White Plains, New York
This section will tell you a little about the people who make up Collegewise. If you'd like to meet them in person, just contact us.
Alex Weiner
Owner and Head Counselor of Collegewise - North White Plains
Alex majored in American civilization at Brown University, suffering much heckling from friends and family's not-so-witty bon mot, "Isn't that a contradiction in terms?" He shrugged off peoples' concerns and continued hobnobbing with celebrity students of that era (Late 1980s). Since opening Collegewise New York in 2001, his office has helped over 500 students apply and get accepted to the right colleges. He is a much sought after SAT and ACT tutor and is delighted to partner with the JCC of Mid-Westchester to offer small group classes. ACT prep classes for the Spring 2012 exams are registering now. He is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the New York State Association of College Admissions Counselors (NYSACAC), and the Westchester/Putnam/Rockland Counseling Association (WPRCA). While other kids spent their middle and high school years playing baseball or practicing the clarinet, Alex sat in his room memorizing the World Book Encyclopedia and the Oxford American Dictionary. Mr. Weiner also proudly wields an MBA from the Columbia Business School and a Master's of Arts in Teaching from Stony Brook University. He has his Permanent Certification from the New York State Department of Education in multiple subjects for grade levels 7 - 12.
Sarah White
College Counselor
Sarah has been participating in higher education since birth: she was, according to family lore, born at UVA's University Teaching Hospital surrounded by 30 medical students. Approximately 18 years later, she attended Skidmore College where she worked as a tour guide for the admissions office. During this time Sarah sustained only one walking-backwards-related-injury. She also worked as an admissions interviewer. Sarah completed a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University at Albany, which, besides providing a nifty advanced degree, allowed her to stay at school for many, many more years. Later she worked as an academic advisor at Manhattan College before moving to the 'burbs and focusing on raising a family. Currently, she is becoming certified as an independent educational consultant through the UC Irvine Extension program, and her little kids think it's a hoot that mommy has homework. And that's precisely when she feeds them porridge and steamed rutabagas for dinner. In her more well-rounded moments she spends time reading for fun, weeding her vegetable garden, researching recipes for whichever vegetables happen to grow, listening to show tunes (aka watching Glee), and practicing karate on students and families who insist on applying to all the Ivies. She is a member of NACAC, NYSACAC, and WRPCA and is thrilled to counsel Collegewise students.
Breda Malfesi
College Counselor
Breda (rhymes with "need a," "feed a," or even "read a,") joined
Collegewise NY in 2007 when she decided it was time to "graduate" after a
long rewarding career teaching English in the White Plains School
District. She has a bachelor of arts in sociology and education, a masters of science in reading from Hunter College and a certification in college admissions counseling from UCLA. She is also a member of the
National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the New
York State Association of College Admissions Counselors (NYSACAC), and
the Westchester/Putnam/Rockland Counseling Association (WPRCA). When
she's not garnering membership in various acronym-summarized educational
organizations, she also volunteers her time at College Summit,
a national non-profit group dedicated to helping under-resourced
students apply to college. Breda has traveled extensively, having
logged the usual 25,000 miles on a "round the world" journey. In fact,
Breda has crossed the International Date Line so many times, she is
actually younger now than before she began her travels.
Jessica DeDomenico
College Counselor
As valedictorian of her high school class, and someone who relished school excessively, Jessica found it difficult to officially graduate from high school. But she did, and moved on with her life. She is a 2000 graduate of the University of Virginia where she majored in psychology. minored in art history, and also met her husband. After four great years in the quintessential college town, Jessica moved to the “Big Apple” for graduate school and a change of scenery. So with 18 consecutive years of being a student under her belt, and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University in hand, it’s no surprise that she jumped back into school where she became a high school guidance counselor. Jessica has a combined five years of school counseling experience from Rye High School and Mamaroneck High School. She has her New York State Permanent Certification in School Counseling and she earned tenure in the Mamaroneck School District. Jessica recently left Mamaroneck to care for her infant and to join the Collegewise team. She is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the New York State Association of College Admissions Counselors (NYSACAC), and the Westchester/Putnam/Rockland Counseling Association (WPRCA). That's a lot of acronyms for just one person.
