MYCOLLEGEi –
Our Story
In 2007 as my twin daughters were applying to college, I was frustrated at how
few colleges offered interviews; not because they weren’t interested in my
daughters’ ability to communicate and articulate what the paper application
couldn’t – but because the cost of training, staffing and the sheer logistics of
in-house interviews prevented it.
Having worked professionally in the digital world for many years,
I knew there was a way to meet the needs of both the colleges and the students
by providing a digital space for this new generation of tech-savvy applicants to
post interviews that would allow them to be “real and engaging”, yet simple
enough for busy colleges to easily access them.
I turned to my friend, Caryl Kristensen, a college counselor
working in the trenches, and told her about my idea. She knew there was an
urgent need to give some control to the overanxious students she counseled every
day. Caryl enlisted her colleague, Vincent Garcia, who has extensive experience
in college admissions, for the institutional perspective. Finally, my favorite
IT expert, Jason Mehrvarz, has helped to shape the user-friendly nature of this
cutting edge site.
After months of conversations with some of the country’s most
respected representatives, we worked diligently to make sure MYCOLLEGEi meets
the needs of both the colleges and the students in the most thoughtful way. Our
priority was that MYCOLLEGEi be free and inclusive, a site that would benefit a
diversity of students from all socio-economic backgrounds.
MYCOLLEGEi now provides a simple and free way for all students to
shine, above and beyond their grades and scores.
Bill Barnett
Team
Bill Barnett has been
involved in the communications and entertainment industry his entire
professional career. His background includes advertising, radio, television,
film, internet and mobile media. After working at Foote, Cone and Belding
advertising agency he created BARNETT/ROBBINS Enterprises, a radio production
and syndication company, which he sold to MCA Records.
Barnett became the first President of Radio Aahs, the first and
only Children’s Radio Network in existence. Today Radio Aahs is known as Radio
Disney.
Barnett then co-founded Goldbar Entertainment a Film and
Television production company that produced and distributed over 20 films.
In 2000 Barnett became a pioneer in the “Branded Entertainment”
industry. First as Executive Vice President of Melanie Griffith’s media and
marketing company OneWorldLive then for Telepictures-Warner Bros. working on
such shows as “The Bachelor”, “The Bachelorette”, “Ellen” and “Extra”.
In 2003 Barnett established, 926 Ventures a financing and
production company for both television and web properties. Concurrently he was a
Director for Entertainment Media Works an entertainment Internet Company linking
consumers, fashion and media properties through a website called StarStyle.com.
Currently Barnett is a partner of Sproose.com, a private label recommendation
engine for content and ecommerce websites.
Barnett is most proud of his service to Concern Foundation as a
member of their board of directors since 2002. Since its inception 40 years ago
Concern has raised over Forty two Million dollars for cancer research.
Caryl Kristensen is presently a high
school college counselor at a private college prep high school in Los Angeles,
California where she has worked for the past five years. She entered the field
of counseling as her own, now grown sons, began the anxiety producing process of
applying to college. She received a certification in college counseling from
UCLA in 2003 and has a bachelor's degree in Communications. She is also an
active member of the professional counselor's organizations NACAC and WACAC.
Counseling is the perfect complement to her previous career in the entertainment
industry where as a self-described, "college junkie", she frequently visited
campuses as her job took her all across the US as writer, television producer,
author and actress.
Vincent Garcia has over 20 years
experience in recruitment and college advising, he possesses expertise in
selective undergraduate admissions and diversity recruitment. Vincent currently
works with Point Foundation, the nation’s largest publicly-supported organization
granting scholarships to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students
of merit, as the Scholar Relations & Selections Program Director.
Jason Mehrvarz established a computer consulting
business in 1997 and provides information technology support based on client needs. He
has delivered reliable and enduring business solutions using the appropriate tools and
technology to meet the overall business objectives of many successful Internet companies.
His specialization is providing infrastructure, management and continuous innovation for
fast response to the ever-changing demands of clients and the marketplace. Recent successes
include: Dotherightthing.com, Dailynest.com, 249smiles.com, Engagebig.com, Directhost.net,
Deckflex.com, Chaluuusa.com, Ecohomeresource.com