Speakers
Mindy Zeidman, Management and Program Analyst - U.S. Department of Education
"What’s a FAFSA? Demystifying Financial Aid"
Mindy Zeidman has worked at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid since 2007. She is actively involved in project management and acquisition support for the College.gov Web site. She obtained a degree in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations from the University of Maryland at College Park.
Andrea Bell, Management and Program Analyst - U.S. Department of Education
"What’s a FAFSA? Demystifying Financial Aid"
Andrea Bell joined the U.S. Department of Education in September 2009 as a Management and Program Analyst within the Applicant Products and Customer Service Division of Federal Student Aid. She currently reviews the surveys submitted by customers who utilize the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the FAFSA4Caster. Andrea obtained her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and graduated in 2008 with a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice.
Kwaku Appiah, Management and Program Analyst - Students Channel
"What’s a FAFSA? Demystifying Financial Aid"
Kwaku Appiah joined the U.S. Department of Education in May 2005 as a Management and Program Analyst within the Applicant Products and Customer Service Division of Federal Student Aid. His current role is to help manage the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) which provides customers service to students applying for financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Kwaku obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, College Park and earned a Masters of Public Policy from the American University, Washington DC in 2005.
Matthew Greene, Educational Director - Howard Greene and Associates
"Tackling the Trends In 2010 College Admissions"
Dr. Matthew Greene is Educational Director of Howard Greene & Associates. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from Dartmouth College (1990) where he majored in history modified with government. He joined Howard Greene & Associates in 1997 after earning both his Master's Degree in Public Policy and his Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His graduate work focused on education policy-making, the structure of public school systems, and school discipline and violence. Matthew's professional experience includes teaching and counseling university undergraduates, and training graduate level teachers. He has interned at the United States Information Agency and the U.S. Department of Education, and has consulted to the Education Commission of the States.
Charles Ramos, Director of Outreach Services - ACT
"The ACT: Preparing for the Test, Preparing for College"
Charles Ramos presently serves as the Director of P-16/Outreach Services for ACT, Inc. The focus of his work has been in areas of enrollment management, advising and assessment and their ties to effective P-16 state, regional and national initiatives. Further, Charles has worked diligently to help both educators and employers understand the common standards and benchmarks that are key for both college and workforce readiness. Charles understands and values the importance of welcoming stakeholder voices into dialogue for the improvement of teaching and learning systems. His awareness of the power of establishing and sustaining relationships across the learning continuum for the mutual benefit of those serving in divergent educational settings has earned him the respect of colleagues across the nation.
Meg Grigal, Senior Research Associate, Author - Think College
"TBD"
Dr. Meg Grigal is a Senior Research Associate at TransCen, Inc. Dr. Grigal is the Co-Principal Investigator for the NIDRR funded Center on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, in collaboration Debra Hart at the Institute for Community Inclusion at University of Massachusetts, Boston and Children’s Hospital Boston. Dr. Grigal is also the Principal Investigator of the Postsecondary Education Research Center Project. Through this five-year project, she collaborates with local school systems and colleges in Maryland and Connecticut to collect data on the efficacy and outcomes of postsecondary education for students with intellectual disabilities. Prior to joining TransCen, Dr. Grigal directed On-Campus Outreach (OCO), an OSEP funded outreach project at the University of Maryland. Through OCO, she provided technical assistance and training and conducted research on the provision of transition services to students with significant disabilities in postsecondary settings across the country and has published numerous journal articles on the topic. She has extensive experience in adult vocational and independent living programs as well as secondary special education for students with disabilities and in developing community based transition programs for students with significant disabilities. She has conducted and published research in the areas of, transition planning, postsecondary access, self-determination, inclusion, and the use of person centered planning techniques. Dr. Grigal was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Maryland Interagency Transition Council and has served on this council for the five years.
Manvir Sandhu, Director of Marketing - HP Academy
"Technology Essentials for College"
Graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in California with a degree in accounting. Was fortunate enough to earn a football scholarship and achieve Academic All American honors, which were instrumental in paying the education bills and landing a job at a Fortune 500 company out of college. After years of crunching, counting, and analyzing numbers at HP, I realized that marketing and running a business was my true calling. At a large successful enterprise like Hewlett Packard, hard work, inspiration, and experience can open up amazing entrepreneurial opportunities. We created HP Academy to reach students - putting the best technology tools in the hands of inspired students at affordable prices. Students should not have to compromise when it comes to technology solutions… no matter what their budget. HP believes in turning dreams into reality by offering the highest quality custom technology solutions via HP Academy - the only Student PC Purchasing Program that enables students to build a custom professional PC solution within a student budget.
Molly Greek, Marketing Manager - HP Academy
"Technology Essentials for College"
Received my Bachelor’s degree from UC Davis and my MBA in Marketing from Golden Gate University. Prior to HP I helped students, parents and schools make sense of financial aid for college. I enjoy teaching and have taught at UC Davis extension and am currently teaching at CSU, Sacramento helping college seniors to prepare for the professional world. Working at HP Academy is a lot of fun because I’m still helping students figure out how to prepare and pay for college. I feel good about our mission to provide an educational discount to students and parents when they need it most. In my spare time, I stay fit in playing competitive women’s volleyball and pretty uncompetitive golf.
Scott Anderson, Director of Outreach - The Common Application, Inc.
"Introducing The Common Application"
Scott Anderson is Director of Outreach for The Common Application. Before joining the Common App staff, Scott spent nine years as a college counselor at two independent schools, where he advised students on the college search and application processes. He has also worked in the admission offices of Cornell University and Vassar College, as well as the University of Vermont financial aid office . Scott currently serves as Chair of the Admission Practices Committee for the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
Kevin Ladd, Vice President - Scholarships.com
"The High School Junior Scholarship Search"
Kevin Ladd has been helping students find scholarships and financial aid for over 10 years. Originally from the east coast, Kevin graduated from the University of Maine over 15 years ago. Kevin’s experience funding his own education influenced his participation in the creation of Scholarships.com, one of the most comprehensive, trusted and longest-running online resources for student financial aid. Kevin has been involved in the development of Scholarships.com from concept to the present day, while also developing and fostering relationships with high school and college counselors as well as scholarship providers.
Jaye Fenderson & Adam Fenderson, Documentary Directors - First Generation
"Behind the Scenes of First Generation"
Adam and Jaye are a husband and wife directing and producing team passionate about increasing college access for low-income and first generation students. Their feature-length film, First Generation, follows the stories of four high school students trying to be first in their families to go to college. For more information about the documentary, which will be released later this year, visit www.firstgenerationfilm.com Adam attended the USC School of Cinema Arts where he wrote, directed, edited, and produced several award-winning short films. Since graduating, Adam has worked in all aspects of production in both film and television for such companies as Warner Brothers, Village Roadshow, Walden Media, Bunim-Murray Productions, Shed Media US and PB&J Television. Adam’s editing credits include The Real World (MTV), The Simple Life (E!), America’s Psychic Challenge (Lifetime), Making Menudo (MTV), Miss America: Reality Check (TLC), America’s Prom Queen (ABC Family), Date My House (TLC), Dress My Nest (Style Network), Blonde Charity Mafia (CW/MTV), and Jerry Seinfeld’s new series The Marriage Ref (NBC). Jaye is the author of Seventeen’s Guide To Getting Into College, and in 2005 co-created and produced ABC’s The Scholar, an unscripted television drama that gave 10 high school seniors the chance to compete for a full ride college scholarship. Jaye has extensive film and television experience as a producer, director and camera operator and some of her credits include: Project Runway, 30 Days, Laguna Beach: The Real OC, The Simple Life, I’m With Rolling Stone, Dance Life, and The Marriage Ref. She has been interviewed by USA Today, US News & World Report, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Inside Higher Ed, and has published numerous articles on college admission. For more information about Jaye and her latest projects visit www.jayefenderson.com
Dr. Franco Pavoncello, President of John Cabot University - John Cabot University
"Why Attend An American University Overseas"
After receiving a B.A. in International Relations and Chinese and Japanese Studies (summa cum laude) from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Franco Pavoncello continued his studies at the University of Michigan, where he obtained an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Political Science. He has been a member of the faculty at John Cabot University since 1990, where he served as Dean of Academic Affairs from 1999 to 2005 while continuing to lecture in Political Science. In 2005, Franco Pavoncello became Acting President of the University and was confirmed President in April 2006. A leading analyst of Italian politics, his work has appeared in, among others, the American Political Science Review, the British Journal of Political Science, and Asian Studies. He is also a well-known media commentator on Italian affairs, a contributor to major international newspapers, and appears regularly on radio and television networks.
Ted Fiske, Author - Fiske Guide
"Choosing A College"
Edward B. Fiske, formerly the Education Editor of the New York Times, is an education writer and editor who has written extensively on school reform in the United States and other countries. He is also the author of The Fiske Guide to Colleges (Sourcebooks), an annual publication that is a standard part of college admissions literature, as well as numerous other books on undergraduate admissions. Fiske serves as chair of the advisory board of the North Carolina Center for International Understanding, a public service project of the University of North Carolina. He is also vice-chair of College for Every Student, a non-profit organization that promotes access to higher education for disadvantaged students in urban and rural areas. He was founding member of the board of the Central Park School for Children, a public charter school in Durham.
Alma Martinez, Parent -
"Consejos Para Los Padres/Advice for Parents"
Alma Rosa Martinez, born and raised in Eagle Pass, Texas, is the daughter of Margarito and Maria E. Moreno. After graduating from Eagle Pass High School, she worked as an Instructional Assistant and became a proud mother of four children, while earning a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a Bilingual Endorsement. Since moving to San Antonio, Alma has taught in a bilingual classroom, and is currently an Instructional Support Teacher for Spanish Literacy in Northside ISD.
Alan Gelb, Author - Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps
"Conquering the College Essay"
As a published novelist, nonfiction author, playwright, screenwriter, and college essay coach, Alan Gelb has applied all off this experience to the writing of Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps, published by Ten Speed Press. This unique approach to the personal statement distills the four basic elements of the narrative form and teaches students how to use conflict and resolution to create a memorable piece of writing that will stay in the minds of readers.
Williams Jaurez, Student - Boston College
"How I Paid For College All By Myself"
Williams Juarez graduated from La Puente High School with a full ride to Boston College by receiving the Opportunities Through Education Scholarship (2009-2013). He is the first in his family to go to college. He is also the recipient of the USA Funds Scholarship, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, GEAR UP Scholarship, and the City of La Puente Scholarship. Throughout high school he was actively involved in Taekwondo, a third-degree black belt and an instructor, held leadership positions in student government, school clubs, and sports, while maintaining a grade point average well above a 4.0. He was admitted to eleven out of fourteen colleges that he applied to, which included UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, and Occidental College. At Boston College he currently holds a leadership position in a cultural club, is preparing to work on research with a fellow professor, and is trying to get a Taekwondo club started. He recently was awarded Sr. Thea Bowman Scholar for receiving 3.8 GPA in his first semester at Boston College.
Glenn Milewski, Executive Director of the PSAT - CollegeBoard
"PSAT/NMSQT: Looking Beyond Your Scores"
Edwin Guarin, Academic Developer Evangelist - Microsoft Corporation
"Microsoft - Careers in Technology After College"
Edwin Guarin is the Microsoft Academic Evangelist for Higher Education in New England. He has been working at Microsoft for 9 years and his mission is to get students excited about technology and maximize their skillsets needed to enter the workforce with a competitive edge. Prior to this role, Edwin was a Rapid Response Engineer team lead, responsible for solving huge technology and server down issues at Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. Database Recovery was his specialty, and this led him to travelling all over the world, including the UK, Germany, Brazil, and Japan delivering workshops on this topic. His passions include connecting students to assist non-profit organization with their technology challenges and taking long road trips on his motorcycle.
Dr. Gary Gruber, Author - The Gruber Guide
"Test Prep: Don't Rush To The Answer"
Dr. Gary R. Gruber is recognized as the leading authority on standardized tests and the originator of the critical thinking skills used to prepare for them. Through his work- more than 35 books with over 7 million copies sold- he has dramatically increased SAT scores, and aptitude and intelligence among all age groups. His latest SAT book "Gruber's Complete Preparation for the SAT-2010- 13th Edition" (Sourcebooks) is out in bookstores now. His lifelong mission is to get the nation to be passionate about problem solving and to develop and hone powerful strategies and critical thinking abilities. Check out his web site: www.drgarygruber.com