Our Team


Kim Penney, M.Ed.

Kim Penney, principal consultant and founder of One-on-One College Consulting, is a certified MBTI® Practitioner. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Tufts University, where she played Division III basketball. She holds a M.Ed. in Guidance Counseling from Salem State University, where she coached women’s basketball. As a former high school guidance counselor with a caseload of 300+ students, Kim established One-on-One College Consulting to offer a more personalized approach. Kim also coached the girls’ varsity basketball team at Reading Memorial High School for 15 years, capturing the Massachusetts’ Division II State Championship in 2012. She was named Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe, the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association, as well as the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and was inducted into the Reading Memorial High School Athletic Hall of Fame in the fall of 2015. She currently serves as a member of the Tufts Athletic Hall of Fame Committee and the MIAA Endowment Committee. Kim also directs One-on-One Basketball Clinics and the Best of the Best College Basketball Showcase. She frequently gives presentations at conferences and schools throughout the country.


Kate Hurd

Kate Hurd, principal consultant and vice president of operations at One-on-One College Consulting, is a certified MBTI® Practitioner. She joined our team in 2011 and has counseled hundreds of high school students through their admissions journeys. Kate holds a B.A. in Psychology from Colby College and a certificate in Independent Educational Consulting from the University of California, Irvine. She has extensive experience in human resources, operations, and career counseling, and previously managed 300+ remote admissions consultants at an edtech company. As a former collegiate softball captain and recipient of the All-America Scholar-Athlete Award, Kate coached softball at Newton North High School for many years. She is excited to combine her experience in management and training in the educational consulting industry to help oversee One-on-One’s development and growth.


Carolyn Rea, M.Ed.

Carolyn Rea, admissions consultant at One-on-One College Consulting, has been a member of our team since 2010, serving in various administrative, marketing, and advising roles. She has extensive coaching experience at the college, high school and club levels. She holds a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Suffolk University where she served as a career adviser at Suffolk and an assistant women’s basketball coach for the Rams. She has also coached basketball at Vassar College and Reading Memorial High School. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Economics from Vassar College where she captained the women’s basketball team to a Liberty League Championship in 2011. Carolyn manages all phases of our comprehensive college search and college application services by working directly with our students and families to help facilitate an enjoyable and memorable journey through the college admissions process.


Corey Paluga, M.Ed.

Corey Paluga, admissions consultant at One-on-One College Consulting, joined the team in the summer of 2023. He has 16 years of experience as a college coach, administrator, and admissions team member. He holds a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Lynchburg College where he started his college coaching career. He has also coached at Stevens Institute of Technology, Elmira College, and Eastern University. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Lynchburg College he was 4-year catcher with the baseball team.


Katy Garvin

Katy Garvin, Office Manager and Marketing Specialist at One-on-One College Consulting, joined our team in 2022. Katy graduated from Endicott College in 2023, where she competed as a 4-year member of their women’s lacrosse team. Previously, she worked as a social media marketing intern at iVoicecommunication in Mansfield, MA. She is a graduate of Mansfield High School where she played varsity soccer and lacrosse. Katy is excited to learn best practices in counseling students on the college admissions process as she shares her experiences as a college student-athlete with our One-on-One clients.


Michelle Walker, M.Ed.

Michelle Walker, admissions coach at One-on-One College Consulting, joined our team in 2014. She is an associate member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and a certified MBTI® Practitioner who is an interview and essay-editing specialist.  Michelle holds a B.A. in Education and a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Boston College. Her professional experience includes many years of classroom teaching and working in the Office of Undergraduate Admission at Boston College. She has also worked in the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Activities at Butler University. Michelle enjoys sharing her admissions insights and editing expertise with our students and families.


Sarah Cowdell, M.Ed.

Sarah Cowdell, admissions coach at One-on-One College Consulting, joined our team in 2022. She has worked extensively with students at both the high school and college levels, providing individual and group coaching related to college and career readiness. Sarah attended Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) and played Division III tennis, before transferring to Framingham State University, where she graduated with a B.A. in English with Honors. She also holds a M.Ed. in Higher Education from Merrimack College, where she worked for many years overseeing the First Year Experience program. Most recently, Sarah has worked as a consultant in the field of early college and dual enrollment. Sarah is particularly interested in supporting our students and families with navigating the critical transition from high school to college.


Carina Kohn

Carina Kohn, admissions coach at One-on-One College Consulting, joined our team in 2023. She is a multi-genre writer, editor, and educator from New York. She earned her B.A. in English at SUNY New Paltz, and an MFA in Creative Writing and Literature. She has taught undergraduate courses in creative writing at Stony Brook University, English literature at Marist College, and participates as Teaching Artist for organizations such as Written Out Loud and the Young Artists and Writers Project. She has been a volunteer resume and college essay coach for her community since 2017, and is very excited to guide more students through the admissions process so that they can feel confident navigating this next stage in their lives.


Cecelia Magargee

Cecelia Magargee, admissions coach at One-on-One College Consulting, joined our team in 2023. She is a 30+ year marketing and event professional, and a lifelong coach. She holds a B.A. in American Studies from Tufts University where she captained both soccer and lacrosse, earning All-American and Tufts Female Athlete of the Year honors. Cecelia spent 15 years running the Global Event Marketing Team at Reebok International, and she served on the organizing committee for both the Atlanta and Salt Lake Olympic Games. Cecelia coached lacrosse at the collegiate level at both Stanford University and Harvard University, as well as coaching high school and club programs in Charlottesville, Virginia. Cecelia currently works at the University of Virginia as a project manager, producing events and building teams across Grounds. She serves as the Vice President of the Girls on the Run board of directors for Central Virginia. Cecelia is really excited to continue her coaching career with One-On-One College Consulting, this time helping students uncover their potential and find the next step on their path forward.


James Cramphin

James Cramphin, admissions coach at One-on-One College Consulting, joined our team in 2023. He graduated from Brown University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and significant study in Educational Studies. While at Brown, James was a four-year starter and Ivy League Champion with the baseball team. He then spent two years playing minor league professional baseball for an independent team outside of Chicago, IL. After his stint in the minor leagues, James spent 4 years working for Apple and Groupon. Seeking a more fulfilling career in education, James returned to New England in 2012 and has spent the last eleven years in many different roles at independent boarding schools in CT and MA. Most recently, he served as an Associate Director of Admission at The Governor’s Academy and as the Head Varsity Baseball Coach. James is passionate about helping young people discover their talents as they transition into young adulthood and is excited to use his experience as a boarding school admissions officer and coach to support our families in the college admissions process.


Michael McSweeney

Michael McSweeney, admissions coach at One-on-One College Consulting, joined our team in 2023. From coach, to teacher, to department head, to administrator, Mike has served in many roles during his career in secondary education. After graduating from Boston College, an assignment with Teach for America led to his first teaching job in Greenville, Mississippi. He completed his two-year commitment and, along the way, confirmed his interest in teaching English and coaching basketball. Returning to his home state of Massachusetts, he was hired to teach English at Reading Memorial High School and completed a master’s degree at Tufts University. Mike has taken a recent interest in journalism education, and he feels privileged to help young people develop as students and citizens. In his free time, Mike enjoys sports, reading, and spending time with his family.


Lily Smith

Lily Smith is an intern at One-on-One College Consulting, joining our team 2023. She is a rising senior at the College of the Holy Cross with a major in English and a minor in Anthropology. Lily has a passion for helping prospective students find their dream schools, which she discovered through her job in the Admissions Office at Holy Cross. Lily is also a member of the Holy Cross Student Government Association and Sigma Tau Delta English Society. She recently returned from a transformative semester abroad in Galway, Ireland, where she was able to visit eight countries in four months. She graduated from Wakefield Memorial High School, where she played on both the basketball and soccer teams. Lily is very excited to learn more about the inner workings of the college admissions process from the perspective of an independent consulting firm.


Jaclyn Lyons

Jaclyn Lyons, basketball event manager at One-on-One College Consulting, joined our team in 2016. A standout player at Reading Memorial High School, Jackie played both Division I and Division II college basketball on an athletic scholarship at the University of New Hampshire and Merrimack College, respectively, and earned her B.A. in Graphic Design. In addition to her design/branding expertise, she helps manage our One-on-One Basketball Clinics and annual Best of the Best College Basketball Showcase. After serving as the girls’ varsity head coach at Milton Academy for several years, Jackie works full-time as the co-owner of Hardwood Hustle, an independent year-round basketball training organization for all genders, ages and abilities. She is committed to helping all of our basketball event participants reach their true potential.