College and Career Counselor
Boise High School
Boise, Idaho

David Chehey, M.A., LPC, has been a counselor at Boise High since 2004, having previously been a junior high counselor and a secondary school math teacher. Other professional highlights include: PNACAC Executive Board; AP Coordinator Consultant for CollegeBoard; reader for National Merit Scholarship; CollegeBoard’s Western Regional Council (and “Distinguished Service Award” recipient); post-9/11 Red Cross counseling in NYC; “High School Counselor of the Year” for both Boise School District and State of Idaho; presenter at NACAC, PNACAC, CB, ISCA, and other regional, state, and local conferences and webinars. Outside of school, David is a runner, practices yoga, and is a voracious/adventurous reader, streamer, traveler, and foodie!

Director of College Counseling & Associate Head of School for Postsecondary Experiences
The Shipley School
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Donielle Couture is entering her ninth year in college counseling and her sixth year as the Director of College Counseling at the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, PA. She spent seven years working in the Princeton University admission office after working for two years in enrollment management at Arcadia University. Before transitioning to higher and secondary education, she worked in the education department at the Philadelphia Zoo, caring for reptiles, amphibians, and humans completing college internships. In her free time, Donielle likes to garden, bake, take long walks with her dogs, and visit college campuses.

Director of Scholars Program
College Horizons
Bernalillo, New Mexico

Mikaela Crank is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and leads College Horizon’s Scholars Pathway Program. She received her B.A. from Arizona State University and her Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Mikaela started her career in education at Mesa Public School’s Native American Education Program and Phillips Exeter Academy Summer School. She has served as a student advisor for the Gila River Indian Community, a program specialist at the University of New Mexico, and assistant director at Stanford University’s Office of Undergraduate Admission. Her area of specialization is college access, Native outreach, student advocacy and support.

School Counselor
Yarmouth High School
Yarmouth, Maine

Beth Doane has been a school counselor for 33 years, including the past 31 years at Yarmouth High School. Beth started her professional career in college admissions, working for the University of Maine system for 5 years. Beth believes that the relationship between school counselors and college admission colleagues is both essential and rewarding. One of Beth’s favorite aspects of her role is advocating for students, and working with admission offices as trusted allies. Beth is a past president and current membership chair for the Maine Counseling Association. She also served as a New England Association for College Admission Counseling Assembly Delegate, and New England Regional Council member on the College Board. Her favorite activities include cycling and hot yoga.

College Counselor
The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
Chicago, Illinois

Stephan Golas is now in his 20th year working in college admissions and counseling. Currently, he is college counselor at The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools in Chicago. Prior to Lab, Stephan served as the Head of College Counseling at the International School Bangkok in Thailand and as the Director of College Counseling and a French grammar teacher at Maret School in Washington, D.C. Stephan made the jump to the “other side of the desk” after several years working in college admissions, most recently at Pomona College.

Director of Scholars Program
One Voice
Santa Monica, California

Sharmon Goodman has been with One Voice since 2002. She continues to help the Scholars Program grow stronger and more accountable during her tenure. She serves as a founding and steering committee chair of Southern California College Access Network (SoCal Can, an alliance of over 120 community based, college access organizations) since its inception. Sharmon previously worked in genetics research and advertising. She holds a B.A. in English and theatre arts from Franklin & Marshall College, and is a graduate of the post-baccalaureate premedical program at Scripps College. She lives in Hollywood, CA with her husband, two children and dog, Harpo.

Director of College Access
Great River School
St. Paul, Minnesota

Teresa Hichens Olson is the Director of College Access at Great River School in St. Paul, Minnesota and the founder of the College Access program. She is a Fellow for Equity & Inclusion in higher education for the State of Minnesota and is first-generation herself, and originally from Maine. She’s passionate about education and supporting all students in finding their unique place in the world.

Head of Future Pathways and University Counseling
United World College Costa Rica
San Jose, Costa Rica

Through his ten years advising students in the university process, Steven Johanson started in admission for Ohio Wesleyan University before a return to Memphis (home to his alma mater, Rhodes College) at Memphis University School. After a wonderful few years at MUS, Steven and his wife, Meredith (also an educator), moved to Dubai working at GEMS Dubai American Academy before finding their way to Costa Rica. Now serving largely high achieving, low-income international students connected to the mission of utilizing a multi-national education as a platform for peace and sustainability at UWC, he hopes to bring his experience to bear in advising Bates in their efforts to expand upon their own mission and meet the needs of their dynamic student body.

Senior Associate Director of College Counseling
Ransom Everglades School
Miami, Florida

Claudia Jolivert is Senior Associate Director of College Counseling at Ransom Everglades School, where she has been a member of the college counseling team since 2008. Born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, Claudia received her B.S. in Finance from Georgetown University and her M.S. in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University. She currently serves as the Treasurer of the SACAC Board of Directors and served a five-year term on the Board of Trustees for the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS). A mother of three and the proud owner of two rescue dogs, Claudia enjoys volunteering with Breakthrough Miami, practicing ashtanga yoga, and dancing salsa.

Post-Secondary Specialist
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
New York City, New York

Allison Kleiman (she/her) has been public school counselor in New York City since 2008. Prior to that, her past experience includes working in undergraduate admissions at Fordham University. She is a NACAC, CACNY, and NYSACAC member where she has previously served as an elected high school delegate. Born and raised in Indianapolis, she holds a B.A. from Tufts University, where she majored in Child Development and minored in Art History. She went on to earn an Ed. M. in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Co-Director of College Counseling
The Hockaday School
Dallas, Texas

Micah Lyles serves as Co-Director of College Counseling at The Hockaday School in Dallas, TX. Prior to Hockaday, Micah held school counseling roles at Highland Park High School, where he served as lead counselor, Plano Independent School District (ISD) at both Memorial Elementary School and Clark High School and Sam Rayburn ISD as the K–12 counselor. Early in his career, he served as a college admissions counselor and as a high school English and theatre teacher. Micah is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the Texas Association for College Admission Counseling (TACAC), and the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS). He served a three-year term in the presidents’ cycle of TACAC and previously served as chair of the annual conference and co-chair of the Professional Development committee.

Executive Director
TeenSHARP
Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

Anthony Phillips is the Director of Pre-College Programs at TeenSHARP, a local college access and success organization. At 14, Anthony Phillips founded Youth Action, a student-led nonprofit that funds students to organize service projects in their community. Prior to that he has held positions within college access and youth development organizations such as KIPP Forward, Scholar Academies, Summer Search Philadelphia, W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars Program, Student Bridges in Massachusetts, WorkReady Philadelphia, Community College of Philadelphia, Snider Hockey, to name a few. He is very passionate about helping students just like him achieve great academic success and make an impact in their communities.

College Counselor/AVID Coordinator
Benson Polytechnic High School
Portland, Oregon

Kathleen Reid began assisting students with college admissions as a volunteer college counselor with the community-based organization Minds Matter, where she still volunteers weekly. She has worked as a school counselor in Portland-area public high schools since 2015. Kathleen completed the Harvard Summer Institute on College Counseling and earned her College Counseling Certification through UCLA. She loves helping students discover their strengths, navigate their futures, and determine paths to post-high school education. She’s particularly passionate about creating college access for underserved students. Kathleen enjoys yoga, hiking, traveling in her camper-van, and hanging out with her dog, Clyde.

Director of Guidance & Counseling
Newton South High School
Newton Centre, Massachusetts

Dan Rubin is the Director of Guidance & Counseling at Newton South High School in Newton, MA. In this role, Dan oversees academic advising, social-emotional/mental health counseling, and college counseling amongst other responsibilities. Dan has a deep interest in adolescent development and is a fierce advocate for practices that promote student agency. Dan’s commitment to restoring balance to the student experience drives his work in Newton. In his role as a mental health advocate, Dan is a featured contributor in the nationally recognized Signs of Suicide: Friends For Life educational program. Dan has a B.A. in Psychology from Yale University, an M.S. in Applied Educational Psychology from Northeastern University, and an M.Ed. in Organizational Management with a specialty in Educational Leadership from Endicott College. Dan lives in Needham, MA with his wife Julie and his two children.

Director of College Counseling
Eastside College Preparatory School
East Palo Alto, California

For the past sixteen years, Anna Takahashi has served as the Director of College Counseling at Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto, California, a private, independent high school serving low-income, first-generation students. She teaches a college counseling class to the seniors guiding them through all aspects of the college process and helping with their transition to college. Prior to Eastside, she was Associate Director of Admission at Stanford University. She enjoys the opportunity to work with students and their families in a process that is transformative and uplifting. Outside of Eastside, Anna enjoys exploring green spaces, reading works not written in essay form and adding to her vast collection of art and stationery supplies.

Postsecondary Advisor
Baltimore City College High School
Baltimore, Maryland

Khaliah Williams began her career in college admissions and counseling as a tour guide and senior interviewer at Sarah Lawrence College and later worked on diversity recruitment efforts at her alma mater and Eugene Lang College. After receiving her MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she returned to counseling work and spent twelve years as a college counselor at independent schools in Baltimore and Brooklyn, NY. She is currently a Postsecondary Advisor at Baltimore City College High School.

Served 2022-2023
Scarsdale High School
Scarsdale, New York

Served 2022-2023
Minnetonka High School
Minnetonka, Minnesota