ABOUT

GERNA BENZ

Senior Partner College Planning Specialists Inc.
Owner Bay College Planning,
Senior Partner Hawaii College Planners
Mentored hundreds of students over 18 years in gaining admission to their top choice school
Designated Certified College Planning Specialist with the Association of Certified College Funding Specialists
Member of the Hawaiian Association of College Admissions Counselor
Certified Agent Allianz Financial Services
COO of SBC Inc. 1990 to 2004
One of the Northern California Financial Aid Experts for the John’s Hopkins University CTY Program

Gerna graduated Pierce College with a major in marketing and studied finance at the University of Puget Sound.

Gerna is a licensed agent with Allianz Financial Services and lectures on college planning for the Johns Hopkins University CTY program. He has worked in College Planning for over 18 years and is the owner of Bay College Planning in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to starting Bay College Planning, Gerna ran his family business for 15 years managing 75 employees and a 8-million-dollar budget.

LINDA VANG

Linda Vang has been been working with students from both underserved and independent schools in the Bay Area for over 15 years. In working with these schools, she's supervised students and staff, lead enrichment activities, planned events and was a liaison between parents and staff. She's assisted families in the admission process for independent schools and for college. She developed many systems to increase the flow within her departments.

During this time she also worked with young adults with learning differences coordinating events and presenting to families. She is excited to meet families and guide them through the process of applying for college.

ALDEN (LEVI) KAI'AOKAMĀLIE

Alden is a product of both the public and private school systems in Hawaiʻi, graduating from The Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Campus in 1987.

Alden continued his education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, majoring in Hawaiian Language. While at the University, he was a Charter member of Operation Kuaʻana, an organization formed to encourage Hawaiian students to continue their education beyond the High School level. This organization also helped students who chose to enroll at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, by providing scholarship opportunities and other student support services to them.

While attending College, Alden also pursued and established a thriving professional music career, and upon his College graduation, he chose to pursue this career in music Full Time. He travelled the world as both a musician and hula dancer, traveling extensively throughout the South Pacific, Asia, and Europe. He has owned and operated both a music production company, and a record label.

Beyond his entrepreneurial pursuits, Alden could not deny his passion for his Mother Tongue, finally using his degree, and teaching, ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language) in both the middle and high school levels. While teaching he continued to coordinate and produce live shows in Hawaiʻi and abroad, as a composer, arranger, and producer.

Alden is a multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner, and has performed on over 150 projects in Hawai’i, and Internationally. He has produced, and performed with such artists as; The Pandanus Club, Raiatea Helm, Nā Leo Pilimehana, Jeff Rasmussen, and countless others.

STEVEN ROBELLO

Steven is the Co-managing Partner for Pacific Rim College Planning, offering time tested strategies to parents on how to minimize their college costs and providing students with coaching, mentoring, and counseling. Steve is also the owner of Imua Results Marketing, a company that specializes in online social media strategies and offline marketing and integrate social media platforms, including; Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Blogs for SEO. Steve graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and the University of Hawaii Shidler Business College with a BBA in Accounting.

Steve has also worked as a Stevedore Manager at Matson Navigation, Business Consultant for Honolulu Minority Business Development Center, Chief Financial Officer/Part- Owner of Kidsports, Sales & Project Manager for JGL Enterprises, Financial Planner for IDS Financial Services and Accountant for Bishop Estates. Steve is also a well respected athlete from Kamehameha Schools where he also served as an assistant football and head wrestling coach.

Dr. Heidi Davila

For the past ten years Dr. Davila has guided thousands of students in realizing their goals and aspirations. She has enjoyed serving her community as a professional counselor during which she provided academic, career, personal, and crisis counseling. Prior to joining Bay Area College Planners, Dr. Davila served as an academic and college counselor at Animo Ralph Bunche Charter High School, a college preparatory school in the Los Angeles area. She collaborated with universities across the nation to organize college fairs, college admission information sessions, and campus tours for students. She was also Head Counselor at Vacaville High School where she led a team of counselors in providing students with quality academic and college counseling services. Currently, Dr. Davila works as an Adjunct Counselor at Diablo Valley College helping students transfer to four-year colleges and universities. She has volunteered as a mentor for the PUENTE program at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, a member of the NACAC Greater Los Angeles National College Fair planning committee, and as a reader for the UCLA Alumni Scholarship.

Dr. Davila’s educational experience began at the University of California Los Angeles where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in World Arts and Cultures with two minors in Education and Chicano/a Studies. She then earned a Master’s degree in Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential from Loyola Marymount University. In 2015, Dr. Davila earned a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education Administration from the University of Southern California.

Dr. Davila is passionate about the counseling profession. She aims to establish positive and trusting relationships with students and parents and to assist students in discovering and achieving their career and educational goals.

Gail Valeskie

Gail Valeskie has been a writing coach since 2014 for high school juniors and seniors needing assistance writing their college admissions essays. She also writes press releases for authors and small businesses, as well as transcribes audio files for various individuals such as attorneys, physicians, and anybody else who speaks and needs a Word document. This other type of work she has been doing for almost 30 years.

Regardless of the media, Ms. Valeskie has been called “The Virtual Word Goddess.” With her high school students, she helps them find the “right word” and its application, checks spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, word count requirements, and overall smooth flowing formats that best express each student’s ideas and uniqueness. One of her special “gifts” is her intuitive ability to ask questions in such a way to spark ideas and/or memories of things they’ve done in their past that can become essay topics. Then, she helps students form a writing outline to make the writing process easier to accomplish. Finally, she teaches students how to leverage their time and efforts by shrinking or expanding essays to fit various colleges’ requirements, something her students (and parents!) appreciate.

In order to ensure she can best serve her students, Ms. Valeskie asks them the following questions:

Why do YOU want to go to college?
What is your favorite academic subject, hobby, or sport?
Have you ever faced a particular challenge or obstacle? If so, how did you deal with it or overcome it? What did you learn from the process?
Who is your greatest source of inspiration?

Finally, what truly sets he apart from other college essay coaches is her added service of researching each college and university links for deadlines and application requirements. By doing so, Ms. Valeskie also knows which schools require what types of essays and can guide students in their essay writing. She keeps flexible hours to meet with her students by phone because she realizes that they have lives, homework and need time off – but she also makes them “toe the line” and involves the parents whenever necessary. Gail Valeskie is committed to helping students put their best selves on paper

Nancy Navarro

Assist and guide diverse student population with matriculation
Facilitate orientations, transfer and probation workshops
Develop student education plans that delineates exact requirements to complete in order to achieve student’s goals
Identify academic hindrances and offer referrals for additional support and guidance as needed
Instruct students on how to navigate the system and streamline their processes
Evaluate and verify student’s transcripts from accreditations to course verification
Setup specialized long-term counseling for Medical school or Law school bound program students
Provide encouragement and motivation for diverse student populations, including those with educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, toward personal success
Computer related knowledge includes Colleague, Eureka, O-Net, SARS, Assist, CCC Transfer Counselor websites, Mysers-Briggs inventory, Occupation Outlook handbook, College Source, College Board, and Princeton Resources

Experience in teaching and facilitating Career Development workshops using measuring instruments such as MBTI and Strong Interest Inventory to undergraduate students. Conduct presentations about the admissions process, address student concerns such as, but not limited to financial aid policies and procedures, academics, campus involvement, and personal development.

Mitch Lee

Mitch has been teaching and working with students for over 10 years. Ranging from kindergarten to college students, Mitch has taught all levels of math, science, English, and history courses.

In the same amount of time, he has also guided students through SAT and ACT preparation providing instruction on content as well as support in test strategies. Through careful analysis and an individualized proven methodology, Mitch has been successful in assisting students earn higher scores. He’s honored and privileged to be a part of such an important portion of each student's academic journey.

Mitch’s background is in Psychology/Biology (B.S.) and a Biological Sciences (M.S.)

Brian South

Brian South grew up on a farm in the picturesque region of Crescent City, CA. He has been working with hundreds of students for more than a decade. He lives his passion to instruct, empower, and inspire students of all ages and walks of life to reach their full potential and transition to college or the career of their choice. Brian tutors, coaches, and advocates for college readiness by specific subject instruction by mentoring students in college entrance essays, admission interviews, and researching colleges.

Brian is a lifelong learner, a dedicated student of self-development and champion of youth. He passionately shares his training to help his students open the door to the college of their choice.

Brian has crystalized all of the knowledge in his current book, Demystifying College Admission: Learn Key Strategies to Get Into the College of Your Choice.

As a transformational coach and mentor, Brian aligns with a students' mission and strategically navigates students step-by-step from high school to their dream college.

HAWAII COLLEGE PLANNERS