A triple graduate of Columbia—earning my BA summa cum laude from Barnard College, followed by an MA and PhD in Classics— I have devoted much of my career to student development and the humanities.
I have held teaching appointments at institutions such as Columbia, Vassar College, the New School, and the Lycée Français de New York, and was the founding headmistress of La Scuola d’Italia in New York. At Columbia, I am Associate Dean and founding Director of the Columbia Scholars...
A triple graduate of Columbia—earning my BA summa cum laude from Barnard College, followed by an MA and PhD in Classics— I have devoted much of my career to student development and the humanities.
I have held teaching appointments at institutions such as Columbia, Vassar College, the New School, and the Lycée Français de New York, and was the founding headmistress of La Scuola d’Italia in New York. At Columbia, I am Associate Dean and founding Director of the Columbia Scholars Undergraduate Program, where I mentor the university’s most exceptional undergraduates. I oversaw Columbia’s Fellowships Office as well, helping students secure prestigious academic awards and research opportunities.
Applying to college, writing a college essay, and answering the many college-specific questions is not just about “writing:” I guide students in understanding themselves in relation to the college they are applying to as they find their voice and design a coherent, organic, and persuasive portrait of themselves.
I am a teacher at heart: I started teaching at age 17 and was tutoring at 15. As a school principal, I always taught at least one course yearly in order to keep my pulse on the high school student population. I have helped generations of high school students matriculate to colleges, helping them define and articulate their current personal and academic goals, putting them in touch with faculty, brainstorming ideas, and editing their work – and celebrating their admission to college!
Professionally, I advise students full time – on everything from course selection to fellowships to internships, research, and career explorations as well as broader life decisions.
The best part of working closely with students for the past twenty-five years is that I learn from them as much as I hope to help them learn. I enjoy getting to know each one of my students before they even matriculate as undergraduates and I remain in touch with them long after they graduate.
