Meet Our Team!
Melina here!
Interested in joining the CC.us community? There is no better way to see if we are the right fit for you than getting to know our team a little bit better!
I was able to recently interview all our team members (the team continues to grow!) and hear about what makes each one of them tick. SO without further ado....
Meet : Jack Delehey
Location: Denver, CO
Role: Founder
What led you to start CC.us?
The desire to provide more structure, motivation, and guidance to the college planning journey...after I struggled mightily myself as a high schooler!
What is your favorite memory at CC.us so far?
My favorite memory is not so much a memory but looking at what CC.us is today - seeing the team grow, as we continue to add team members who all have the same vision: to change families' lives forever.
What is a skill you want to learn?
Management & leadership! With a growing team, it will be critical that I continue to improve in this area.
If you could switch jobs with anyone in the company for a week, who would it be and why?
Jack Beecher because he's still in college...and I miss college sometimes.
First Job: Summer camp counselor in Concord, MA
Dream Vacation: Bandon Dunes Golf Course, Oregon (as long as traveling there meant I got to play the course!)
Favorite TV show or movie: Shawshank Redemption
Current favorite song: A Bar Song (Shaboozey)
Something you pretend to hate, but actually love: Sweets
Celebrity look-alike: Kevin Connolly (E from Entourage)
First concert: Dave Matthews Band
Coffee Order: Dark Roast, Black
If you could go to dinner with any celebrity who would you choose? Tom Brady
If you could popularize any word or saying what would it be? I am old and have no idea what slang words are in use today...
Meet : Piotr
Location: Bend, Oregon
Role: College Coach
What drew you to the CC.us team?
I felt that Jack had great energy and a positive attitude. Working with him and continuing to work with students was a great opportunity.
What is your favorite memory at CC.us so far?
I had a student that didn't get a lot of great news early on, but I kept reminding him to stay the course and trust the process. In the end he ended up with several top choices.
What is a skill you want to learn?
To sing properly.
If you could switch jobs with anyone in the company for a week, who would it be and why?
Jay, so I can eat some topsilog in the Philippines!
First Job: Painting classrooms during the summer in HS
Dream Vacation: Egypt, 6000 years ago
Favorite TV show or movie: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Current favorite song: Anything from Emmit Fenn or Stick Figure
Something you pretend to hate, but actually love: None, I don't hide my love
Celebrity look-alike: Viggo Mortensen
First concert: Metallica!
Coffee Order: Yuck, I don't drink coffee
If you could go to dinner with any celebrity who would you choose? Elon Musk
If you could popularize any word or saying what would it be? Badger (used as a generic noun for any object)
Meet : Richard
Location: Orlando, FL
Role: Head of Student Admission. I help elite students and their parents move towards dream school acceptance.
What drew you to the CC.us team?
Jack’s robust program and care for people.
What is your favorite memory at CC.us so far?
Jack introducing me to his parents and the Delehey family sharing with me how CollegeConsulting.us all came about.
What is a skill you want to learn?
How to speak Spanish and Japanese.
If you could switch jobs with anyone in the company for a week, who would it be and why?
Jack. It would be great to see how he processes the day-to-day decisions for the company from adding in new components to curriculum, to planning leadership meetings, to conducting research on the top 30 schools in the US.
First Job: Pre college, I worked at Tommy Hilfiger (clothing store) folding clothes. Post College, I was a middle school math teacher
Dream Vacation: Japan...their fried chicken and ramen are the bomb!
Favorite TV show or movie: Hunter x Hunter or Inception
Current favorite song: No Way by Tye Tribette
Something you pretend to hate, but actually love: Junk Food
Celebrity look-alike: Somewhere between Cuba Gooding JR and Malcolm X
First concert: Israel & New Breed
Coffee Order: Black...(ok..1 cream)
If you could go to dinner with any celebrity who would you choose? Keanu Reeves
If you could popularize any word or saying what would it be? FACTS!
Meet : Jay
Location: Metro Manila, Philippines
Role: Head of Operations
What drew you to the CC.us team?
The CC.us core values and how Jack values us, his team.
What is your favorite memory at CC.us so far?
My first day as Jack's first employee in the Philippines.
What is a skill you want to learn?
Data Science
If you could switch jobs with anyone in the company for a week, who would it be and why?
Either Piotr or Richard because their jobs are the total opposite of my work (backend of things).
First Job: Project Coordinator
Dream Vacation: Japan
Favorite TV show or movie: Friends
Current favorite song: Espresso
Something you pretend to hate, but actually love: The smell of gasoline
Celebrity look-alike: I don't think I have one
First concert: Regine Velasquez (2014)
Coffee Order: Cold Brew
If you could go to dinner with any celebrity who would you choose? Adele
If you could popularize any word or saying what would it be? Giggle Water (slang term for alcohol in 1920s)
Meet: Jack Beecher
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Role: Create ANY value I can as a past student/current college student
What drew you to the CC.us team?
I was a student of the program and loved Jack's entrepreneurial mindset
What is your favorite memory at CC.us so far?
Interviewing Ivy League admits for the Ivy Roadmap I created
What is a skill you want to learn?
To play the piano
If you could switch jobs with anyone in the company for a week, who would it be and why?
Jay, he gets to see it all!
First Job: This!
Dream Vacation: Costa Rica
Favorite TV show or movie: Game of Thrones
Current favorite song: Pink Matter by Frank Ocean
Something you pretend to hate, but actually love: Arguing
Celebrity look-alike: Optimistically, a young Leonardo DiCaprio
First concert: Somehow I have never been to one!
Coffee Order: Black, dark roast preferably
If you could go to dinner with any celebrity who would you choose? Steve Jobs
If you could popularize any word or saying what would it be? Merch (means "alright", "word", "bet")
Meet: Me, Melina!
Location: Locust Valley, New York
Role: Director of Email Marketing
What drew you to the CC.us team?
Watching firsthand (for myself, and my two younger sisters), how incredible of a program it is and the gaps that the curriculum fills.
What is your favorite memory at CC.us so far?
As a student, getting off the waitlist at Vanderbilt! As a part of the team, my favorite memory has been writing my first piece of my own...Maximizing Your Summer Campus Visits
What is a skill you want to learn?
To play golf!
If you could switch jobs with anyone in the company for a week, who would it be and why?
Piotr, I envy how closely he gets to work with our high school students during the process!
First Job: Hostess
Dream Vacation: Petra, Jordan
Favorite TV show or movie: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Current favorite song: Stumblin' In
Guilty pleasure: Real Housewives (NY, Beverly Hills, NJ, or Atlanta)
Celebrity look-alike: According to starbyface.com I look like Cindy Crawford...I'm running with the 38% match!
First concert: One Direction
Coffee Order: Not coffee but an iced matcha latte with almond milk
If you could go to dinner with any celebrity who would you choose? Andrew Huberman
If you could popularize any word or saying what would it be? ADR (All due respect)
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you are interested in joining our community and working with the CC.us team, schedule a call!
Best of luck!
Melina Kazanas
P.S. - Have a high-performing high schooler w/ a 3.7 GPA or higher? We'll help get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges...and if we don't get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges, you don't pay us a penny. Seriously! You can learn more about our world renowned all-inclusive, start-to-finish college coaching here and to see if your family qualifies for an introductory call.
P.P.S - Our most common question is "When should we start?!" The answer is, if you truly care about giving your high schooler the best chance of college planning success, you should start NOW. 9th grade is not too early to start! 10th grade is certainly not too early to start! And 11th grade is far, far too late! (supporting data here to show just how much of an advantage you give your child by starting the process early).
