Our experts include former members of admissions, professional and award-winning writers, former university and high school teachers, admissions interviewers, recruiters, and strategists.
We have graduated from the top universities in the world and come from diverse backgrounds.
We love our work and are dedicated to providing remarkable service to help you identify, pursue, and achieve your dreams.
FOUNDERS
Momo
Momo originally hails from Tokyo and was salutatorian at Palisades Charter High School. She graduated with a B.A. in English from Yale College in 2004, where she was a Robert C. Byrd Scholar.
Momo received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law. She was Managing Editor of the UCLA Law Review and practiced corporate law at the Tokyo and Los Angeles offices of Latham and Watkins LLP. She has advised CEO’s and Fortune 500 companies on billion-dollar deals, including mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, securities litigation. She also volunteered on pro bono matters related to adoption, disability and workers’ compensation. Momo brings such experiences to help students think about long-term goals and positioning themselves to find the right career and the right college for that career.
At Wise World Prep, Momo oversees operations and has worked with hundreds of students to pursue their dreams. She especially enjoys the process of working closely with students to identify and write their most compelling stories. During her free time, Momo is a volunteer college counselor at Palisades Charter High School, where she advises students on the college application process.
Wes
Originally from Oklahoma, Wes has over 30 years of experience in counseling students on college and graduate school admissions as well as career and life goals. He also taught literature at Harvard for six years, winning the Harvard University Certificate of Distinction in Teaching numerous times.
Wes graduated cum laude from Harvard College with a B.A. in Psychology, where he was elected First Marshal (President) of the Class of 1994 and awarded the Francis Burr Prize for excellence in academics, leadership, and athletics. He also rowed for the championship-winning Harvard Lightweight Crew team.
After graduating from Harvard, Wes traveled to Ghana after being awarded the Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Fellowship. He taught in a remote village school and volunteered in a rural hospital. In 2004, Wes earned an M.Phil. in Social Anthropology from Cambridge University in England. In addition to rowing for Trinity Hall, Wes also represented Cambridge in the 2004 Oxford-Cambridge Varsity Croquet match. Drawing from his extensive experiences, Wes specializes in advising international students and recruited athletes.
TEAM
Adam (Tutor)
Adam has over 15 years of experience helping students to master the standardized tests. He graduated with distinction from Stanford University, where he majored in American Studies and English.
While an undergraduate, he discovered a love for helping students reach their goals and connect with the colleges of their dreams. Since then, Adam has been crafting and tailoring an approach which better connects each student’s academic ability and test taking needs. His students’ score improvements rank among the top in the U.S. Adam has also trained numerous tutors and developed curriculum for teaching the tests.
Alexandra (Counselor)
Alexandra graduated magna cum laude from George Mason University with a B.A. in English (Creative Writing) and a minor in Film and Media Studies. She finds joy in helping students craft their most compelling stories with care and eloquence, resulting in her students gaining admission to highly selective schools. With years of experience in the education industry, Alexandra uses her gifts for writing, thorough organization, and zeal to ensure families feel fully supported throughout the admissions journey. Outside of her passion for education and storytelling, Alexandra co-hosts two podcasts and enjoys hiking with her partner, Jake, and their dog, Campfire.
Brian (Counselor)
Brian was born in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. Immediately upon graduating from Harvard College with an A.B. in Psychology, he was selected for TEACH NY and taught high school Social Studies in Brooklyn. Inspired by his time in Brooklyn, he was invited to serve in the United States Peace Corps in Thailand where he served as a middle/high school teacher focusing on Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Environmental Studies.
Since those profound first steps into the field of education, Brian has served as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard College, a United States Peace Corps Fellow on the Navajo Nation, an alumni interviewer for Harvard College, and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Southwest Native-American Foundation. He holds graduate degrees from The Harvard Graduate School of Education (Teaching & Learning) and the University of Massachusetts (English).
Brian brings to Wise World Prep his love of both the process and product of writing. In working with students to craft and sharpen the writing on their college applications, Brian values the self-discovery and life-long learning that college admissions preparation can offer.
Eliza (Counselor)
A graduate of Harvard College, Eliza earned their B.A. in Theatre, Dance, & Media and minored in African American Studies. With a gift for storytelling, they love to read, write, and teach their students about how to weave compelling narratives that capture the essence of their life experiences. When they are not tutoring, Eliza can be found acting or running marathons.
Jennifer (Administrative Team)
A graduate of the University of Florida, Jen earned a B.S. in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences and minored in Education. Deeply passionate about empowering people from diverse backgrounds, she spent a year leading a team in developing curriculum that helps single mothers improve their socio-emotional health and financial stability. During college, she volunteered in Ireland, teaching healthy social skills to refugee children. She has also provided caring, engaging tutoring to U.S. children from lower socio-economic backgrounds, allowing them to find greater academic success and joy for learning. Jen applies such experiences, alongside a robust administrative background, to help families and students alike navigate challenges with confidence and excitement. During her free time, she enjoys discovering the best local coffee shops, finding new books to add to her collection, and gardening.
Julian (Counselor)
With over 15 years of experience in college admissions, Julian has served as an admissions officer at Amherst College, a college counselor at several U.S. high schools, and an independent consultant to numerous students and families. He enjoys helping students tell their stories in the most captivating way and uses his positive attitude, efficient workflow, and diverse experience to help families embrace the admissions journey with a greater sense of calm and understanding. Originally from Los Angeles, Julian earned a B.A. from Amherst College and his passions outside of education include writing and entertainment, especially stand-up comedy.
Preston (Tutor)
With over 15 years of experience, Preston is a master teacher of the standardized tests and has trained hundreds of test prep instructors throughout the country. His students’ score improvements have regularly ranked him among the nation’s top tutors. Additionally, he is an experienced content developer and has written original content for a variety of test prep books and course materials. Preston earned his B.S. in Biology from UC San Diego and researched cognition and learning at the Salk Institute.
Preston has served as an AP Biology Instructor at a private high school in Del Mar, CA, where he also directed the after-school math tutoring program. Furthermore, he is committed to volunteer teaching in underserved communities. He recently designed and taught a summer math literacy workshop for inner-city middle school students to prepare them for high school.
Randy (Tutor)
With more than 10 years of tutoring experience, Randy is an expert in standardized testing who has guided students to elite scores in the 99th percentile for both the ACT and SAT. Randy graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Computer Science & Engineering.
He also specializes in tutoring math where he has guided students to 5’s in both the Calculus AB and BC tests. He has a passion for working with students, and he works hard to find the most effective and creative ways to help each student find and use their strengths to achieve their goals. When Randy is not tutoring, you may find him indulging in one of his many passions: studying acting, reading comic books, and obsessing about the Oakland Athletics.
Tiyhannah (Administrative Team)
Tiyhannah is originally from Florida, but she decided to venture out to the West coast to join our team after she got her degree in Economics from Yale University. During college she helped run the newly founded Book Exchange for the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project and worked at the front and back end of business administration, from front desk customer service to helping CEOs best plan future ventures. Beyond working with our operations, Tiyhannah loves to perfect new recipes, find a good anime, chat for hours about life philosophies, and simply enjoy the outdoors.
Yoona (Counselor / Tutor)
Yoona graduated magna cum laude from UCLA where she studied English Literature, German, and Creative Writing and received fellowships to study at LACMA and the UCLA Special Collections Library. She has taught and tutored writing at Santa Monica College, was the head editor at a small publishing company, and has written and edited professionally for several companies. She has been helping students achieve their educational dreams and goals for over 15 years. Helping students identify and gain confidence in their unique talents and characteristics is her passion. Outside of Wise World Prep, she loves trying new foods, learning cosmetic chemistry, and tinkering with formulation.
