ICC Welcomes Three Educational Experts
International College Counselors, one of the fastest-growing businesses in South Florida and one of the largest college and graduate school consulting companies in the country, is thrilled to announce three new hires. Our two new Directors of College Advising, Kelly Bennett and Debra Barnett Santostefano, are veterans in college admissions, with more than 40 years of combined knowledge. Marlene Fishbein, our new Director of Client Relations, has also spent almost 15 years in the education industry. We could not be more excited to welcome them to our team!
Kelly Bennett began her career in education more than 25 years ago. Most recently, Kelly served as the Director of Guidance at American Heritage School in Plantation, FL, one of the most prestigious college preparatory schools in the country. As the director of guidance, an academic advisor, and counselor for 20 years, she has worked extensively with students from Florida, as well as with international students representing more than 50 countries. She particularly enjoys guiding students through course selection, helping them find their passions, identifying volunteering opportunities, helping them create a balanced list, and editing innumerable essay drafts. For Kelly’s college admissions expertise, she was recognized with an Excellence in Counseling award from the University of Miami. She also served as a panelist at the Southern Association College Admissions Counseling (SACAC) Super Conference in Texas, where she spoke about studying the sciences at liberal arts colleges. Kelly, a graduate of Bucknell University, resides in Fort Lauderdale and will be working out of our South Florida offices.
Debra Barnett Santostefano joins ICC after 19 years as the Director of College Counseling at Windermere Preparatory School, an elite private and boarding school in Windemere, FL (outside Orlando). She has helped thousands of students apply and gain acceptances to hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the U.S., and around the world. Her expertise includes essay guidance, college research, interview prep, resume writing, attaining scholarships, identifying meaningful community service, managing athletic recruits, helping fine arts majors, and more. Debra has also hosted admissions officers from over 150 colleges annually and has visited over 100 colleges. Debra’s higher education includes a BA in psychology from the University of Southern California, an MA in counseling psychology from Boston College, and an MBA from Northeastern University. Prior to becoming a high school college counselor, Debra worked at Providence College where she taught management and served as the Associate Director of Career Planning and Internships. Debra resides in San Diego and will be heading up ICC’s new California office.
Last, but certainly not least, is Marlene Fishbein, who will be serving as our Director of Client Relations. Marlene comes to ICC as a veteran in the education industry, recently focusing on test prep and academic support for students in grades K – College. Since earning her MBA from Nova Southeastern University, she has worked with many private, public, and charter schools in a variety of roles: consulting with school administrators, serving as a guest speaker at school events, and most recently, helping families connect with the right tutor. Prior to working at ICC, Marlene was a national director at Revolution Prep.
To read more about our new advisors, click here. If you have questions or would like to inquire about working with Kelly or Debra, please call 1-954-414-9986 or visit http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com.