Mr. Ganesh Kohli — Founder, IC3 Movement

Founder, IC3 Movement
Chair, 2020 Annual IC3 Conference
Chair, Board of Trustees, IC3 Institute
Chief Mentor, KIC UnivAssist

Ganesh Kohli is a teacher and counselor who has founded, nurtured and led multiple education-focused organizations over the past 20 years. An engineer by education, Ganesh started his career teaching Mathematics besides helping families find the best-fit education globally. His journey has led him to visit over 450 colleges and universities, present workshops at 300+ high schools, help 4,000+ students with their higher education decisions and present at numerous global conferences. In 2015, Ganesh stepped back from active involvement in his entrepreneurial ventures to drive initiatives that will have social impact. He supports The Aha Movement and Soul Science Foundation to bring meditation and mindfulness in everyday life. He has also simultaneously envisioned the IC3 movement to impact 175,000 high schools over the next 15 years. Serving as the Chair of IC3, Ganesh has helped build a platform that is providing much-needed focus on career and college counselling within high schools. The IC3 movement now attracts leaders from 500+ educational institutions to its annual conference, has 30 regional events across Asia and supports free education for school teachers to become trained career and college counselors.

Mr. Jim McLaughlin — Jim McLaughlin, Co-Chair, IC3 Movement, U.S.

Jim McLaughlin is an educator and lifelong learner at heart, and has dedicated his career to college counseling and student success. He traveled to more than 30 countries during his 15+ years in international admissions and student services at Chestnut Hill College and Drexel University, located in his hometown of Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love & Sisterly Affection.” Prior to joining the IC3 team full-time in September 2019, Jim most recently directed the Office of International Students and Scholars Services at Drexel University where he led a team of eight professionals serving 5,000+ students and scholars. He has been involved with the IC3 Movement since 2016 and has attended every Annual IC3 Conference. Jim has held several IC3 leadership positions, including Chair of both the Outreach Committee (2016-17) and University Committee (2017-18). Jim resides in the Philadelphia suburbs with his family and currently serves as Co-Chair of the 2020 Annual IC3 Conference.

Dr. Rajika Bhandari, Ph.D. — President & CEO, U.S.IC3 Institute

Rajika Bhandari, Ph.D., is the President and CEO of the IC3 Institute, leading the Institute’s work in the U.S., India, and globally. Prior to joining IC3, Dr. Bhandari served for over a decade in senior roles with the Institute of International Education (IIE), where she shaped and led IIE’s global and groundbreaking research and impact studies focused on academic mobility, including the flagship Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, Project Atlas, and the ongoing ten-year alumni impact study of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program. She also led IIE’s Center for Academic Mobility Research and Impact and helped shape IIE’s thought leadership strategy in the U.S. and globally. Her other roles include ones at MPR Associates (now part of the Research Triangle Institute); at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and serving as an Adjunct Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University.

A global expert in international higher education, Dr. Bhandari is a frequent speaker and writer, has authored six books and numerous book chapters and reports, and has written for the Guardian, Times Higher Ed, the Huff Post, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and University World News, with her work covered by NPR, PRI International, the BBC, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Quartz, Time, Times of India, and the Hindustan Times. In recognition of her contributions to international education, Dr. Bhandari has served on the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO and was one of 100 recipients worldwide to be awarded an IIE Centennial Medal in 2019, marking the Institute's 100th anniversary. A product of global student mobility herself, she holds a B.A. (Honours) in Psychology from the University of Delhi in India and a Ph.D. in Psychology from North Carolina State University.

Dr. Shalini Advani, Committee Chair — Director, Pathways School, Noida, India

Shalini Advani is founding Director of Pathways School Noida, one of India’s most highly ranked IB schools. Previously she has been Principal of the British School, New Delhi and Director Education of Learn Today. She has advised on the setup of new schools and conducted multiple teacher trainings. She has been a presenter at the Salzburg Global Seminar, the IB Asia Pacific Conference, the IC3 Conference on Career Counselling and the EdTech Review. Her publications include "Growing Up in the Nuclear Shadow," "Educating the National Imagination" and the essay "Childhood Sexuality: History, Memory, Mythology."

Dr. Harsha Alles — Chairman, Gateway Group of Schools, Sri Lanka

Dr. Harsha Alles is the Chairman of the Gateway Group of Schools, in Sri Lanka. He is a Medical Doctor by profession and holds a PhD from the University of Colombo. He was a lecturer attached to the Medical Faculty of the University of Colombo prior to joining his father to assist in the Gateway Group. He has won two Young Scientists Scholarship awards and a Presidential Award for Research. In 2000, he was recognized as The Outstanding Young Person of the Year for the contribution he made towards IT education of children. In 2003 he was adjudged the Gold Winner of the CIMA Pinnacle awards to be the Outstanding Businessman of the Year. Dr. Alles is the Past Chairman of The International Schools of Sri Lanka (TISSL), which is an umbrella organization consisting of the leading international schools in Sri Lanka. Under his leadership, the association undertook innovative initiatives such as the Annual International Conference for Heads of Schools and the first International Training Seminar for Heads of Schools held at the University of Nottingham, in Malaysia.

Capt. Rohit Bajaj — Director, Pathways School, Gurgaon, India

Capt. Rohit Sen Bajaj is a seasoned and passionate educator, dynamic communicator, effective administrator and a self-motivated individual, with a career spanning over 25 years. As a natural leader, Capt. Bajaj’s vision is to impart holistic education and create a powerful impact on today’s generation. Having served in the Indian Army for five years, Capt. Bajaj has an impeccable sense of commitment, duty and responsibility. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Education, Master’s in History and more. In the field of education, he has worked at the Lawrence School Sanawar and Oakridge in Hyderabad.

Mr. Abhimanyu Basu — Academic Project Director, Dhirubhai Ambani International School Mumbai, India

Abhimanyu Basu is the Academic Project Director at Dhirubhai Ambani International School Mumbai. His experience in the IB and CIE world extends over 23 years by being a Teacher, Senior Examiner, IB Workshop Leader for DP Administrators, DP Core and pedagogy related workshops. He is also an IB Consultant, Team Visit Leader for Authorization, Five year review visits for IB and Team Visit Leader & Member for CIS and NEASC. As Academic Project Director he is currently leading the Schools expansion into a second campus doubling the current students, staff and the facilities by almost six times on the principle of flexible learning spaces to promote student-driven personalized learning environments.

Dr. Barry Craig — President, Huron University, Canada

Dr. Barry Craig holds a BA from the University of Kings College, an MA from Dalhousie University and a PhD from the University of Wales. He has extensive experience in curriculum, program and policy development, and has published several books. He was co-chair of the Congress for the Humanities and Social Sciences in 2011 and has received numerous awards for both his teaching and research. Dr. Craig has served on numerous government commissions and task forces and is the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. Dr. Craig’s new vision for Huron, Leadership with Heart, sets an exciting course for future growth and distinguishes Huron University from other Canadian universities.

Mr. Santanu Das — Principal, Sarala Birla Academy, Bangalore, India

Mr. Santanu Das has been a friend and facilitator to his students for over three decades. Before joining Sarala Birla Academy as the Principal in 2009, he headed the Assam Rifles Public School, Shillong and the Aditya Birla Public School, Renusagar. He did his schooling from St. Joseph's Academy, Dehradun, has a Master's in Physics and a Diploma in German from the Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, a Bachelor's in Education from the Annamalai University and a Master's in Business Administration from the Symbiosis University, Pune. He has attended courses at the IIM - Kozhikode, PTC - London, The Haas School of Business, University of California - Berkeley and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has the experience of both Boarding and Day schools and has the experience of working with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council of Indian School Certificate Education (CISCE), International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) and the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE).

Mr. Manit Jain — Co-Founder, Heritage Group of Schools, India

As the co-founder of the Heritage Group of Schools, Manit championed the cause of experiential learning, launching it successfully in the mainstream environment. He is driven by the cause of real and humane education and continues to advocate and address the need for re-imagining schools. He co-chairs FICCI’s school education arm in India. Manit continues to found new ventures like “I am a Teacher,” a Post-graduate diploma in learning and teaching that is changing the paradigm of teaching in India and now runs its second center at the American School of Bombay. He holds a Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University.

Dr. Vinnie Jauhari, Ph.D. — Director, Education Advocacy, Microsoft, India

Vinnie Jauhari works as Director, Education Advocacy at Microsoft Corporation India Ltd. She is responsible for evangelizing education initiatives at Microsoft. She leads and manages strategic engagements in higher education and K-12, and also works on policy issues related with education. She works on programs leading to capacity development for teachers through initiatives in pedagogical innovation. She has authored twelve books published from New York, Toronto, and Springer, Germany in the domain of services, innovation and technology management. She has published over 100 research papers in national and international journals.

Mr. Karthik Krishnan — Chief Executive Officer, Britannica Group, U.S.Global

Karthik grew up in a home (both his parents were educators) that was a center of knowledge and transformation. From his parents he developed early on a love for learning, and happiness in enabling and seeing people succeed. He firmly believes in the transformative power of education and the need to transform education globally to meet the needs of the new world. He is currently the Global CEO of Britannica Group of companies (Britannica, Merriam-Webster, Britannica Knowledge Systems, and Melingo) and an adjunct Professor at New York University — Stern Business School. He serves on the board of Urban Upbound, an organization focused on transforming the lives of people in public housing in New York City through job training, financial fitness, and college access programs. He has been involved in a number of transformative initiatives including Doubling India’s agricultural production, Transforming Harlem (New York City) into a vibrant business community and tourist destination, and Establishing New York University (Stern Business School) as the pioneer and top destination for Entertainment, Media and Technology specialization.

Dr. Bhimaraya Metri — Director, Indian Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli, India

Dr. Bhimaraya Metri, Director, IIM Tiruchirappalli is a distinguished academician, renowned teacher, notable researcher and an astute administrator. An outstanding leader of management education, he has performed key leadership roles at many premier management institutes and corporate in his remarkable career. Under his dynamic leadership, IIM Tiruchirappalli has attained a position among the league of top business schools in India. He has also contributed immensely as Dean at L& T Institute of Project Management Vadodara, IMI New Delhi, MDI Gurgaon and leading research progammes at BITS Pilani. A renowned expert in the area of project management, quality management and supply chain management, he has numerous research articles and books to his credit apart being on the editorial advisory boards of several national and international journals. Currently, Dr. Metri is the Chairman of Resource Management Sectional Committee of Bureau of Indian Standards, Chairman, Board of Studies, All India Management Association, New Delhi; Member of the committee constituted by AICTE for evolving the governance structure in AICTE approved PGDM institutions; Member of the Committee to look into the domain areas for open and distance learning courses in respect to stand alone-institutions; He is also a Member of the Governing Council of Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History(SACON) Coimbatore under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India; Member, Academic Council, Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University and many more institutions and universities. Dr. Metri received his Ph.D from IIT Powai, Mumbai. Dr. Metri is the member of Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) USA and Institute of Supply Management (ISM) USA.

Mrs. Rupkatha Sarkar — Principal, La Martiniere for Girls, Kolkata, India

Principal of La Martiniere for Girls, Kolkata, which is an internationally renowned school, she is a post-graduate of Calcutta University with a Management Diploma in Administration. An educationist, teacher trainer and motivational speaker for the last 25 years.

Ms. Manika Sharma — Director, The Shri Ram Schools, New Delhi, India

Ms. Manika Sharma has completed over thirty years in the field of education. Post her graduation in Political Science in Delhi University, she completed a two-year Montessori and primary teacher training course in 1982 and a two-year diploma in the French language, then went on to complete her Master’s in Education. Ms. Sharma joined The Shri Ram School in 1989. Presently, she is the Director of the Shri Ram Schools and under her able leadership, the school has been consistently ranked #1 in the country. TSRS boasts of high academic results and varied extracurricular achievements. She has spent years on training to empower and equip herself with the new global techniques in education and administration. Mrs. Sharma has also been a teacher trainer for schools across the country.

Mrs. Lata Vaidyanathan — Director, Made Easy Schools, India

Mrs. Lata Vaidyanathan is a veteran educationist who stands dedicated and committed to the promotion of child-centered education. During her illustrious career of more than three and a half decades, she was the Principal of Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan’s school at Chandigarh, the founder Principal of Eicher School at Parwanoo and the Principal of Modern School Barakhamba Road, New Delhi for the last 14 years. Currently she is the director of TERI Prakriti School since October 2014.

Dr. John Wilkerson — Assistant Vice President, International Services and Director of International Admissions, Indiana University, U.S.

John Wilkerson is Director International Admissions at Indiana University. He has previously held the same position at the University of Missouri, and served as Director of Admissions for Columbia College in Missouri. Wilkerson holds degrees in counseling psychology and education and is pursuing doctoral studies in global education policy. He serves in various leadership roles with NAFSA: The Association of International Educators, the International Association of College Admissions Counselors, and the Council of International Schools.

Dr. Uttiyo Raychaudhuri, Ph.D. — Vice Provost for Internationalization, University of Denver U.S.

Dr. Uttiyo Raychaudhuri is Vice Provost and primary advocate for University of Denver’s comprehensive internationalization efforts. Previously, at Cornell he was the first executive director of the Office of Global Learning. He has served as Director, Clemson Abroad, and led University of Georgia’s Discover Abroad programs. An architect, entrepreneurial academic, and organizational strategist, Dr. Raychaudhuri holds a Doctorate in sustainable development. As faculty and administrator, he has been engaged with global engagement for over 18 years. His leadership has been recognized twice with IIE’s Heiskell Award for Best Practices and Innovation. His work and research promote global citizenship where he argues the case of dignity for life by nurturing love and respect for the peoples and environments of our world.

Col. (Retd.) Gopal Karunakaran — Chief Executive Officer, Shiv Nadar School & President, Shiv Nadar University, India

Col. Gopal Karunakaran is an M. Phil, and an MA from Madras University. While with the Indian Army, he was chosen for the United Nations Mission in Kuwait in a multi-lateral and multicultural environment. Gopal’s belief in education as a tool for social transformation has driven him to absorb a rich and diverse experience across all facets of school education including policy, academic leadership, operations, and business; and has helped him gain important perspectives on the key drivers of the education sector in India. A member of the National Committee of Education of the Confederation of Indian Industries since 2008, he was part of the team which formulated draft proposals to the Government on the Right to Education Act.

Mr. Lucien Giordano, Committee Chair — Director of International Outreach and Alumni Engagement, Dulwich College

Lucien Giordano has worked in international education since 2005. He began his career as a literature and history teacher in Egypt before teaching in the US and UK. From 2010 to present he has been based in China and worked in the counseling field as a University Counselor and the Director of Counseling for Dulwich College in Suzhou. He spent the last three years as the Assistant Director of Counseling for the Dulwich family of schools. In August 2019, Lucien took up a post as Director of International Outreach and Alumni Engagement for the Dulwich College International group. A central responsibility for this role is to connect DCI students and schools to inspiring communities and universities worldwide while helping the counseling, academic and administrative teams across the schools to gain understandings of world university systems.

Mr. Sunny Mahajan, Coordinator - Outreach — Director Partap, World School

Committed to academic excellence and the cultivation of diverse talents, Mr. Sunny Mahajan has been associated with the field of education for the past 12 years. His vision to provide the best learning environment, facilities and resources to the students has yielded tremendous results in every aspect. He is committed to achieving higher levels of student learning and well-being while also providing insight to teachers, students and parents about the vast academic and career options available. He also works collaboratively with the community to ensure that the school provides the best possible educational opportunities for everyone. Mr. Mahajan has received the following awards : Great place to study GPTS- London, IBA award from Soha Ali Khan in Bengaluru for Excellent Educational Initiatives and from Rocksport for Inspiring Educator Award-Punjab. Mr. Mahajan has also met and learned from great personalities like His Holiness, The XIV Dalai Lama and Hon’ble President of India on many occasions. Worked on various projects in collaboration with International Award for Young People IAYP, American Field Service AFS, Youth For Understanding YFU-India, UNESCO, British Council ,College Board, IC3, etc.

Ms. Anjali Anand Seth, Coordinator - Reduced Inequalities — International Recruitment Specialist Huron at Western University

Anjali Anand Seth is the International Recruitment Specialist of Huron at Western University in London-Ontario, Canada. She is responsible for recruitment, admissions and business development of the University in India. Anjali completed her Undergraduate degree in Political Science Honours from Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) and Masters Degree from Hindu College at Delhi University. She went on to complete an M.Phil Degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. Her area of specialisation was International Relations, with research on International Organisations such as the United Nations. Anjali also holds a Bachelor of Education degree and a PG Diploma in Journalism and Communications. As an academician and an educator, Anjali has over two decades of experience. Starting as a high school teacher, she moved to international education with Canadian education as her area of expertise. Her brief association with India Didactics Association (DIDAC) and ETS-TOEFL enhanced her multifaceted career in both academia and corporate. She utilised her skills to help educators re-imagine/re-envision education and improve the student-teacher learning space. Extensive global travel helped her to be culturally sensitive and recognise the role education plays in shaping the world today. Anjali is an active member of IACAC and is associated with organisations like Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC) and Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SICI), working extensively in the field of Canadian education.

Mrs. Geeta Jayanth, Coordinator - Professional Development — Principal, Legacy School

Mrs. Geeta Jayanth is the Principal of Legacy School, Bangalore. She has over 20 years of administrative, college counselling and teaching experience in repertoire of various curricula - IBDP, Cambridge Pathways and National Curriculum and is passionate about education and children. As a Team Member for CIS/NEASC School Accreditation, she has been on authorization visits to schools in India and overseas. She is on the Global Advisory Board of St. Andrews University, Scotland and IE University, Spain and School of Education, Christ University, India. She has been invited to premier universities in USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, UAE, Australia and Europe to and was awarded the Molly Abraham life time achievement award for her contribution in the field of education and college counselling at the IC3 conference in August 2019.

Ms. Ambika Kaul — Education and Career Counselor Delhi Public School, RK Puram

Ambika is a two-time entrepreneur and growth strategy tactician with over 17 years experience advising large global financial firms (GE Capital, American Express and AXA) in strategic, commercial and operational issues. In 2012, Ambika co-founded a Hong Kong-based kids fashion brand based (rated a top 50 global emerging brand) which was subsequently sold to a Swiss investor. She also established and sold a digital marketing company in 2013. She continues managing a luxury personalised stationery brand, The Secret Ink, which she co-founded in 2011. She is currently engaged with DPS RK Puram as their Education and Career Counsellor. Ambika read Economics at Delhi University and has an M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

Mr. Amit Dasgupta — University of New South Wales, Sydney, India, Strategic Advisor, India Engagement

Amit is a retired Indian diplomat, having served in various capacities in India, Cairo, Brussels, Kathmandu, Berlin, Sydney, and Manila. He was India’s Ambassador to the Philippines, with concurrent accreditation to the Republics of Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia. Amit was the inaugural India Country Director for the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Thereafter, he was appointed Strategic Advisor for the university on its India engagement program. He was the first Head of the Mumbai campus of the prestigious business school, SP Jain School of Global Management, where he was also part of the school’s faculty. He is a published author, with several books to his credit. His writing has been also published in academic journals, civil society magazines, and newspapers on foreign/security policy, management, and leadership issues, and education and government policy.

Ms. Brigitte Cass — Head of Consumer Studies, Herschel Girls School

She lives in Cape Town in South Africa and has been teaching at Herschel Girls School for four years. She has been teaching for about 27 years, and although she is not a career counselor, she has developed a passion for helping students find their niche in the world.

Mr. Ganesh Kempaiah — College Guidance Counselor Canadian International School, Bangalore India

Ganesh is a College Guidance Counselor at the Canadian International School Bangalore. He transitioned to the education sector almost a decade ago. Ganesh regularly participates in IC3 Regional Forums, he is passionate and is always trying to find ways to help students have an uplifting college application experience.

Ms. Grace Hu — Sustainability Manager, Dehong Education

Grace Hu is working with Dehong Education as the Sustainability Manager in Shanghai. Grace has 10 years of experience in sustainability and CSR, working as the CSR manager and as a professional consultant in the corporate sector and for NGOs (both multinational and local ones). She has developed lots of experience in strategic planning, project management, communications and developing service projects. Grace has a strong passion for sustainability, is highly motivated and is a strong team-player.

Ms. Pooja Rao — Counselor, Avasara Academy

Pooja is currently the Head of Department, Counseling, at Avasara Academy, Pune, a leadership institute for girls from economically challenged communities in India. With over 12 years experience working with children and adolescents, in her existing role, she not only oversees socio-emotional, college and career counseling for the girls, but also advises on broader strategic decisions of the academy. Prior to that, she was the Director of the Residential Program at Ashraya Initiative for Children, an NGO that offers holistic development opportunities to children from underprivileged communities in Pune. Pooja also worked as a Clinical Psychologist at the Child Development Centre of K.E.M. Hospital, Pune. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women’s University, Pune.

Ms. Shikha Vij — College Advisor

Ms. Shikha currently works as a College Advisor at Step by Step School, Noida. She has M.Phil in Clinical Psychology from IHBAS (Delhi University), and over ten years of experience in the fields of Socio- emotional Counselling and College Guidance. As a counselor, she has reviewed a plethora of college applications, essays and visited many schools and college campuses. Her students ranging from UBerkeley, ANU, University of Sydney, NYU, Boston University, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, University of Cambridge, King’s College London, Imperial College London, University of Waterloo, NUS and University of Hong Kong, etc.

Mr. Shishir Kumar Upadhyaya — Senior International Advisor, Lehigh University

Shishir is a strategy and marketing professional with around fourteen years of experience in higher education, science, technology and medical (STM) information analytics, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices and diagnostics landscapes across multiple functional areas, including strategic planning, business development, solution sales, product strategy, product development, and project management in South Asian and North American territories. Currently, he manages recruitment and partnership activities for Lehigh University in South Asia. He is experienced in product management across the product life cycle- right from identifying the opportunity, to pitching the idea, business case preparation, securing funding, and product development till product launch. Shishir has a double Masters' degree, in Biotechnology from IIT Roorkee, India, & Business Management from Schulich School of Business, Toronto, Canada.

Ms. Tanushree Sinha — Founder member of Shiv Nadar School

Tanushree is a founder member of Shiv Nadar School and has been with the organization since 2011. She has handled multiple roles in the organization and currently, she has been entrusted upon the role of Head of Career Guidance Cell at Shiv Nadar School, Gurgaon, wherein the major responsibility is to conceptualize the Career Guidance Cell. Her role involves encouraging, guiding, and preparing students for a successful career in Indian & Global Universities leading to the right choice of program. Tanushree has also efficiently handled the Human Resource department since 2011 and was responsible for recruitment and talent management. Her role also included monitoring and being responsible for School admissions for 5 years since the inception of Shiv Nadar School. Tanushree also held additional responsibility as Parent Relationship Officer, which was conceptualized under her Leadership, wherein her role was to bridge the gap between school and parents and ensure collaborative functioning. Prior to joining Shiv Nadar School, Tanushree was with Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad (Managed by TAJ Group of Hotels), which has an academic tie-up with the University of Huddersfield, UK. Tanushree was the Head of Placement for Final Year students and also efficiently handled the additional responsibility of internship in-charge for all students. Having worked in two major industries, Hospitality & Education, she had the opportunity to learn policies, procedures, and protocols necessary to enforce them in an ethical manner. In all her past exposure, experiences, she had gained experience in administration, counseling, designing promotional material , and many more things. This has helped her to critically evaluate all matters relating to students in a logical manner leading to higher levels of student satisfaction.

Dr. Uttiyo Raychaudhuri, Ph.D. — Vice Provost for Internationalization, University of Denver U.S.

Dr. Uttiyo Raychaudhuri is Vice Provost and primary advocate for the University of Denver’s comprehensive internationalization efforts. Previously, at Cornell, he was the first executive director of the Office of Global Learning. He has served as Director, Clemson Abroad, and led University of Georgia’s Discover Abroad programs. An architect, entrepreneurial academic, and organizational strategist, Dr. Raychaudhuri holds a Doctorate in sustainable development. As faculty and administrator, he has been engaged with global engagement for over 18 years. His leadership has been recognized twice with IIE’s Heiskell Award for Best Practices and Innovation. His work and research promote global citizenship where he argues the case of dignity for life by nurturing love and respect for the peoples and environments of our world.

Ms. Khushboo Taparia Bedi, Committee Chair — Coordinator Samcara- The Career Counseling Cell, The Sanskaar Valley School, India

Khushboo Bedi is the Coordinator of the Career Counseling Cell at The Sanskaar Valley School, Bhopal (Career Cell ranked All India #5 by Education World Magazine). She pursued MBA from San Diego State University, USA and worked for 2 years in the United States as a Business Analyst. She has 9 years of experience in education, training and counseling. She has counseled 1000+ students for different national and international career options along with spearheading all the career events and workshops at The Sanskaar Valley School. She is a member with International ACAC and is a certified International Career Coach from NCDA, USA. She was nominated for the Best Emerging Counselor Award in India at the 2019 Annual IC3 Conference.

Mr. Vatsal Chandra, Co-Chair, Facebook & Video — Regional Recruitment & Development Officer, India, University of Essex

Vatsal is a young educator who has spent more than 4 years in research, academia, and education management. With a Masters degree in International Relations from University College Dublin, he has worked in policy and research in countries like the USA, Ireland, and India. Currently working as the Regional Officer for the University of Essex, Vatsal is passionate about the role of counseling in international education and policy.

Ms. Ramya Modukuri, Co-Chair, Podcasts — College & Career Counselor, Manthan School Hyderabad, India

Ramya's mission as Career Counselor at Manthan International School, Hyderabad, is to help high school students make well-informed decisions about colleges and careers based on their own passion and skills, rather than on preconceived notions or external perceptions. She has laid the framework for setting up a robust four-year high school curriculum for career counseling and college advising, which includes classroom sessions, seminars, talks, panels, workshops and various other avenues for helping students discover what they want to do and how to get there. Ramya holds an MBA from New York University, a BTech from NIT Trichy and has extensive experience working in finance and technology globally and across functions.

Ms. Pragati Karki, Co-Chair, Ground Outreach — Career Guidance Counselor, St. Xavier's College, Nepal

Pragati Karki is a professional Career Guidance Counselor who has been actively involved in this field since 2016. She is currently working at St. Xavier's College, Kathmandu, Nepal, and is one of the crucial members of GCE A level department of the college. She is a graduate of social work and is also skilled in subjects like public speaking, school and career counseling, academic as well as organizational documentation, etc. She loves to spend her free time reading books and internet articles, hiking, and learning new things about counseling. She is also a certified Reiki practitioner.

Ms. Devyani Bhatnagar, Co-Chair, Instagram Live — College Counselor, Sanskar School, India

Devyani Bhatnagar is a Student counselor at Sanskar school Jaipur, where she guides students through their high school journeys, and helps them select and apply to universities in India, USA, UK, and Australia based on their aptitude and interests. Before working at Sanskar, Devyani independently took care of Globaledy, a student counselling organization, based out of Jaipur for almost 7 years. She along with a very capable and dynamic team helped students from schools across Rajasthan select universities, finish application processes and write their essays.

Ms. Sadhana Badrinath — Regional Head - Admissions Outreach (South), FLAME University, Lavale, Pune, India

Sadhana Badrinath has been associated with FLAME University since 2008. She was the Regional Marketing Consultant until June 2017 and later the Regional Marketing Counselor. She is currently the Regional Head - Admissions Outreach (South). She has a diverse professional background and started her career as a computer programming course instructor. She then moved on to the chemical industry for over 23 years. Her leadership skills made it a successful venture. She also volunteered as a counselor for AWAKE (Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka) in order to advise other aspiring women entrepreneurs. In 2004, she made a transition in her career after she took a course in life skills and also attained her certification as an NLP Practitioner. This inspired her to co-found Academic Ally, along with two eminent child development paediatricians. Together, they facilitated life skills to parents, educators and over 5,000 children across schools in Bangalore. Sadhana’s passion is to share her knowledge with young people and guide them through their career. In order to pursue this, she started working with FLAME University. She is currently responsible for the university’s student base in South India. She attributes her success to her great human relations, her finely honed business sense and her strong sense of self-belief.

Ms. Petra Orent — Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Franklin University, Switzerland

Petra was born and raised in Bratislava, Slovakia, but moved with her family to Florida and attended high school in the U.S. She is the Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Franklin University Switzerland. Her role at Franklin University Switzerland involves representing her university across the world and working with students as they make one of their most important decisions. She has completed her majors in International Relations and minors in Economics and History from the Franklin University Switzerland.

Ms. Shivangi Panchal — School Counselor, Ahmedabad International School, India

Shivangi Panchal is the School Counselor at Ahmedabad International School, along with being the Executive Director of Administration as well as the IBDP Coordinator. Shivangi was involved in setting up the school from the inception stage, and as counselor, has placed students in several universities across the world, including most of the Ivy League schools. She also serves as the AP, PSAT and SAT Coordinator at the school. Shivangi has a B.Com, LLB, and a Master's in Music.

Ms. Lamia Rahman — Academic Counselor, Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka

Lamia Rahman is currently working as an academic counsellor at the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP). Previously, she worked as the Head of the Career Counselling Department at Delhi Public School Dhaka, Bangladesh. Before that, Lamia worked in education sectors in several countries such as China, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and the U.K. Her educational credentials include an M.A. in Education from the University of Manchester and an M.Sc. in Botany from the University of Dhaka. She is an alum of the International Visitors Leadership Program. She is a current member of the International Association of College Admission Counseling, American School Counselor Association and Bangladesh College Counsellor Network.

Dr. Kshitiza Singh — Career & College Counselor, Hopetown Girls’ School, Dehradun, India

Dr. Kshitiza Singh, the Career and College Counselor at Hopetown Girls’ School, Dehradun, holds a Ph.D. in Economics and is certified by UCLA. She has over 20 years of experience as a Social Studies and Economics teacher, principal at a hotel management college, and founder-trainer at a beyond the classroom skills company. As part of her job, Dr. Singh visits faculty at universities and trains teachers at other schools. She is looking to pursue the career counseling movement to help the maximum number of people.

Ms. Ina Kaul — Regional Director- Student Recruitment, Toronto Film School, Canada

Ina is a seasoned international student recruiter with over 8 years of experience across the UK, India, and Canada admissions landscape. Her driving force is her passion towards empowering the youth and mentoring them to transform their lives and their communities. She spent an extensive part of her professional career with the University of Warwick, where she was responsible for marketing and enrollment for the Indian market. In her present role as Regional Director, Student Recruitment at Toronto Film School her focus is to drive the South Asia region by tapping into newer markets and growing the footprint. With the changing education landscape, Ina is working towards digitization strategies by facilitating initiatives that enable connection and community between students and educators.

Ms. Subhaashini Ghosh — Career Counselor, JBCN International School, Oshiwara, Mumbai, India

Subhaashini Ghosh is the Career Counselor with JBCN International School, Oshiwara. Professionally she is qualified in the fields of Career Counseling, Science and Spirituality. Subhaashini has rich and varied experience in the field of career counseling. She has seen lives change and flourish with appropriate guidance at the right time. This makes her committed to the vision of every school having a career counseling team and every student access to career counselors.

Mr. Aamir Masood — Head Career Guidance Centre,Shiv Nadar School

Aamir Masood has over seven years of experience in education. He began his career as a counsellor in the study abroad domain. In 2014, he joined the Shiv Nadar School as part of the central core team. He has been part of policy making process implementation. In 2015, he set up the department of career guidance at the school. In 2012, he worked for The Princeton Review as a test prep advisor and college guidance counsellor. Currently, Aamir heads the career guidance centre for the Shiv Nadar Schools.

Mr. Eric J. Steere — College and Career Advisor, Diyar International Private School, Fujairah, the UAE

Eric J. Steere is the College and Career Advisor for Diyar International Private School in Fujairah, UAE and also serves as Editor and Core Member of the UAE Careers Community, working to build stronger careers practices in schools and communities across the country. With previous experience managing partnerships and teaching at the College level in the United States and India, Eric has been guiding students to best-fit career and college opportunities since 2016. He holds degrees in International Relations from the University of St. Andrews and Durham University and is completing his Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA Extension.

Ms. Namrata Sharma — Career Counselor, Sanskaar Valley School, India

Namrata Sharma is a graduate with double majors in Psychology & Sociology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. She has done her masters in Career & Developmental Counseling along with a Post Graduate Diploma in School Counseling from Mumbai. She is an Internationally Certified Career Coach by NCDA & CDA, USA. Presently, she is working with The Sanskaar Valley School, Bhopal as a Career Counselor, guiding students in deciding the right fit college and career option. Namrata has a vast experience of working with students and professionals, helping them select the right career path. She has worked in career development organizations and schools in Mumbai, Indore & Bhopal.

Ms. Sapna Goel — Career Counselor, Mayo College, Ajmer, India

Sapna Goel is an alumna of Tata Institute where she pursued her Master's in Medical and Psychiatric Social Work. She has a diploma in Child Guidance and Counseling from NCERT, Guidance and Counseling from Barkatullah University, and Career Counseling from UCLA. She has worked extensively in the social sector on issues related to primary education, teacher training, child sexual abuse, children of addicts and child psychology. For the last two years she has been working as a Career Guidance Counselor and Behavioral Counseling Consultant at Mayo College, Ajmer, where she has been instrumental in setting up the Career Guidance Centre. She has many years of experience in the areas of parenting and children’s emotional and behavioral counseling. For the last two years she has been working as a Career Guidance Counselor and Behavioral Counseling Consultant at Mayo College, Ajmer, where she has been instrumental in setting up the Career Guidance Centre.

Ms. Poonam Maheshwari — Career and University Guidance Counselor, Singapore International School, India

Poonam Maheshwari is an ingenious college guidance counselor who loves interacting with students and promoting career opportunities. A go-getter and believer in chasing dreams with a wide experience of more than a decade, it gives her a feeling of immense satisfaction seeing students grow and excel in life. The wanderlust inside her has made Poonam flexible and adaptable, with diverse cultures and a food bon vivant.

Ms. Lyndsay Sprado — Associate Director, Student Recruitment, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Joining the IC3 movement with experience from both sides of the recruitment world, Lyndsay is based out of the beautiful city of Vancouver, BC, as the Associate Director, Student Recruitment for Simon Fraser University, Canada's Engaged University. Prior to joining the SFU team, Lyndsay was based in Japan, working as the Director of Admissions and Co-Director of University Advising for UWC ISAK Japan, one of the newest member schools of the United World College movement. With 10 years+ experience promoting Canadian Post-Secondary Education across the globe for both Brock University and the University of Alberta, Lyndsay's goal has always been focused on making the student experience as best and comfortable as can be - the goal is helping you help your students find the right fit program and school!

Ms. Wendy D'Souza — Vice President - India & South Asia, Education in Ireland, India

Wendy is currently Vice President – India & South Asia with Education in Ireland. Her key responsibility is to build awareness among students in India & South Asia about Ireland as a study destination for higher education. She is also involved in developing & sustaining a strategic relationship between Ireland & India. She has 25+ years of experience being in various verticals from recruitment to training and marketing to business development. Her previous assignment was with the Australian Trade Commission where she spent 10 years promoting Australian Education. She has also handled their social media strategy, brand management and content development. She holds a PGDBM from Xavier Institute of Management and has completed her BA from Mumbai University. She is a Google certified digital marketer.

Ms. Tiffany Goulet — University Counselor, Oberoi International School, India

Tiffany grew up in northeast U.S. and earned a B.A. in History from Mt. Holyoke College. She taught for seven years and earned an M.A. in History from George Washington University before venturing overseas. After living in Bangladesh (four years) and Dubai (two years), she earned an M.A. International Counseling from Lehigh University. She and her husband moved to Saudi Arabia (three years) and China (two years), and added son, Nicolo, to the family. Moving to Mumbai in 2015, she is one of three counselors at OIS, has adopted two street cats, has no plans of leaving India anytime soon and enjoys running, reading and living a balanced life.

Ms. Chien Hau Lim — Career Counselor, Meragang Sixth Form Centre, Brunei

Chien Hau Lim serves as a teacher and career counselor in Meragang Sixth Form Center, Brunei. Her twin passions are teaching literature in English and English General Paper as well as running programs to counsel students on university options and career opportunities open to them. She also seeks to empower students in making their own choices and support the career counseling team in her school by keeping up to date with university trends around the world, updating the school careers website, and managing the school’s Instagram page.

Ms. Binny Tangri — Global Admission and Recruitment Coordinator, University College Dublin, India

An alumna of University College Dublin, Binny has spent 3 years in the education industry. She loves advising students on admissions, choice of courses and with all the "right stuff" to have a successful student life. Her goal is to add value in the lives of young minds by opening the world of opportunities!

Ms. Shraddha Kumar — Special Educator and Career Counselor, Utpal Sanghvi Global School, India

A proud member of the IC3 cohort of 2019-2020, Shraddha has just embarked on the career counseling journey. She is also a special educator and has used her learnings with IC3 to guide her students to find their calling in life. Her first year with IC3 has been eventful, with lots of virtual sessions with top universities as well as interactions with some of the best counselors. She is looking forward to a close association with the IC3 Movement and hopes to help as many students along the way as she possibly can.

Ms. Denise Clement — Junior College Counselor, The Beacon Academy, Philippines

Denise Clement first discovered her passion for higher education and helping international students as a student worker for the international admissions office of Loyola Marymount University, where she took her undergraduate degree. After graduating, she worked in corporate recruitment then transitioned to the educational space, initially working in the education technology industry. Currently, she is part of the Careers and College Counseling Team at the Beacon Academy, a Filipino-International School located in Laguna, Philippines. As a previous international student, she understands that there are a number of intricacies that need to be considered in applying and going to colleges abroad. She continues to utilize her understanding and experience in her career and college counseling.

Ms. Palak Behl — Recruitment Adviso, King’s College London,India

Palak works as a recruitment advisor at King's College London. She completed her education from India and has 6.5 years of work experience in the education sector, including outreach and academics. In her previous role, she was a co-founder of the outreach team at an affiliate center of the LSE (based in New Delhi) and was responsible for strategizing outreach activities, including the delivery of in-country workshops for maximizing student enrolment and developing and maintaining the brand with all external stakeholders. She has been a part of the IC3 Movement for a while as a participant. It gives her immense pleasure to be on the other side now and contribute as a committee member to add value to the mission.

Praseeja Nambiar — Career and Guidance Counselor, Stonehill International School, Bangalore, India

Praseeja Nambiar has served as the Career and Guidance Counselor at Stonehill International School, Bangalore, for the past three years. Self-motivated and dynamic, she brings with her over five years of teaching experience across Indian and international curricula. Her journey from a network and control engineer in the automotive industry to education has been transformational. Her strength lies in establishing strong relationships with universities in India and abroad. With her qualification in Engineering and Management, she has been able to develop, structure, and streamline career counseling department activities in her school.

Ms. Barkha Narang — University Guidance Counselor, Genesis Global School, Noida, India

Barkha is a career planning expert & an experienced counseling psychologist. An alumnus of University of Delhi, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree holder in Counseling Psychology. She holds a PG diploma in guidance and counseling and is also trained in cognitive behavioral therapy. A certified global career counselor by Univariety, Singapore and University of California, Los Angeles, and holding international career coach certification from NCDA & CDA, USA, currently she is working as a university guidance counselor at Genesis Global School Noida with students of IB & CBSE curriculum from grades 8-12. She has been successful in guiding numerous students to discover their true potential and to gain valuable insights on their career and college planning in India and abroad.

Ms. Nicole Weathers, Committee Coordinator — Marketing and Communications Coordinator, KIC UnivAssist, U.S.

As a Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Nicole Weathers assists in developing content in areas including social media and email marketing. Nicole's previous experience includes content writing and editing, social media strategy and execution, and website development and maintenance. Nicole holds a B.S. in Management and Marketing. Outside of work, she loves to travel and spend time with her Goldendoodle, Costanza.

Ms. Garima Dawer, Committee Coordinator — Communications & Marketing Manager, IC3 Conference, India

Garima manages content, PR, committee coordination, and various marketing and communications projects for IC3. Garima has been working in the field of communications and content for close to eight years, four of which have been associated with the education sector. Being associated with a cause larger than just profit-making is very important to her so throughout her professional journey, she has tried to work with organizations that serve humanity in some way. She has worked in the fields of education, mental health, urban poverty, and briefly with refugees and insurance. She is quite the nerd and loves to learn, which has led her to study diverse fields like Literature, Journalism, Human Rights and Conflict & Peace Studies, and she’s on the lookout for the next one!

Ms. Amrita Ghulati, Committee Chair — Assistant Director, Global Education and Strategic Programmes, Ashoka University, India

With a Master’s degree in Psychology, I delight in understanding and reaching out to students. I thoroughly enjoy exploring valuable opportunities and making choices, along with the students, for their future course of study. Having been a teacher and had the experience of setting up a career counselling center at a top school, I find the close interaction and collaboration with all stakeholders involved truly engaging and demanding. Now, the stimulation and challenge are to add to this background. I am working towards engaging with international institutions to facilitate exchange and specialized study programmes that will enrich the educational journeys of students.

Mr. Joshua Craig, Committee Co-Chair — Recruitment Officer, University of Toronto, Canada

After earning a B.A. in History from the University of Toronto Joshua pursued post-graduate studies in journalism leading to a 5-year career with premier Canadian broadcasters CBC and TSN. As a passionate traveler, 2015 saw Joshua return to his alma mater to fulfill a role in International Recruitment. In this capacity, Joshua has worked to assist the U of T achieve its recruitment goals in Southeast Asia, the United States. Persian Gulf, and most recently in India. This experience has provided him with an expansive knowledge of the global university admissions landscape and a great appreciation for the unique academic and cultural character international students bring to any university.

Ms. Anubhooti Arora — Cultural Affairs Specialist for Education, American Center, U.S. Embassy, India

Anubhooti Arora is the Cultural Affairs Specialist for Education at the American Center. Anu works with the Ministry of Education and semi-autonomous regulatory bodies, as well as Indian and U.S. higher education institutions to facilitate the bilateral relationship around higher education. Prior to joining the Embassy in 2018, Anu worked with the U.S.-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), where she promoted U.S. higher education among high schools, colleges and universities in India and represented the organization at various national and international conferences, like NAFSA. Anu is a graduate of SOAS, University of London, where she secured her M.S. in Violence, Conflict and Development. She also has a degree in Social Work from India’s premier institution, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Ms. Rita Balachandran — Academic Guidance Counselor, JBCN International School, India

Rita is currently the Academic Guidance Counselor at JBCN International School, Mumbai and has more than 20 years of experience. Her role entails closely interfacing with students, parents and universities across the globe, building value for each of the stakeholders. She enjoys trying to decipher the challenges of today’s generation and being a partner in their career exploration journey. As a member of the panel on parenting and teaching communities as a mentor and guide for more than 3,000 parents, Rita has the opportunity to be part of their academic and professional journey. A professionally qualified career counselor, mentor and education consultant, she holds a postgraduate diploma in Counseling from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, TISS.

Ms. Lisa Cowan — Director, International Office of Future Students, Bond University, Australia

Lisa Cowan is the Director of the International Office of Future Students at Bond University, Australia’s first private, non-profit university. In this role, she leads the international strategy for Bond’s student recruitment and marketing, global partnerships and student mobility. Prior to her role at Bond, Lisa held several leadership roles at James Cook University, providing direction across domestic and international schools engagement and student recruitment, international student support, compliance, study abroad and exchange and international admissions. Lisa is a member of the Australian Universities International Directors Forum (AUIDF), NAFSA: Association of International Educators, EAIE: European Association for International Education and the Global Leadership League for women in international education.

Ms. Anne Corriveau — Director of International Admissions, Boston University, U.S.

Anne Corriveau is the Director of International Admissions at Boston University. During her 20-year tenure at BU, she has worked with one of the largest international student populations in the United States, with students representing more than 100 countries. Boston University (BU) is a private teaching and research university ranked #39 by U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities. While her primary responsibilities include managing the recruitment and selection of First-Year students at Boston University, her role also encompasses the initial immigration process for First-Year students. Her recruitment travels have taken her around the world, with a special focus on India where she has been traveling annually for more than 20 years.

Ms. Soma Dam — College Guidance Counselor, Suncity School Gurugram, India

Soma Dam is the College Guidance Counsellor at Suncity School Gurugram. Apart from looking after the college counseling cell, she also teaches Sociology to Grades 11 and 12 and handles all academic issues pertaining to grade 12 as grade coordinator. Soma has a M.Phil in Sociology and has qualified her National Eligibility Test for college lecturership. She has also done completed the Global Career Counsellor Certification programme. Currently she is pursuing a three-month online programme called the International Certified Career Coach Programme curated by Mindler in association with Career Development Alliance (USA). She is also a member of the International Association for College Admission Counselling. Her dream is to enable students to live their passion.

Ms. Ritu Dhingra — College Advisor, Pathways School Guragon, India

With 24+ years of experience in the field of counseling, Ms. Ritu Dhingra is a Certified Life Coach and has conducted over 100 workshops with students and parents on career counseling and socio-emotional behavioral concerns. Ms. Dhingra is currently heading the college advisory department at Pathways School Gurgaon.

Mr. Shiladitya Ghosh — Director-Principal, NH Goel World School, Raipur, India

Shiladitya Ghosh is the Director-Principal at NH Goel World School, Raipur, India. In his last assignment, he was the Director of Curriculum and Training at the Shiv Nadar Foundation. Mr. Ghosh specializes in making classrooms more interactive, using a variety of methods useful for every type of learner. Additionally, he has expertise in Social Science and has a knack for making the subject relevant to all. Previously, he was the Vice Principal at the Shri Ram School, Gurgaon. Mr. Ghosh has also worked as a Regional Manager for XSEED Education Pvt. Ltd., to make the teaching and learning process meaningful for every teacher and learner.

Ms. Baveen Gupta — School Counselor, Modern School, New Delhi, India

Mrs. Baveen Gupta works as a school counselor at Modern School, Barakhamba, New Delhi, India, one of the best national curriculum schools in India. For the past 25 years, she has guided Indian high school students through the college planning process and has hosted prestigious foreign and Indian universities at her school. She has been recognized for her excellent work by being awarded the “Yale Educator Award” by Yale University and the “Outstanding Educator Award” by the University of Chicago. In addition, she has been a Master Trainer for the Adolescent Education Program with the Central Board of Secondary Education.

Ms. Lisa Jain — Volunteer, IC3 Conference, India

Previously, Lisa Jain held the role of Market Manager – India at the College Board. In her role, she worked closely with 200+ secondary schools across the country, to support understanding and implementation of the College Board's programs such as SAT, PSAT and Advanced Placement. She has interacted with and presented to thousands of students and parents, helping them better understand the journey of transition from secondary school to college preparedness. Lisa Jain graduated with a First Class Honors in BSc. Industrial Economics from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, and also holds an M.B.A. from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

Ms. Ravinder Kaur — IB Diploma Programme Coordinator, Mahatma Gandhi International School, India

Ravinder Kaur is an IB trained teacher with 14 years of experience in teaching students aged 12-17 years at Mahatma Gandhi International School (MGIS), India. Her expertise involves charting out interdisciplinary projects that addresses the skill based active pedagogy. Recently Knowledge Resource Development and Welfare Group have awarded her for “Innovation in Pedagogy.” She is actively involved with Educational and Cultural Exchange programmes with schools in Australia and France. Ravinder initiated and designed many community projects successfully. Over the years, she has been actively involved in developing the curriculum, planning, implementing, integrating, moderating and training the team for the successful furthering of the IB Program. She is a master trainer for “GRL” pedagogy and has trained over 5000 teachers across country. Ravinder is also an IB examiner.

Mr. Daniel Marschner — Director of International Admission, Loyola Marymount University, U.S.

Daniel Marschner has worked at LMU since 2016 and received his Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati with a focus on the cultural acclimation process for international students to the U.S. As a student, he participated in classes in Australia, Italy, and Nicaragua, and lived in Chile for two and a half years where he worked as a Jesuit Volunteer after completing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Xavier University. He also holds a Master’s Degree in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University. He enjoys meeting with students from around the world who want to learn more about LMU.

Ms. Nomita Mehra — Career Counsellor, The Shri Ram School, Moulsari, India

Nomita Mehra is a Career Counsellor at The Shri Ram School (TSRS), Moulsari in Gurugram, India. Nomita has been an educator across various platforms and age groups, ranging from early childhood to university students. She is a certified career counsellor assisting students and parents of grades 9-12 in discovering options in courses, subjects and colleges since 2015. Prior to this, she taught Mathematics to students of grades 4 and 5 at TSRS. She has also worked with an NGO to teach Mathematics in a government school. In addition, Nomita has a Master’s degree in Business Administration.

Ms. Vandana Murjani — Head of Career Counseling Department, The Emerald Heights International School, Indore, India

Mrs. Vandana Murjani heads the career counseling department at The Emerald Heights International School, Indore. She counsels students from grades VIII through XII and helps students discover their latent potentials in the most scientific manner. Mrs. Vandana shoulders multiple responsibilities at the school, including AP coordinator, SAT supervisor, PSAT supervisor, in-charge of student activity empowerment, researcher and social networker. She holds a B.Com., B.Ed., M.A. in English Literature, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Guidance & Counseling, an IC3 Certification in Career Counseling, and a Certificate for CBSE Masters Training in Careers. She has been the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award by Career Launcher and has been nominated for the Best Emerging Counselor’s Award for two consecutive years at the IC3 Conference.

Ms. Hansa Sachdeva — Director, Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Ahmedabad University, India

Ms. Hansa Sachdeva (Director, Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Ahmedabad University, India) As Director - Office of Admissions & Financial Aid, Ahmedabad University, Hansa is a business leader focused on innovation in education. Earlier, she has spearheaded Business Development, customer experience & MarCom in the internet media, consulting and education domains – at HT Media’s Bridge School of Management, with HeadHonchos.com, the job search portal of ABC Consultants, and as an entrepreneur. Hansa’s early career was at the Times of India group and at Public Relations consultancy, Good Relations India. Hansa holds a BA (Economics) Honours degree from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University and is an MBA, Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University.

Dr. Gurpreet Singh — Director - South Asia Global Engagement and Partnerships, The University of Newcastle Australia

Dr. Gurpreet Singh has over 15 years of management experience in successfully leading strategy for developing new business globally for organizations in Australasia, Middle East, North America and Europe. He has extensive experience working within national and international business environments with a focus on creating and driving strategy, partnership development, student recruitment, marketing, admissions, business development, and client relationship management. Based in Mumbai, India, Gurpreet currently leads the University of Newcastle’s engagement in South Asia. Previously, he was Associate Vice-President of South Asia, for Hult International Business School, and has worked as Director of International Student Recruitment and Admissions for The Australian National University. Gurpreet has a Ph.D. in International Business from The University of Western Sydney, with a particular focus on transnational education. He also has a Master’s of International and a Bachelor’s of Commerce from The University of Auckland.

Mr. Carl Tang — Manager International Affairs Office, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Carl Tang has nine years of concrete experience in the higher education sector. Having worked at three universities in various capacities, including student recruitment and admissions, admission system development and university grants administration. Carl is a specialist in recruiting students from South Asian countries and the Philippines. Carl earned his M.Eng. in Aeronautical Engineering from Imperial College London.

Ms. Pragati Pandey — University Counselor, The Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad

Pragati Pandey, recipient of the 2018 IC3 Counselor of the Year award, has been with the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad for more than six years, with Aga Khan Schools for more than 15 years, and has been in counselling and admissions since 1997. She has worked with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the Institute of Psychological and Educational Measurement, three different schools in India and one school in Tanzania. She has presented at various prestigious conferences, namely the IB Asia Pacific, CIS EARCOS and the IC3. She has also been a guest faculty at the IC3 Institute. Pragati’s professional philosophy is to help students not only to find the best fit university, but also find passion in whatever profession they follow in life.

Ms. Sakina Bharmal — Career Counsellor, Learning & Development Facilitator, Curriculum Developer, Mentor, Teacher Trainer, The Galaxy School, Wadi, India

A marketing-head-turned-educator, Sakina has been associated with The Galaxy Education System (TGES), Rajkot, Gujarat for more than 2 decades. An Executive Council member at The Galaxy School-Wadi, she is the Senior Career Counselor and Learning & Development Facilitator. Her career path: teaching History, Geography, Enterprise, and Global Perspectives in Grades 9-12 across boards; designing & implementing integrated Project-Based Curriculum; mentoring teachers has now reached collaborative policymaking based on new trends in Education. Her Learning quest has navigated varied fields like Commerce, Management, Education, Computers, Fashion Design, and Journalism while coaching many UPSC aspirants. A certified Counsellor from UCLA-Extension and University, her quest continues at the IC3 presently.

Ms. Theresa Urist — Global Director Of University Counseling,The Aga Khan Academies, U.S.

Theresa Urist is a seasoned university counselor and program director who, for the past 23 years, has assisted students, schools, and organizations in understanding and maximizing university options. She currently serves as the Global Director of University Counselling for the Aga Khan Academies, a growing network of IB World Schools in developing nations in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In this role, she provides outreach to universities, supports on-site university counselors in professional development, and offers strategic advice to Academies on staffing, information technology, professional development, and external publications. Theresa earned her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in 1993 and her Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University in 1994.

Ms. Shruti Srinivasan — Manager- Strategic Partnerships, James Cook University, Australia

Shruti comes with an experience of over 8 years in the field of education. Prior to taking up this role, she worked with Monash University. She started her career as a social worker, and her love for the arts made her incorporate it into her work in therapy as well as education. She enjoys meeting new people, traveling, creating and being creative. She worked as a Special Educator in the United Kingdom and as an arts based therapist before moving into the industry of international education. She is constantly on the look-out for a variety of stories and experiences the world has to offer.

Mr. Sameer Arora, Committee Chair — Vice Principal, Legacy School Bangalore, India

Sameer is a natural leader, a collaborator and an educator with 15 years of school experience and five years of entrepreneurial experience, ranging from teaching across all levels of school, integrating pedagogical innovations in curricula, creating favorable environments for the students and faculty members, fostering partnerships with educational organizations and communities, administration, supervising staff and resource management. He has travelled to over 10 countries and firmly believes that travel is the best form of education. He has designed experiential education programs for children around the world with prestigious organizations like Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, CERN, McAfee and Intel, to name a few. He has also worked with National Geographic Channel as a project lead in India for the school program, UNLOCK HOUR.

Ms. Nitina Dua , Committee Co-Chair — Program Leader, Career Guidance Centre, Shiv Nadar School, Noida, India

Ms. Nitina Dua empowers each learner and welcomes students to a non-threatening space to explore their interests, aptitudes, strengths, and weaknesses to prepare for the world. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Management, a Bachelor of Arts degree and is pursuing a postgraduate diploma in Guidance and Counselling. She is also designing the curriculum for Electoral Literacy with the Election Commission of India. During the past eight years in education, with an abiding interest and belief in cross-cultural learning, she forged interschool relationships internationally with schools in Australia, Singapore and the U.S., as well as universities across the globe including the Hwa- Chong Institute School Exchange and Student Leadership Programs, Singapore.

Ms. Sudha Acharya — Principal, ITL Public School, New Delhi, India

Ms. Sudha Acharya is presently working as the Principal of the ITL Public School. She has more than 25 years of progressive experience in the field of education. She is associated with CBSE as a Master Trainer for inclusive education, gender sensitization, mentoring new staff, motivating experienced staff, the induction program for principals and CCE – scholastic and co-scholastic areas. She is also involved in curriculum design for CBSE. She has conducted workshops for more than 3,000 teachers, training them on different topics. She is a proud recipient of the CBSE Teacher award, State Teachers Award, International Excellence Award for Service to Disabilities, Dr. B R Ambedkar National Award for contribution in the field of education, Global Human Rights Protection Award given by the Indian Institute of Human Rights and the National Human Resource Optimisation Award given during the 33rd World Management Congress. She has voiced her valuable opinion on different national television channels on emerging issues like anti-bullying, cyber bullying, teacher-student relationships, stress management during exams and more.

Ms. Asma Ansari — Dean CIE and Placements, Daly College, Indore, India

Asma Ansari, Dean CIE and Placements, has an experience of over 27 years in the educational field, both national and International (CAIE)curriculum. As a school career counselor, she has placed students in Universities across countries, has visited many countries to see various Universities and Colleges so that she can guide her students better. She guides students about subject choices, about selecting the Best Fit College, organizes activities like Seminars &Fairs. Has a long experience of teaching Economics to senior students. Planned and implemented the setting up of the Cambridge center in her school. She is a Certified Global Career Counselor, with a Green Belt Certificate from UCLA Extension. Recipient of the "LifeTime Achievement Award" 2018 for Career Counseling and Guidance, by Institute of Career Studies.

Ms. Tanya Bajaj — Senior Consultant, SannamS4, India

Tanya Bajaj is a Senior Consultant at SannamS4 primarily supporting large organizations to enter into high growth markets. Previously, a Business Development Manager at ACT – India, responsible for outreach and building awareness about the ACT test, as well as helping students. She has over 10 years’ experience in this sector. Prior to this, she worked as a senior manager in business development for ETS (Education Testing Service) – the brand owners and makers of TOEFL and GRE Exams. During this time, she parallelly worked with the U.S. Embassy on projects involving micro-scholarship and exchange programs for under- served children in India. She has also been a part of CSR projects, which focused on empowering women through financial literacy.

Ms. Saluja Chand — Dean of Women & Counselor, St. Xavier's College, Kathmandu, Nepal

Saluja Chand has a Master’s in Zoology and is currently working as Zoology Lecturer at St. Xavier’s College, Maitighar, Kathmandu, Nepal - A Jesuit Institution. She started with her teaching career in the year 2001 and has been in the field of education for past 19 years. Before joining St. Xavier’s College in the year 2012, she worked as a Coordinator for CBSE affiliated School in Nepal Along with teaching Saluja has been serving as Dean of Women since 2014 and as a Counselor since 2017. She is also a member of the IC3 Institute 2019-20 cohort. She continues to work towards becoming a person whom students can count on in their most difficult time.

Mr. John Paul Chishala — School Principal, Chalo Trust School, Lusaka, Zambia

John is a School Principal at Chalo Trust School in Lusaka, Zambia. He started out as a teacher of Music and the English language. John observed that by the time most of his students were leaving high school, they had little knowledge of how to go about their next phase of life and subsequently made wrong career choices. He, therefore, took the initiative to assume the responsibilities of a Career Guidance Counselor voluntarily. He has since pledged to ensure that each child realizes their lifelong purpose through timely knowledge of their dream careers. He now serves on the IC3 Movement Africa Committee.

Mr. Anthony Culver — Marketing Manager, Fraser International College, Canada

Anthony Culver, Marketing Manager at Fraser International College relies upon his personal and professional experiences to support students from south Asia, the Middle East, and Turkey in their pursuit of higher education. Having studied in Makerere University, Uganda while completing a Bachelors in Political Science from Simon Fraser University, he is familiar with the rewards and difficulties of studying abroad. Anthony has held multiple positions coordinating youth leadership programs, consulting for NGOs, and advising new students in British Columbia, Canada. Anthony is passionate about enabling others to shine by providing them the platform, the information, and the encouragement to achieve their goals.

Ms. Anju Deoskar — Associate Director of Admissions Outreach, FLAME University, Pune, India

As an Assistant Director Admissions Outreach, she oversees many facets of the Application and Admissions Process, including outreach activities Pan-India and abroad. Some of her roles are strategic planning, communications, working with the underlying software and much more. Though she has started her work at FLAME recently but holds a long experience in admissions, marketing and communications. She has worked with IB schools for more than 15 years as a teacher and an administrator. The best part she says about her job remains to interact with students -- current FLAME students and high school students who navigate their own unique college searches. She works closely with school principals, counsellors and educators of Secondary Schools offering various boards like SSC, CBSE, ICSE, IB, CAIE and other international boards.

Ms. Vanee Gopalan — Teacher & International Project Coordinator, Delhi Public School Bangalore-South, India

Vanee Gopalan has worked with Delhi Public School, Bangalore South for the last 13 years as the Head of International Projects and the Centre Exam Manager for the DPS Bangalore Cambridge Assessments exams. Additionally, she has been working as part of the career counseling team and has experience interacting with several admissions officers and university representatives. Vanee holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and a diploma in Graphic and Web Design.

Mr. David Hawkins — Director, The University Guy, U.K.

David Hawkins is an experienced college and university guidance counselor with expertise in a wide range of international university admissions systems and now works as a private counselor for students. A graduate of the University of Oxford and a former GCSE, IGCSE, A-Level, and IB History teacher, David has served as a college counselor in the U.K. and internationally supporting students in university applications to the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Europe, totally 27 different systems. Now, as ' The University Guy', he works with schools, students, and families to help them find their best-fit university, anywhere in the world.

Mr. Jimmi Hemmenbach — Regional Operations Manager, Middle East and South Asia, University of Guelph, Canada

Jimmi is an educator and global citizen who currently serves as the Regional Operations Manager, Middle East and South Asia, at the University of Guelph, Canada. He has traveled to over 50 countries, lived in six countries, and has previously worked in higher education in the U.S. for seven years before joining U of Guelph, where he led the International Recruitment Team’s strategy and execution. Jimmi holds degrees in Journalism and Spanish Philology from the U.S. and Sweden. His previous work includes student recruitment strategy (globally) in the U.S./Canada, relationship building with European Higher Education institutions for short-term programs, and teaching English, Spanish and Physical Education in both Sweden and the U.S.

Mr. Ben Iverson — Director of International Programs, Augustana University, U.S.

Ben Iverson completed his Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and International Studies at Augustana University and a Master’s degree in International Education from the SIT Graduate Institute. He lived and worked for one year at Nord University in Bodø, Norway before returning to Augustana as an administrator in 2005, where he then spent 10 years recruiting both domestic and international students. Previously, Ben served as Director of Admissions at the University of Minnesota, Morris and as Director of University Partnerships for ELS Educational Services, Inc. With more than 15 years in international education, he currently serves as Director of International Programs at his alma mater, where he oversees a team devoted to study abroad, international student advising, international recruitment, customized programs and partnership development.

Mr. Harish Luharuka — Director Academics – Schools, Universal School, India

Mr. Harish Luharuka is a versatile and dynamic educationist, actively and successfully engaged in the field of education since 1980. He has mentored 20+ institutions in India and abroad, impacting 20,000+ learners. Additionally, Mr. Luharuka has managed diverse curricula including state boards, national (ICSE, CBSE) and international (CAIE, U.K., IB). Throughout his career he has equipped learners with 21st century life skills. From 1988-2015 he serves as the founding chairman and managing director of Oxford Coaching Institute, Mumbai, as well as director of Parle Software Limited from 2007-2016. He holds a postgraduate from Mumbai University, was awarded the Maharashtra State Government Open Merit Scholarship for three consecutive years and won the prestigious Narsee Monjee Award at graduation.

Mr. Sunny Mahajan — Director, Partap World School, Indora & Partap World School, Pathankot, India

Committed to academic excellence and the cultivation of diverse talents, Mr. Sunny Mahajan has been associated with the field of education for the past 10 years. His vision to provide the best learning environment, facilities and resources to the students has yielded tremendous results in every aspect. He is committed to achieving higher levels of student learning and well-being, while also providing insight to teachers, students and parents about the vast academic and career options available. He also works collaboratively with the community to ensure that the school provides the best possible educational opportunities for everyone. Mr. Mahajan has received the following awards: Soha Ali Khan in Bengaluru for Excellent Educational Initiatives and Rocksport for Inspiring Educator Award-Punjab. Mr. Mahajan has also met and learned from great personalities like His Holiness, The XIV Dalai Lama and Hon’ble President of India.

Ms. Meenakshi Mattoo — Career & College Counselor, Sreenidhi International School, Hyderabad, India

Meenakshi hails from a family where education isn't an option but is the only way to fulfill your aspirations and chase your dreams. She pursued her passion serving as a flight attendant soon after completing her undergraduate degree. She's a Hotel Management graduate from IHM, PUSA University, a Green Belt certified Career Counselor by UCLA Extension and Univariety, and currently completing a Diploma program at Global Career Academy by IE University, Spain. She proudly calls the journey from being an international flight attendant to becoming a Guidance Counselor one of moving from one dream job from another. She is here to stay, make a difference in her own small way, and serve the community.

Ms. Namita Mehta — President, The Red Pen, India

Namita Mehta studied at Oxford University, where she received her undergraduate degree and Master’s in Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry. Her interest in working with people led her towards student advisement and college counseling. Namita established the University Guidance Counseling Department at B.D. Somani International School in Mumbai and ran it for over three years. As an in-house counselor, she advised students on effective profile development, managed the university application process, and developed relationships with university admissions offices. At The Red Pen, Namita continues her goal of helping students plan their educational journeys, and works to motivate young people to uncover interests and pursue passions. Her work spans several levels, including boarding and day school admissions, profile development, and undergraduate applications.

Ms. Namrata Pandey, — International Admissions Advisor, University of Hong Kong, India

The first professional career counsellor employed by The Doon School, Dehradun, Namrata Pandey pioneered setting up the Careers, Information, Education and Guidance Department at The Doon School. Namrata also worked with an education overseas company. She has travelled extensively to universities in India and abroad. She holds a post-graduate diploma in Guidance and Counselling from NCERT, a Master's in Psychology from Delhi University, and a graduate certificate in Career Development Practice from CEAV, Australia.

Mr. Vikram Patel — Senior Manager - Communications and Outreach, Krea University, India

With expertise in brand communications, strategic planning, and creative direction, Vikram has over 7 years of experience in education outreach and communications. Prior to taking up the promotion of Liberal Education in India as an Assistant Director Outreach at Krea University, Vikram was part of the founding team of Indian School of Design and Innovation in Mumbai. He is passionate to work on access and inclusion in higher education and believes now is the best time to be pursuing higher education in India. He is a rank holder and graduate in Computer Applications from Mangalore University and has a Master’s degree in Business with a major in Brand Communications from ITM Business School, Navi Mumbai.

Ms. Rama Devi Potnuru — Admissions and Career Counselor, Delhi Public School, Anandapuram, Visakhapatnam, India

A passionate career counselor who loves to work with young minds and assist them with academic and career plans. My expertise in Guidance of various options available to choose a course, country , or college based in their abilities ,skills and backgrounds is welcomed by the entire school community. Help students develop the skills and strategies while applying for a College or University. I strongly believe in the mission of incorporating career counseling cell at each school and helping each child to apply for best fit and genuine University programs and courses. I strongly strive for students welfare and help them get away from the clutches of consultancies in small cities like ours where study abroad organisations are making huge money ignoring the child interest and ambition.

Mrs. Lalitha Prakash — Executive Director & Founder, K'sirs International School, India

Ms. Lalitha Prakash, completed her bachelor’s degree in history at Stella Maris college; and a MA, MPhil at Ethiraj college. A social worker and an environmentalist, she is closely associated with NGOs like, Siruthuli (Water restoration and conservation), RAAC (Clean city), Arulagam (Vulture conservation and Palm tree restoration), and SKCRF (Conserving native cattle). Founder of K’sirs International School, an environment friendly, sustainable, progressive school. Her vision to run a school where children have an unhurried childhood, focussed on human values, showered her with the Times of India award- ‘Angels of Change’. Trustee of Kaumaram Prashanthi Academy, a school for children with special needs (autism and Down syndrome). She works with government schools to help them develop language skills and conducts session and guides under privileged children on career opportunities.

Ms. Mari Prauer — Senior Assistant Dean of Admission, Colgate University, U.S.

Mari has been the Senior Assistant Dean of Admission at Colgate University since August 2018. In her primary role, she serves as the coordinator of recruitment and alumni programming as well as on the international team, specializing in the Indian subcontinent. After graduating from college in 2013 with a B.A. in International Business, Mari received a fellowship working in college counseling at Anatolia College, a private Greek-American high school in Thessaloniki, Greece for a year before working at her alma mater, Eckerd College, in St. Petersburg, FL. Trading in the beach year-round for mountains and snow has certainly been an adjustment but the stunning nature of Hamilton, NY has been worth every sub-zero day!

Ms. Lakshmi Prabha Senthil — Career Counselor, CS Academy, Coimbatore, India

Ms. Senthil has been the lead Career Counselor at CS Academy since 2015. She has a background in corporate human resources and systems in the U.K. and holds an MBA from MOP Vaishnav College, Chennai. She has lived for over a decade in the U.K., Hong Kong, and China. Combined with her international exposure, networking, and public relations, she has been instrumental in setting up a successful career counseling cell at the school. Prabha brings her wide personal experience in helping students identify their goals and pursue them. Ms. Senthil brings the best industry and education experts to interact with students and conducts career fairs and orientations for parents and students. She works endlessly to ensure the best opportunities are shared with her students to help identify their interests and plan their pathway to new and developing careers.

Ms. Preetika Sharma — Career & College Counselor, Peace Public School, Ludhiana, India

Preetika Sharma is a global career counselor certified from the IC3 Institute, UCLA EXT. (USA), University, I Dream Career, and Mindler (Foundation). She has been in the field of education for the past 26 years, offering services and helping students choose a career path. Peace Public School has played an integral role in fulfilling her objectives. She intends to make a difference in the future, providing a positive direction to students on academics and social well-being. Her passion has inspired her to give back to society by voluntarily conducting career workshops and counseling sessions in government schools across the Indian state of Punjab. She strongly believes in being the best version of herself to conquer every opportunity that comes her way.

Ms. Nusrat Sharmin — Head of College Counselling Department, The Aga Khan School, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Nusrat Sharmin is currently working as the Head of College Counselling department for The Aga Khan School Dhaka. Prior to her joining at The Aga Khan she worked as a College Counsellor and the SAT center coordinator at International School Dhaka for 10 years. Nusrat earned her M.A. from University of Dhaka in 2010 and then finished her MBA degree from Independent University of Dhaka in 2012. She received her Diploma in College Counselling from University of California extension program in 2016. Within her role she has attended counselor visits to universities and colleges in several schools in Asia, Europe, USA and Middle East. She is thrilled to join the committee for Inclusion, Diversity and Scholarship Committee at IC3.

Ms. Parneet Shergill — Assistant Director of Outreach, Ashoka University, India

Parneet Shergill is the Assistant Director of the Outreach team at Ashoka University, a leading liberal arts university in India. Parneet has taught and worked in the higher education sector for many years before joining Ashoka University. A visionary with rich and varied experience of two decades, Parneet has been on the Outreach team for over three years and is proficient in student counselling and networking.

Ms. Sangeeta Shrestha — Academic Counselor, Ullens School, Nepal

With a Master's degree in Chemistry, Sangeeta has been a teacher for over two decades. She started her teaching career at St. Xavier's College Kathmandu, where she later became the Head of the Chemistry Department and the Dean of the college. She joined Ullens when it started the IB diploma program in 2009 as a faculty of Chemistry and Head of Science, also working as an Extended Essay Coordinator. She started her role as an academic counselor when Ullens hosted the IC3 Regional Forum in 2019 She is a graduate of the IC3 Institute cohort of 2019-2020. She has a passion for learning and doing new things and hopes to make an impact in the counseling field.

Ms. Smriti Singh — Study Abroad Coordinator & Career Counselor, City Montessori School Gomti Nagar Campus 1, Lucknow, India

Smriti Singh has two decades of experience with the student community, focusing and channeling student aspirations to help them realize their dreams. In 2000, Ms. Singh began working with young students and teaching all levels from kindergarten to senior year through postgraduate. Guidance and effective career counseling has always been part of her teaching style. As a Study Abroad Coordinator and Career Counselor at City Montessori School (CMS), the challenge to mobilize and capitalize the huge number of students with resources is Ms. Singh’s focus. She has worked rigorously to build a team and infuse the system with sessions, assemblies, seminars, workshops and outreach for students to facilitate the process of counseling at CMS.

Dr. Bhavanishankar Subramanian — Senior Principal, Lalaji Memorial Omega International School, Chennai, India

Bhavanishankar is a passionate and experienced educationalist with a proven track record of success, working across organizations engaged in academic research, post-secondary and K-12 education. An accomplished academic with research and management qualifications, teaching and training certifications and keen leadership capabilities he brings with him strategic skills to seed, nurture, and manage the change continuum in education. Hugely committed to building capacity across academic verticals, he currently leads a team of dedicated educators and actively engages in progressing curricular and instructional designs, pedagogical practices, cross-curricular transactions, Professional training, teaching-coaching-mentoring, ideation and innovations, inquiry, and experiential research.

Ms. Nikish Thapa — College & Pastoral Care Counselor, Kathmandu International Study Centre, Nepal

Nikish has been been working as a Psychological Counselor for the past 9 years. She worked at an NGO as a counselor with survivors of trauma, sexual abuse and trafficking. She is trained in art therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitize Reprocessing, and group therapy. She also worked at GIHE (GEMS Institute of Higher Education) as their Psychosocial Counselor for a year. For the last two years, she has been working at the Kathmandu International Study Centre as a College and Pastoral Care Counselor. She is a graduate of the IC3 Institute cohort of 2019-2020.

Ms. Sandeepa Varma — Career Counselor, Oakridge International School, Bachupally, India

Sandeepa Varma, a college and career advisor at Oakridge International School, Bachupally campus, strongly believes in the saying “choose a job you love and you will never have to work another day in your life” – Confucius. An Electronics and Computer Engineer by profession, a philanthropist by nature, Sandeepa realized she is passionate about working with young energetic minds. After working for 12 years in the IT sector, she made a conscious decision to switch her career to counseling and mentoring students. She used her experience as head of the SAP training division (Telangana) to set up the career counseling department on campus. She counsels and mentors students across grades 6 to 12 as she believes in equipping each child with relevant information so they make well-informed decisions about their college and career based on their own skills and passion. Her strength lies in building strong relations with students, parents, corporates, and universities in India and abroad. She is blessed with a daughter and resides in Hyderabad.

Mr. Pavak Vyas — Undergraduate Recruitment Officer, University of Waterloo, Canada

Pavak Vyas is an undergraduate recruitment officer at Faculty of Mathematics, University of Waterloo, Canada. Located about 120 kms from Toronto University of Waterloo has been consistently ranked Canada’s most innovative university. Pavak looks after a wide array of responsibilities in a busy, vibrant and thriving academic environment by planning, and implementing admissions and outreach strategies, build the University’s brand and build strong relationships to admit academically bright students from India and abroad. Prior to moving to Canada, over last 20 years in the field of higher education, Pavak has headed admissions and recruitment at Ahmedabad University and Anant National University in Ahmedabad, India. He holds PhD in Business Management and is a fellow of Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, UK.

Mr. Kubi Witten-Hannah — Head of Faculty, Careers, Mount Albert Grammar School, Auckland, New Zealand

I began teaching in 1976 and became a Careers Adviser in 1999. I am currently responsible for careers education and advice for 3200 students at Mount Albert Grammar School. In 2012 my department was recognized as the leading careers department in New Zealand. In 2016 I received an IACAC scholarship and my work was recognized by the U.S. Ambassador. Meeting other scholarship recipients opened my eyes to the world of helping disadvantaged students achieve opportunities in tertiary education. I attended the IACAC Conference in 2018 and in 2019 was awarded a scholarship to the IC3 Conference. I am married to Barbara with 3 children and 6 grandchildren. I am a surf lifeguard and a Justice of the Peace.

Mrs. Aashka Vadalia, Committee Coordinator — Assistant Manager - Projects, IC3 Conference, India

As the Assistant Manager - Projects at IC3, Aashka plays a key role in managing committee relations and registrations, as well as coordinating with the sponsors and partners, managing data and providing customer service support for the IC3 Conference. Previously, Aashka worked at a high school as a career counselor for almost seven years. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies, and a Master's diploma in Guidance and Counseling from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. She loves to travel, indulge in gastronomic adventures and aspires to someday work in the field of animal welfare.

Ms. Prabha Dhoonooah, Committee Chair — School Counsellor/Dean of Studies, Collège du Saint-Esprit, Mauritius

Prabha Dhoonooah has 20+ years of experience as a School Counselor and is currently Dean of studies for Grade 13 students as well as Chemistry teacher at College du Saint Esprit, a Roman Catholic High School in Mauritius. Her duties involve monitoring academic progress and discipline of Grade13 students, assisting with the post-school transition to higher education as well as managing exchange programs with schools from different parts of the world. She is a member of IACAC and joined IC3 Movement as a scholar in 2018. She has participated in various counselor fly-ins and workshops in Australia, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe and India. Ms. Dhoonooah graduated from Delhi University with a degree in Chemistry and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Careers Education and Guidance from Napier University, Scotland.

Mr. Arsène Mabadjam Katawa — High School English Teacher and Counselor and Founder and Chairperson, EDULCOD Togo, Togo

Arsène Mabadjam Katawa has been serving in the education field as a high school English Teacher for thirteen years and as a Counselor for four years. He holds a BA in English Language with a focus on African Literature from the University of Kara in Togo. He is one of the International ACAC Conference 2017 Scholars. Additionally, he is an American English E-Teacher Program Scholar. Founder and Chairman of EDU.L.CO.D-Togo, a nonprofit organization aiming at supporting high achieving students in their transition to higher education, improving the education and empowering girls in Togo, he has organized many series of training and national summer camps for counselors, teachers and students in Togo. He has helped many high achieving low-income students to access higher education with scholarships outside Togo and outside the continent. His passion for writing led him to his first play about girls’ education entitled “The Lovely Flower” published in 2014 and a second one is to be published soon. Arsène Mabadjam Katawa is currently preparing his TESOL Certification at the Arizona State University.

Ms. Brigitte Cass — Head of Consumer Studies, Herschel Girls School

Brigitte lives in Cape Town in South Africa and has been teaching at Herschel Girls School for four years. She has 27 years of experience in teaching, and although she is not a career counselor, she developed a passion for helping students find their niche in the world.

Mr. John Chishala — Principal, Chalo Trust School, Zambia

John is a School Principal at Chalo Trust School in Lusaka, Zambia. He started as a teacher of Music and the English language. John observed that by the time most of his students were leaving high school, they had little knowledge of how to go about their next phase of life and subsequently made wrong career choices. He, therefore, took the initiative to assume the responsibilities of a Career Guidance Counselor voluntarily. He has since pledged to ensure that each child realizes their lifelong purpose through timely knowledge of their dream careers. He now serves on the IC3 Movement Africa Committee.

Ms. Mogwando Shatirwai — Counselor, Saint Augustine’s School, Zimbabwe

She was born and grew up in Chigodora village, near Mutare city in Zimbabwe. She grew up in a poor family and felt that a life with no counselor really affected her and that she should have done better in life. However, this history gave her a willing heart to become a counselor and gave her a push to dedicate her life to helping students who come from weak family backgrounds to achieve their goals. She managed to assist 3 learners in 2018 and 4 learners in 2019 to get into Higherlife Foundation Star Life Program. She is the Science Exhibition Head Of Department at Saint Augustine’s High School have led her students to the National Finals and South Africa for zonal international competition. She has been helping students to apply and they have been accepted for USAP. She has facilitated and assisted several students into applying for Young Yale African Scholars Program (YYAS) and Young Yale Global Scholars Program (YYGS)

Ms.Theresa Urist — Global Director of University Counseling,The Aga Khan Academies, U.S.

Theresa Urist is a seasoned university counsellor and program director who, for the past 23 years, has assisted students, schools and organizations in understanding and maximizing university options. She currently serves as the Global Director of University Counselling for the Aga Khan Academies, a growing network of IB World Schools in developing nations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. In this role, she provides outreach to universities, supports on-site university counsellors in professional development, and offers strategic advice to Academies on staffing, information technology, professional development, and external publications. Theresa earned her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in 1993 and her Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University in 1994.

Mr. Ryan Benitez — Founder and CEO Mētō , U.S.

Ryan’s passion for increasing access to higher education was born during a summer internship in Uganda after his sophomore year at Princeton University. After returning, he wrote a senior thesis titled “An Assessment of Top U.S. Colleges’ Demand for Low-Income International Students.” After graduating in 2015, he moved to Uganda to implement the findings from his thesis by working for Ashinaga, an organization supporting the higher education of high-achieving, low-income students from across Sub-Saharan Africa. He then spent 2.5 years in Washington, DC developing relationships with U.S. colleges to facilitate matches with Ashinaga students. In September 2018, Ryan founded Meto, a nonprofit aiming to increase access to higher education at scale for students across the African continent.

Mr. Thamer Almaary — Marketing Manager, Fraser International College, Canada

Raised in Kenya, he moved to Canada to further his education and broaden his horizons. His journey started with studying at Fraser International College, a place he still calls home and is proud to represent. Currently, he is one of the Marketing Managers and supports students from Africa and the Middle East. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from Simon Fraser University in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science. What he would like to achieve by joining the IC3 Movement is to support high school counselors to better guide international students seeking international education. When speaking with students and counselors, I often switch between English, Arabic, and Kiswahili!

Ms. Simona Lobo, Committee Coordinator — Assistant Manager - Events, IC3 Movement, India

Simona works as the Assistant Events Manager, with a special focus on the Pre- and Post-Conference events of the Annual Conference and other initiatives, playing a key role in planning and execution. Previously, she has worked with event agencies in Mumbai and has specialized in intellectual properties, brand activations, conferences, experiential marketing campaigns, festivals, and more, working with brands including Bajaj, Renault, Duracell, Kidzania. An Economics-Commerce major from St. Xavier’s Autonomous, Mumbai, Simona is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Marketing Management from the Mumbai Educational Trust. She enjoys cooking and spending time with her dog.

IC3 Leadership Committees

IC3 Leadership

Mr. Ganesh Kohli — Founder, IC3 Movement

Mr. Jim McLaughlin — Jim McLaughlin, Co-Chair, IC3 Movement, U.S.

Dr. Rajika Bhandari, Ph.D. — President & CEO, U.S.IC3 Institute

Mr. Ganesh Kohli

Mr. Jim McLaughlin

Dr. Rajika Bhandari, Ph.D.

Advisory Committee

Dr. Shalini Advani, Committee Chair — Director, Pathways School, Noida, India

Dr. Harsha Alles — Chairman, Gateway Group of Schools, Sri Lanka

Capt. Rohit Bajaj — Director, Pathways School, Gurgaon, India

Mr. Abhimanyu Basu — Academic Project Director, Dhirubhai Ambani International School Mumbai, India

Dr. Barry Craig — President, Huron University, Canada

Mr. Santanu Das — Principal, Sarala Birla Academy, Bangalore, India

Mr. Manit Jain — Co-Founder, Heritage Group of Schools, India

Dr. Vinnie Jauhari, Ph.D. — Director, Education Advocacy, Microsoft, India

Mr. Karthik Krishnan — Chief Executive Officer, Britannica Group, U.S.Global

Dr. Bhimaraya Metri — Director, Indian Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli, India

Mrs. Rupkatha Sarkar — Principal, La Martiniere for Girls, Kolkata, India

Ms. Manika Sharma — Director, The Shri Ram Schools, New Delhi, India

Mrs. Lata Vaidyanathan — Director, Made Easy Schools, India

Dr. John Wilkerson — Assistant Vice President, International Services and Director of International Admissions, Indiana University, U.S.

Dr. Uttiyo Raychaudhuri, Ph.D. — Vice Provost for Internationalization, University of Denver U.S.

Col. (Retd.) Gopal Karunakaran — Chief Executive O­fficer, Shiv Nadar School & President, Shiv Nadar University, India

Dr. Shalini Advani, Committee Chair

Dr. Harsha Alles

Capt. Rohit Bajaj

Mr. Abhimanyu Basu

Dr. Barry Craig

Mr. Santanu Das

Mr. Manit Jain

Dr. Vinnie Jauhari, Ph.D.

Mr. Karthik Krishnan

Dr. Bhimaraya Metri

Mrs. Rupkatha Sarkar

Ms. Manika Sharma

Mrs. Lata Vaidyanathan

Dr. John Wilkerson

Dr. Uttiyo Raychaudhuri, Ph.D.

Col. (Retd.) Gopal Karunakaran

Sustainable Development Committee

Mr. Lucien Giordano, Committee Chair — Director of International Outreach and Alumni Engagement, Dulwich College

Mr. Sunny Mahajan, Coordinator - Outreach — Director Partap, World School

Ms. Anjali Anand Seth, Coordinator - Reduced Inequalities — International Recruitment Specialist Huron at Western University

Mrs. Geeta Jayanth, Coordinator - Professional Development — Principal, Legacy School

Ms. Ambika Kaul — Education and Career Counselor Delhi Public School, RK Puram

Mr. Amit Dasgupta — University of New South Wales, Sydney, India, Strategic Advisor, India Engagement

Ms. Brigitte Cass — Head of Consumer Studies, Herschel Girls School

Mr. Ganesh Kempaiah — College Guidance Counselor Canadian International School, Bangalore India

Ms. Grace Hu — Sustainability Manager, Dehong Education

Ms. Pooja Rao — Counselor, Avasara Academy

Ms. Shikha Vij — College Advisor

Mr. Shishir Kumar Upadhyaya — Senior International Advisor, Lehigh University

Ms. Tanushree Sinha — Founder member of Shiv Nadar School

Dr. Uttiyo Raychaudhuri, Ph.D. — Vice Provost for Internationalization, University of Denver U.S.

Mr. Lucien Giordano, Committee Chair

Mr. Sunny Mahajan, Coordinator - Outreach

Ms. Anjali Anand Seth, Coordinator - Reduced Inequalities

Mrs. Geeta Jayanth, Coordinator - Professional Development

Ms. Ambika Kaul

Mr. Amit Dasgupta

Ms. Brigitte Cass

Mr. Ganesh Kempaiah

Ms. Grace Hu

Ms. Pooja Rao

Ms. Shikha Vij

Mr. Shishir Kumar Upadhyaya

Ms. Tanushree Sinha

Dr. Uttiyo Raychaudhuri, Ph.D.

Outreach and Social Media Committee

Ms. Khushboo Taparia Bedi, Committee Chair — Coordinator Samcara- The Career Counseling Cell, The Sanskaar Valley School, India

Mr. Vatsal Chandra, Co-Chair, Facebook & Video — Regional Recruitment & Development Officer, India, University of Essex

Ms. Ramya Modukuri, Co-Chair, Podcasts — College & Career Counselor, Manthan School Hyderabad, India

Ms. Pragati Karki, Co-Chair, Ground Outreach — Career Guidance Counselor, St. Xavier's College, Nepal

Ms. Devyani Bhatnagar, Co-Chair, Instagram Live — College Counselor, Sanskar School, India

Col. (Retd.) Gopal Karunakaran — Chief Executive Officer, Shiv Nadar School & President, Shiv Nadar University, India