Meet the Team

Don McMillan, M.A., M.F.A.

CEO

Don brings over 30 years’ experience as a passionate educator to his work overseeing McMillan Education’s leadership team and the counselors working in traditional and international school and college planning. In close collaboration with his leadership team, Don enjoys staying out ahead of admission trends and continually enhancing the best...

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Sarah McMillan, Ed.D.

CEO/Developmental Psychologist

Along with husband Don, Dr. Sarah McMillan manages the team of McMillan Education counselors. In close collaboration with the practice’s leadership team, Sarah enjoys continually enhancing the best guidance practices of the group by developing and delivering regular in-house supervision and professional development trainings focused on education and child, adolescent...

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Amy Christie, M.A.

Chair, College Planning Practice

As Chair of the College Planning Practice at McMillan Education, Amy’s leadership of the firm’s team of college counselors embodies her love of leveraging the college planning process to help students discover their own personal strengths, passions and interests. In addition to her leadership role, Amy continues to work directly...

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Carolyn Nelson, M.Ed.

Chair, School Planning Practice

As Chair of the School Planning Practice at McMillan Education, Carolyn’s leadership of the firm’s team of school admission counselors is informed by her extensive experience as an admission professional in the independent day and boarding school world. Widely respected by colleagues throughout the field for her student-centered guidance and...

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Kim Chorosiewski, Ed.D., CSCS, CMAA

Chair, Innovation & Athletic Recruiting

As Chair of Innovation at McMillan Education, Kim embodies the firm’s commitment to both anticipating and contributing to changes in the field that prioritize a strong student-centered experience and impact how our counselors best serve students and their families in the college and school planning processes. Kim works closely with...

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Bill Southwick, C.A.G.S.

Educational Counselor

Bill brings to McMillan Education decades of experience in admissions and teaching in schools and camps serving elementary, middle, and high school-aged students. Truly a renaissance man, Bill works with a wide range of students of all ages, and various abilities, interests, and challenges. His deep knowledge and appreciation for...

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Chris Hawk, MSW, LCSW

Educational Counselor

Chris uses his extensive experience as a clinical social worker, therapist, teacher, and school administrator to guide students with a wide range of needs and abilities to the best educational or therapeutic fit. Working with students from the middle school years through young adulthood, Chris counsels those who are facing...

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Drew Carlson, M.Ed.

Educational Counselor

Drew brings an extensive background in admission and educational planning in independent schools to his work with students of diverse backgrounds in the school and college planning process. His deep knowledge of the particular challenges and opportunities facing international students who are looking to reap the significant benefits of an...

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Edith Adams, MSW, LICSW

Educational Counselor

Edith enjoys working with students of all ages, from pre-kindergarten through college, in school, college and academic and developmental crisis planning. Her range of experiences throughout her career as an educator positions her well to guide the adolescent searching for the best college fit, the child looking for the right...

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Elizabeth “Whiz” Hutchinson, M.Ed.

Educational Counselor

Whiz brings her extensive “triple threat” boarding school experience to all aspects of her work in school and college planning. Having spent decades advising, nurturing, teaching, counseling, and coaching students in residential settings, Whiz’s focus on the whole student and her related understanding of the positive effect of the best...

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Heather Baker Deardorff, M.S.

Educational Counselor

Heather’s enthusiasm for working with students in the school and college planning processes is palpable. She embodies that rare combination of impressively deep and extensive experience in admission expertise and genuine down-to-earth, natural connectivity with kids and parents. Heather has one of those warm, upbeat, friendly personalities that immediately puts...

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Jacquie Magiera, MSW, LCSW

Educational Counselor

A seasoned admission and college counseling expert, Jacquie brings her signature warmth and humor to her work with a wide range of students, from the high achiever to the learning challenged, seeking personalized and hands-on guidance in the college planning process. In addition to her unrivaled knowledge of the ever-evolving...

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Jamie Paul

Educational Counselor

Jamie enjoys working with students of all ages, from elementary school through college, who are taking either a traditional or non-traditional path on their educational journey. Jamie’s extensive experience as an educator uniquely qualifies him for working with students with a wide range of skills, interests and abilities, from the...

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Kelly McAdams, MSW, LICSW

Educational Counselor

Kelly comes to McMillan Education with decades of experience working with students and families in schools and private behavioral health programs. A highly skilled clinician, school counselor and admissions expert, Kelly enjoys working with children, adolescents and young adults whose learning, emotional, or behavioral challenges have become obstacles to their...

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Krista Despotovic-Jacobson, M.A.

Educational Counselor

Krista is another of McMillan Education’s highly versatile counselors with deep experience in everything college and school planning and the added expertise of both U.S. colleges and independent schools as well as international schools and universities. Whether you are a U.S. citizen or an expat looking to pursue boarding school...

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Nanny Noyes, M.Ed.

Educational Counselor/Athletic Recruiting

Nanny brings decades of experience as an educator and admissions expert in school and college planning to her work with McMillan Education students and families. Her mixture of personal warmth and enthusiasm for young people is obvious in the genuine relationships she builds as she guides students to discover their...

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Peter Olrich, MBA

Chief Outreach Officer for Student & Family Engagement, Educational Counselor

Informed by his passion for student-centered educational values and practices, Peter enjoys using his truly impressive depth of experience in college and school admissions on behalf of the students and families he guides through the planning, search, and application process. His many years as a teacher, coach, advisor, and admission...

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Rachel Leja, M.S.

Educational Counselor

Rachel brings her wealth of experience as a special educator of students with a wide range of learning, emotional and behavioral challenges to her school and college planning work at McMillan Education. Families love working with Rachel because they are immediately taken by her combination of genuine warmth and consummate...

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Samantha McMillan New, OTR/L MOT

Educational Counselor

Samantha has always been driven by an authentic desire to help others. Her chosen educational, training and career path as an occupational therapist has allowed her to develop the expertise to serve a wide range of children, adolescents and young adults in need of specialized guidance in finding the education...

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Susanna Beckwith, MALS

Educational Counselor

Susanna most enjoys the close relationships with students and families she builds in her work in school and college planning. She relishes the privilege of helping parents of younger students just starting out on their independent school education understand the educational landscape; she derives a deep sense of fulfillment from...

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Tony Lambert, M.A.

Educational Counselor

Tony is the definition of a “school person,” the highest compliment you can pay someone in the world of student-focused education. Simply put, Tony combines his incredible skill and experience as an admission expert in the worlds of college and school planning with his genuine desire to know and support...

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Kelly Cusack Chauncey

Practice Manager

Kelly comes to us after spending the last 13 years managing a fast-paced real estate law office. Kelly oversaw all aspects of the office, fine tuning all areas so that the office would run efficiently and effectively. Kelly is extremely detail oriented and highly organized. Kelly and her husband have...

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Noah McMillan

Director of Marketing and Digital Content

Like all family businesses, the children of the proprietors are often conscripted into service and Noah was no different! So Noah comes to McMillan Education having experienced firsthand its multi-faceted work with families and students for many years. Over time, Noah’s contributions to McMillan Education evolved from answering phones and...

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Betsy Hamre

Professional Outreach Specialist & Manager, Owl Boarding School Guide

Betsy is the first point of contact for most of our McMillan Education families. As our Professional Outreach Specialist, Betsy brings her knowledge of child, adolescent, and young adult development and admissions to the critical role she plays in learning about students’ goals and needs and helping families understand how...

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Crash McMillan

Chief Happiness Officer

As CHO, Crash is the resident McMillan Education office supplier of all things happy, comforting, and soothing. For those McMillan Education students and families who love dogs or enjoy a moment of calm cuddling, Crash greets everyone with wiggly tail wags and an immediate request for a belly rub. While...

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Socrates McMillan

Chief Wisdom Officer

As CWO, Socrates has a busy daily schedule enlightening the McMillan Education team to the priorities of a well-educated, virtuous, happy life. Known by some as the philosophy dog, Socrates has his own brand of wisdom to share. For Socrates, the most important lessons to learn are kindness, affection, fun,...

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