Chris Bonneau

Director of Counseling

• B.S. in Communications from Boston University 

• Award-winning professional writer

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Though accepted at an Ivy League university, Mr. Bonneau opted to study at Boston University - an institution that better served his academic interests in Communications and provided him with a near-full scholarship. Since moving to California in 1995, Chris has been a prolific, award-winning writer (of screenplays and educational texts) and an accomplished teacher and counselor.  He has taught at a number of highly regarded academies throughout the Los Angeles area and has even written an in-depth guide to the SAT Writing section.
 

Chris has helped more than 2,000 students with the college selection and application process. During this time frame, he has guided students through more than 4,000 college statements. Many of the students that Chris has counseled have gone on to Ivy League and other prestigious universities.

Laura Hwang

Assistant Director of Counseling

College Counselor

• M.A., Social Psychology, San Francisco State University 

• B.A., Psychology, University of California Irvine

Ms. Laura has an extensive experience working and interacting with children of all ages and parents.  With her specialty in child psychology and a full knowledge and research of the phases and developmental stages that children, adolescents, and parents go through, she has taught and helped students and parents to better understand themselves and their relationships to one another.  

Michael Lathrop

College Counselor

• M.A. English Literature, Portland State University

• B.A. English Literature, University of Oregon

Mr. Lathrop has taught both high school and college level course at UCI and other local educational institutions.  He has led the SAT and ACT preparation programs for the last 3 years, and as a counselor successfully worked with a range of students, both local and international. 

Margaret Fajardo  

College Counselor

• Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in the Humanities, University of California, Berkeley

• Ph.D. Literature, M.A Literature in English, University of California, San Diego

Margaret has had the pleasure of guiding students towards their academic and personal goals. She began her career teaching university-level English and Writing courses at UC San Diego and UC Berkeley. In recent years, she has taught ESL students of all levels and has had much success assisting students in preparing for the TOEFL. Her background in writing and literature has been instrumental in helping students with their college application essays. Many of her students have been admitted to top universities, including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Juilliard, Rice, Stanford, University of California Berkeley, and USC.

Cedric Papa

College Counselor

• B.A.,Ethnic Studies: Asian-American Minor: History, Cal State Fullerton

Cedric has been working in the field of education for the past 8 years, helping high school students from diverse backgrounds achieve their academic goals through tutoring, teaching, and counseling. His students immediately take notice of his caring, optimistic, yet straightforward demeanor; students consistently express that under his guidance they feel more confident in themselves and in their future academic choices. Cedric prides himself on his ability to create honest and supportive relationships with students to develop each student’s distinct pathway to success.   

Wen Zeng

College Counselor

• B.S., in Mechanical Engineering    Minor: Anthropology,    Massachusetts Institute of    Technology (MIT)

Wen is a multidisciplinary graduate of MIT with experience working at a product design consulting firm, an aerospace company, and a tech startup. She uses her anthropology background and experience in human-centered design to understand people’s unique needs in order to devise meaningful solutions. Wen led an ESL tutoring program at her high school, taught English at universities in China, and worked as a volunteer college prep mentor for the Society of Women Engineers throughout her time at MIT. With her wide breadth of industry knowledge, she is able to provide insight into successful college paths in engineering, design, and the intersection of technology and social science.