Syracuse University

I have over 20 years of experience as a college counselor working with domestic US students as well as international students applying to US colleges. I lived abroad for 10 years and worked at 2 premier international schools guiding and advising students with applications to the US as well as Canada, the UK, and Europe. My jobs have allowed me the opportunity to visit close to 200 college campuses across the globe. I am passionate about career development and guiding students to tell their stories through essays and other aspects of the application. I live and breathe college admissions on a daily basis and stay current with the changing landscape. The most enjoyable parts of my job are working directly with young adults and helping them to uncover their talents and how those are related to their futures - college and beyond!

Hello! I am Linda Ayala, and I am excited to work with y'all! I graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A. in Sociology and Policy Studies in 2016. I have worked with public, charter and private schools for the past 4 years to guide mainly first-generation students through the college application process.

Hello! I’m Angelique Figueroa, most people call me Angie. I was the first in my family to attend college. I went to Syracuse University and graduated with a degree in Human Development and Family Science. I then earned a master's in social work from the Silberman School of Social Work. As a first-generation college student, I love being able to serve as a resource to students and families, because I know first-hand that the college application process can be overwhelming. I’ve been an educator for 14+ years but college access is by far my favorite; it’s my true passion. Being able to help a student with their higher educational goals by working together to apply, be accepted, attend, and graduate from college to pursue a fulfilling career, is truly a privilege. I cannot wait to work together!

Hi there! My name is Sena and I look forward to working with you during your college application journey. I have recently been serving as Research Analyst at the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C. A few months prior to joining the IMF, I received my Bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in Economics with a minor in Psychology from Columbia University in 2017. During the third year of my undergraduate studies, I studied abroad at the University of Oxford, Pembroke College in England. I previously worked as a research assistant at Columbia University, and as a summer intern at the Ministry of Economy in Ankara. I also worked as a journalist at Hurriyet Newspaper of Turkey, and have a publication that received a prize in fiction at New York Book Festival 2011. In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, singing, traveling, and acting in local film and TV productions. Being originally from Turkey and having completed my high school education in England I am especially interested in hearing from international students who would like to come to the United States for their undergraduate education.

Hey! I'm Joseph, a graduate of Gettysburg College and Columbia University and am currently pursuing my PhD in Anthropology at the University of California - Davis. During my time at Gettysburg I majored in Political Science and Anthropology while dedicating myself to issues of diversity and inclusion on campus. I served in the admission office for four years and rose to be a member of the Admission Executive Team. I attended Columbia University for my Masters in Anthropology and conducted my fieldwork in Sarajevo, Bosnia. I also served as an Admission Officer at Truman State University. A unique fact about me: I have traveled to 62 different countries!

Hello! My name is Isabella, and I am a 4th-year student with a Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering double major and minors in Entrepreneurship and IST for Aerospace Engineers at Penn State. At Penn State, I hold several distinctions, including being a member of the honors college (Scheyer), the honors engineering scholars' program (Leonard Scholars), and a recipient of the Provost Award. Professionally, I interned at SpaceX in Spring 2021, Lockheed Martin Space in Summer 2021, and a hypersonic start-up called Hermeus in Summer 2022. During my senior year application cycle, I gained admittance to several top universities, listed on my profile. I also earned several national, regional, and local scholarships including the Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship, and I have totaled over $150,000 in scholarship money to date. While in high school, I was active in several STEM extracurricular events, including the Summer Exposure Engineering Experience Program at the University of Michigan (received a scholarship to attend the summer camp and won the summer camp's $20,000/year Engineering Scholarship of Honor for use at UMich), MOSTEC at MIT, and CE^2 at Columbia University. One of my areas of strength is scholarship applications and essays, both specific to a university or in a national or local application. I also thoroughly understand how to frame a college application in the best way possible by creating cohesive activity descriptions, essays, and short answer responses. I have worked with students in the Pittsburgh area and with international students prior to joining CollegeAdvisor. This is my second year with CollegeAdvisor, and I’m so excited to continue helping students meet their goals!