the center of what she does.
Hannah Buechler: Art Consultant
Hannah Buechler is a successful artist with works displayed worldwide. She earned her B.F.A in Fibers with a minor in painting in 2017 from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
Hannah now resides in Los Angeles with her own successful studio practice. Her work is displayed across the United States, Paris, and Hong Kong. Her pieces are also part of SCAD's permanent collection, a designation the university reserves for items "exceptional for their quality, depth, and historic relevance." In addition to her studio work, she is a design assistant at Los Angeles based fashion company, Libertine. Her role consists of print and pattern design, screen printing, and applying crystals by hand.
Hannah understands how the college application process can seem overwhelming. She works with each student to understand and achieve their individual goals. Determining portfolio content is a pivotal task in the application process and she is an expert at assisting others. Hannah excels in critique helping artists understand how to enhance their work. She has expertise in portfolio curation and is familiar with the attributes individual universities often prioritize. Hannah finds joy in teaching others and helping students find and develop their artistic vision. Examples of Hannah's work are viewable at: hannahbuechler.com
Hannah now resides in Los Angeles with her own successful studio practice. Her work is displayed across the United States, Paris, and Hong Kong. Her pieces are also part of SCAD's permanent collection, a designation the university reserves for items "exceptional for their quality, depth, and historic relevance." In addition to her studio work, she is a design assistant at Los Angeles based fashion company, Libertine. Her role consists of print and pattern design, screen printing, and applying crystals by hand.
Hannah understands how the college application process can seem overwhelming. She works with each student to understand and achieve their individual goals. Determining portfolio content is a pivotal task in the application process and she is an expert at assisting others. Hannah excels in critique helping artists understand how to enhance their work. She has expertise in portfolio curation and is familiar with the attributes individual universities often prioritize. Hannah finds joy in teaching others and helping students find and develop their artistic vision. Examples of Hannah's work are viewable at: hannahbuechler.com
Tess Cimino: Resume Consultant
Tess Cimino is a Fulbright Scholar with experience teaching English in Malaysia, Fiji, and Chile. She graduated from Marist College in 2019, majoring in Fashion Merchandising with minors in Journalism and Global Studies. Additionally Tess holds a certificate in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
While at Marist, Tess worked as a Peer Career Coach and Resume Writer for two years through the Center for Career Services, advising students on matters related to the internship and job search process. In this role, Tess helped students to highlight their relevant skills and experiences on resumes, taught them how to build connections in interviews, and helped them craft successful job applications. As a college senior, Tess was one of only two students from Marist College chosen to receive the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, recognized for her teaching capabilities, international teaching experience and commitment to sustainability education.
Over the past six years, Tess has taught at afterschool programs, tutoring a diverse group of students in various states. Some of the nonprofits she has worked with include: Family Services, Casa de Amistad, Ascend Autism and the Stamford Public School District. In her current role, Tess is an Environmental Educator for the SoundWaters nonprofit in Connecticut, developing and delivering curriculum to hundreds of students around the Long Island Sound.
While at Marist, Tess worked as a Peer Career Coach and Resume Writer for two years through the Center for Career Services, advising students on matters related to the internship and job search process. In this role, Tess helped students to highlight their relevant skills and experiences on resumes, taught them how to build connections in interviews, and helped them craft successful job applications. As a college senior, Tess was one of only two students from Marist College chosen to receive the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, recognized for her teaching capabilities, international teaching experience and commitment to sustainability education.
Over the past six years, Tess has taught at afterschool programs, tutoring a diverse group of students in various states. Some of the nonprofits she has worked with include: Family Services, Casa de Amistad, Ascend Autism and the Stamford Public School District. In her current role, Tess is an Environmental Educator for the SoundWaters nonprofit in Connecticut, developing and delivering curriculum to hundreds of students around the Long Island Sound.
