OUR TEAM
JODI FURMAN
Jodi Furman is our founder and lead admissions consultant. She has been working as an independent admissions advisor for both college and graduate school (MBA, JD, MD) applicants for well over a decade. She is the former Director of Operations for one of the nation’s largest test prep firms and has years of experience as an executive recruiter, placing C-Suite executives.
She enjoys working with students of all academic abilities and has helped students to gain admission to schools ranging from highly selective, Ivy League universities to private, state, and international universities. She is skilled at drilling down to determine what students and families are seeking in a school-- incorporating academic rigor, strength of major, setting, location, and with a trained eye on finances, sharing her insight into both merit and need based aid, if applicable-- most importantly, Jodi is looking for the right FIT for your student.
Her goal is to both demystify and navigate students through the entirety of the application process—to help students craft a cohesive and compelling application with interesting and unique essays that garner the attention of the admissions committee.
Jodi holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York, NY. Additionally, she holds a certificate from the College Advising Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. In her free time, she enjoys glamping with her family and dogs, as well as watching both high school hockey and college basketball.
LAURA LEMANSKI
Our CEdO (Chief Educational Officer), Laura Lemanski, is a curriculum designer, instructional coach, and literacy educator with classroom experience in K-12, college, and community settings. As a teacher-researcher, she is focused on integrating research-proven, yet practical strategies to ensure students across disciplines are supported. Her approach to teaching centers equity and access, by creating engaging and inclusive learning opportunities that augment student strengths and make content relevant and meaningful.
As a first generation college student who is nearly finished with her PhD (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities), Laura knows firsthand what it means to navigate the often challenging terrain of the college application process. From brainstorming scholarship essay topics with her seniors to counseling her community college advisees on next steps, Laura’s goal is to help students who think college might be out-of-reach understand that despite the inevitable hurdles, attending their school of choice is more than a possibility.
While she always hopes to inspire her students, Laura has found that more often than not they inspire her with their resilience, tenacity, and passion.
DR. SARAH ROTHSCHILD
Dr. Sarah Rothschild is our Lead Essay Editor; she’s the former Director of Graduate Writing and Quality Learning at The University of Maryland Global Campus where she managed the tutoring program and writing courses, overseeing over 100 tutors and faculty. She has extensive experience teaching creative writing, history and literature, and was the Lead Faculty, English for the Art Institute of Washington (DC) for thirteen years.
An award-winning teacher, Sarah earned a BA from Cornell University, in Comparative Literature, holds two MAs from Temple University (English and History) and earned a PhD in English from City University of New York.
CHRISTINE PAULHUS
Christine is our Senior Essay Editor; a highly organized, creative and strategic thinker with an eye for overall clarity as well as details. Her goal is to help elevate your writing while retaining your voice.
Christine’s career highlights as a writer and editor include roles at a past presidential administration, Gourmet Magazine, Penguin Putnam Books and Parade Magazine. She most recently spent over a decade as the content editor for a Fortune 100 firm.
A child of a native of Rome and a Navy commander, Christine spent the majority of her childhood abroad where she learned to cook local cuisines and to appreciate history and art. She graduated with a degree in Journalism from Elon University in North Carolina where she was honored as Writer of the Year as a freshman. She resides in sunny Southern California with her family and her yellow lab, Willa.
SANA
As our Lead Student Coordinator, Sana manages all of the small, yet vital, moving parts of your student’s applications, ensuring that they’re both on task and on time. She has a deep understanding of the college application process and is an unparalleled resource and support for parents and students alike.
In addition to her support of our students and parents, Sana is Enlightened Admission’s Office Manager. Her professional expertise includes over twenty years as an executive assistant, which includes over a decade supporting C-level executives at a Fortune 500 media conglomerate.
A native of Washington D.C. area, Sana recently relocated to Tampa with her family, where they enjoy warmer winters and the beaches. Ironically, most of her spare time is spent in a frigid ice rink cheering on her husband’s and son’s ice hockey teams or watching her daughter compete as a figure skater. Sana attended the University of Maryland-College Park.
DEJAH GREENE
Dejah Greene is one of our Admissions Counselors; she has a passion to assist and support prospective students on their journey through the higher education application process.
Dejah has worked at two universities, including an HBCU, where she worked in admissions. Her educational background in psychology and sociology, combined with her deep understanding and knowledge of the application and financial aid process from both the student and institution perspective, enables her to help guide prospective applicants to find their perfect fit.