Texas A&M University

Hi! My name is Robert Pena and I’d be happy to be your student’s advisor! I am a former physician (M.D.) turned Science Teacher (Physics) turned High School Counselor. I am entering my fifth year as a counselor and have successfully guided hundreds of students from all backgrounds through the college application process. In fact, several of my students this past year earned full rides to Notre Dame, UCLA, Texas A&M, and the University of Texas at Austin!

Here are some fun facts about me:
Fun Fact #1: I delivered 35 babies in med school/residency
Fun Fact #2: I wanted to be a Southwest Airlines Pilot as a kid. However, my eyesight is terrible!
Fun Fact #3: I worked as a school photographer and vet tech while in college.

Due to my previous work as a physician, I am often called upon to work with students that are interested in the medical profession. Pre-med students are generally very intelligent. They do their research and can read everything there is to know online. What they often seek is the information that is not as easily discerned. What does it really take to become a doctor? What are the benefits of the B.S./M.D. program versus applying broadly? What can I do NOW to get a leg up on the competition? What can I do to set myself apart now and later once I am in college? What questions should I be asking that I haven’t considered?

Advising Philosophy: Reflect and know thyself. The best applicants are those that have put in the time and have found their voice. They have found their motivation and are invested in the application process. They can answer the “why” questions and speak at length about what they are looking for in a career/college. Helping students reach this point is crucial to putting out a great application.

Applying to college is an exciting process and I look forward to being your student’s personal guide during this important journey!

Hello! My name is Michelle Adebisi and I am excited to meet your advising needs. I received a Civil Engineering Degree, but I work as a Sales Engineer in the Electrical Engineering field. My previous work experiences have been in Land Development, Utilities Engineering, Roadway Design, and Oil and Gas. My advising experience started with serving as an incoming freshman orientation advisor at the University of Texas at Austin. I provided one-on-one advising sessions with incoming freshmen and discussed class schedules, major selection, student organizations, and orientation participation. I also prepared students for internship and full-time job interviews and edited their resumes and cover letters. As a second-generation college student, I am very passionate about helping students who do not have the resources they need to feel supported in their college application process. I have helped family and friends gain acceptance and enroll as a students in colleges like the University of Texas at Austin by reviewing their college essays and directing them to financial aid opportunities. I am also an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers (Life Long Member). I planned several community service events, professional networking socials, and professional development events with key industry speakers. My focus was spreading awareness of college scholarships and financial aid opportunities to underserved communities and inspiring more women to be in the STEM field.

Hello, my name is Nikki. I graduated from Brown University with a degree in Biomedical Engineering, which I am very proud of as a first-generation college student from the Rio Grande Valley in TX! At Brown, I was part of 2 different engineering research labs and worked a part-time job as a barista at the cafe in the engineering building. After graduating from Brown, I joined Teach For America and taught 8th grade math for 2 years. Now, I am a College Counselor at a charter school in Houston, TX. I walk students step-by-step through the college admissions process from building a college list to helping them understand their financial aid packages. I love having the opportunity to serve students whose shoes I was once in and show them the patience and kindness needed through the admissions process. I particularly enjoy getting to know students personally and finding the best way to help them tell their story in their application. I look forward to doing the same with my advisees and being a support for you in your journey to college!

I have worked with students full-time for over 7 years and worked with high school students part-time for over 2 years in my undergraduate career. At Mays Business School, I had the pleasure to advise and mentor students who are part of the Regents’ Ambassador First-Gen Scholars Program, a program of approximately 250 freshmen through senior year first generation college students with high financial need. I have also had the opportunity to collaborate with the Office of Admissions Regional Prospective Student Centers to recruit students throughout the state of Texas including Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Laredo, San Antonio, Austin, and the Rio Grande Valley. Before my current role, I served as a College Access Advisor at Aldine Senior High School, a Title 1 school in North Houston. At Aldine, I advised 700 high school seniors through the college application and matriculation process utilizing programs such as Apply TX, Common App, FAFSA, and TASFA and approximately 600 juniors on the college application process including finding best-fit, SAT/ACT preparation, scholarship applications, and career guidance. I am currently a College and Career Readiness Advisor for Houston ISD where I have advised over 300 students in the college application and financial aid process. One of my greatest strengths is having experience with students both in the secondary and post-secondary level with assistance in the financial aid application process. I am passionate about helping students reach their college and career goals.

I have a strong commitment to college education access, matriculation, transition and retention. I am currently in the pursuit of my PhD in Higher Education and Organizational Change at UCLA, have an MEd in Higher Education Student Affairs, and International Education Policy (University of Maryland, 2022) and a BA in Sociology and Ethnic Studies (UC San Diego, 2018). Throughout my undergraduate career, in addition to obtaining a minor in Education Studies, I actively worked with high schools by providing campus tour, hosting student for overnight programs, facilitating classes for a summer bridge program, presenting during high school conferences, conducting research at a high school and being an active mentor to high school students that were connected with me via personal networks. From 2018-2022, I was a College Advisor for the University of Southern California College Advising Corps where I worked predominantly with senior students and advised them based on their goals, aspirations and circumstances. I have given presentations on various topics (A-G, FAFSA, CalGrant, scholarships, transition programs, on-campus resources, etc.), have extensive resume, statement of purpose, and personal statement editing experience both for the college admission process and scholarship applications. I am a proud recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship (2013), which has an award rate of under 1% and has funded my bachelor’s, master’s, and is now funding my doctoral degree. In my 10 years of working with high school and college students in summer bridge programs, college access programs, outreach, programming, fraternity and sorority life, residence life, and research, I have developed an advising style that meets students where they are based on their knowledge. The premise of my advising style is to meet the needs of the student and their families/guardians with integrity and resourcefulness. I like to provide students with information to facilitate taking ownership of their decisions and can similarly have the confidence to answer questions and discuss topics with their families and guardians. I have enjoyed the process of involving parents to ensure they are equally informed as their students and together support students in their college-going process.

I was born in Chile and grew up in Santiago and in Caracas, Venezuela, until the age of 12, when my family moved to the United States. As a high school student in Texas, I knew that my parents' financial situation meant that I would need to limit my college search to universities in Texas to be able to pay in-state tuition. I received scholarship offers from the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A & M, and Southern Methodist University. Ultimately, I chose UT-Austin because I liked everything the city had to offer as the "live music capital of the world," the easy access to the gentle beauty of the Hill Country, and the university's reputation and wonderful campus. Although I had originally intended to pursue a dual degree involving civil engineering, at UT-Austin I obtained a Bachelor of Arts in the Plan II Honors Program. Plan II has multi-disciplinary course requirements and strong emphasis on problem solving, critical and analytical skills, and writing. To pay for the expenses not covered by my scholarship, I worked as a news and entertainment writer at the university's highly regarded newspaper, The Daily Texan, as well as serving as the Music Director for KTSB (now KVRX) student radio. Rather than pursuing a career in journalism or broadcasting, however, I worked for two years at a low-income housing corporation in Alexandria, Virginia, before pursuing certification to become a teacher in Texas. My career in education includes 22 years teaching overseas, including in China, the U.A.E., Vietnam, Tanzania, Malaysia, Albania, and Japan before returning to the U.S. in 2019. Along the way I obtained a Master of Education in TESOL from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. I was an IELTS examiner for twelve years and an SAT Center Director for two. Since 2005 I have worked at International Baccalaureate World Schools teaching IB Diploma History, Global Politics, Theory of Knowledge, and MYP Individuals & Societies, as well as IGCSE History and various other courses within the social studies umbrella, while also getting involved with college counseling on a part-time basis beginning in 2012. As a part-time college counselor at my schools in Malaysia and Japan between 2012 and 2019, I helped students to navigate the application process for universities in the UK (UCAS), USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Malaysia, and Japan. My former students have gone on to pursue degrees and careers in economics, business, law, medicine, public health, urban planning, nature conservation, psychology, graphic arts, music, and education. Thanks to social media, I have stayed in touch with many of them and have conducted extensive post-college interviews with some to find out more about their experiences in higher education and their subsequent careers. In my current role as Residential Faculty at a private IB World School in Tacoma, Washington, I continue to support students as they navigate the demanding curriculum of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program while living away from home. We currently have students from the USA, China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, Ukraine, Brazil, and Moldova, and I endeavor to apply my many years working internationally and knowledge of various higher education systems around the world to help them reach their dreams.

I have over four years of experience in direct college access work, helping students gain acceptance into selective colleges and universities. I also have more than four years of experience developing community education programs and building sustainable community partnerships for underserved populations.