Dr. Wu is the co-founder of Veritas Education, DC Regional Chair of Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Board of Director and Chair of the DC Chapter of Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance (H4A) serving Harvard alums globally. She obtained a master's degree in education with a concentration in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from University of Missouri (with a minor in Psychology).

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Dr. Wu is an expert in student motivation and serves as a mentor to students globally, including Harvard College students. She designs classes focusing on self-growth to help students enhance their deep thinking, leadership, cultural, and communication skills. Her research interests are interpersonal in nature and include mentoring, cultural differences, communication, social skills, and emotional intelligence. As a speaker, she has been invited to discuss global competence, international education, mental wellness, and race relations in America.

Ed.M., Harvard University

Ph.D., in Business, University of Missouri

Member of IECA 

Regional Chair, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Board of Director & Chair of DC, Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance (H4A)

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Richard is an expert in education. His interdisciplinary experience allows him to develop a comprehensive analytical method to formulate effective developmental and college application plans for our students.

With over 15 years of experience in business management and computing technology at a global consulting firm and a top financial institution, Richard has cultivated countless young adults and helped them reach their academic and professional goals. As the co-founder of BranchOut!, he also leads and grows this youth community engagement program by working with global law firms, financial institutions, local government, school district management teams, and members of the U.S Congress.

Richard also serves on the committee of:

Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC), Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Advanced Academic Program Advocacy Committee (AAPAC), Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Education Certificate Program, Harvard University

M.Ed. Acceptance, University of Pennsylvania

M.B.A., University of Maryland

Board of Director, TCFA

As someone who values deep and well-rounded thinking, Jonathan aims to promote holistic education in more families. Because of his passion for education, he has coached high school students, recent graduates, and junior staff members in developing both their soft and hard skills.

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In addition to being a mentor, Jonathan has served as a leader in top financial institutions in New York and the Washington D.C. area. Through his work as a finance professional and tech entrepreneur, he has gained in-depth knowledge of what it takes to succeed in life as well as in one's career, especially in the financial and technology industries.

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He looks forward to bringing his experience and expertise to the Veritas Education team and helping more students reach their academic and career goals.

M.S., Stanford University

B.S., University of Science and Technology of China

Vice-Chair, TCFA-DC

Mr. Allen

Advisor 

Ph.D. ABD, University of Washington

M.S., London School of Economics

Mr. Allen brings more than 20 years of education and senior management experience to the team. He has designed courses and taught at all levels from pre-school to university doctoral seminars. Mr. Allen has three children and knows how to connect with teenagers with the goal to guide them towards young adulthood. He knows both the public and private high school systems well and has been an effective college advisor for many years.

Ms. Angela

Advisor/Instructor 

M.F.A., University of Iowa

B.A., John Carroll University

Ms. Angela has over 20 years of college admissions and high school/college teaching experience. Most recently, she was the director of studies at a private school where she also taught upper school English and worked closely with college guidance. With her experience as a college counselor and an advanced degree in English writing, Ms. Angela guides her students into top colleges and won top awards in Scholastic Art and Writing Competitions. Ms. Angela has deep experience partnering with families as they navigate the path through secondary school and onto college. She takes great satisfaction in helping students to achieve their potential and write their own stories. Every day, she is amazed by the energy, resiliency, and commitment she sees in her students, and she believes whole-heartedly in their power to make the world a better place.

Mr. Bensing

Advisor/Manager

M.A., Central European University

B.A., Virginia Tech

Mr. Bensing is an expert in English language teaching and college admission counseling. He brings years of English and history teaching experience to the Veritas Education team. As a college admissions counselor, Mr. Bensing has worked with students from TJHSST, McLean, Oakton, etc., and is great at providing resources to help his students plan their time while promoting deep thinking. His experiences studying and working in the US, Europe, and Asia have made him passionate about promoting clear and respectful communication with others. Mr. Bensing is especially proficient at helping students communicate their thoughts clearly and building strong leadership capability through modeling behavior. Mr. Bensing is an exceptional writer, and served as an editor for the book Discover your Parenting Style. As a fencer in practice and competition since middle school, he loves to help his students identify their own passions inside and outside the classroom.

Ms. Huffaker

Education Specialist

M.S., University of Utah

B.A., Brigham Young University

Ms. Huffaker has a great deal of experience teaching writing from middle school to university. She has worked extensively with students in critical reading and academic writing. She is a gifted creative writer and has had her work published in two university magazines. She got a BA in English teaching with minors in both Education and Psychology. She has an MS in International Affairs. She believes that the whole student matters when creating a learning environment. She therefore begins a class focusing on the goals of the students and connecting the learning material to those goals. In her spare time, Ms. Huffaker writes fantasy novels, travels, and hikes.

Ms. Kirsten

Advisor/Instructor

M.A., University of Virginia 

B.A., University of Virginia

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Ms. Kirsten is an accomplished teacher with many years of English instruction experience at private schools in the greater Washington D.C. area, and is a certified Virginia Catholic Education Association teacher. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Virginia before teaching English at both the university and high school/middle school levels. In class, she values participation and does her best to encourage it in all of her students. For her, this means making class interesting and providing a space where students feel comfortable expressing themselves. Her goal is to get students to independently engage with the material and build learning skills that will help them grow as a confident young adult.

Mrs. Myers

Advisor/Instructor 

Ed.M., Harvard University

B.S., Boston University

Ms. Myers obtained a master's degree in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University and received her bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Boston University. As one of our college admissions advisors, she knows how to bring out the best in each student especially through writing. Ms. Myers enjoys helping students improve their reading, writing, leadership, and deep thinking skills. Through her experience as a researcher, teacher, and mentor, she is able to make learning enjoyable and accessible and has been a positive influence on many of our students.

Ms. Laurie

Advisor/Instructor

PhD. ABD, George Mason University; M.A., George Washington University

B.S., US Naval Academy

Graduate Certificate in Advanced Education Leadership, Harvard University

Ms. Laurie graduated from the US Naval Academy and served in the United States Navy with a STEM and Humanity double major. She later became a high school mathematics teacher, district mathematics coach, and high school principal. Laurie completed her PhD coursework in Mathematics Education Leadership at George Mason University where she was a Dean's Scholar and was trained as a researcher at Harvard University. Ms. Laurie's wealth of experience in teaching, admissions, counseling, and scholarship make her a unique education leader. She has 3 grown children and they have all gone to their first choice of colleges.

Ms. Li

Advisor

Ed.M., George Mason University

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Ms. Li is committed to student success within and beyond the classroom setting. She obtained a master’s degree in School Counseling from George Mason University and has experience working in both public and private school settings. Ms. Li has a wealth of knowledge in college advising, application coaching, personal growth, and professional development. With over six years of experience in developing and implementing comprehensive college coaching and advisory systems at Veritas Education, she is eager to create strategic partnerships in the community to provide even more services and resources to serve our students and families.

Ms. Liu

Associate Director/Advisor

M.A.S., Illinois Institute of Technology

B.Eng., Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Ms. Liu brings extensive experience in education consulting with a focus on high school planning and college counseling to the team. Before entering the education field, she started her early career as an engineer. Ms. Liu wants to make a difference in the world and believes that education is the most powerful tool to do that. It is this strong passion that has driven her to help students achieve their own goals. Ms. Liu is a results-oriented professional with the highest integrity and is able to develop clear strategies to achieve outstanding results.

Ms. Lori

Advisor

M.A. Ed., University of Southern California

B.A., University of Notre Dame 

Prior to entering the college admissions field, Lori taught history, government, and English. As an advisor and essay specialist, Lori helps high school students plan for their applications and write authentic, revelatory application essays. With over a decade of editing and writing experience, she walks students through the entire essay writing process, from brainstorming ideas to perfecting a final draft. Fully committed to developing deep thinkers and strong, memorable essays, Lori labors to ensure this important part of the student’s application strengthens his/her complete portfolio.

Ms. Lu

Education Specialist

M.A., University of Delaware

B.A., National Taiwan University

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Ms. Lu brings more than eight years of teaching and research experience with her to the Veritas Education team. As a researcher, she conducted research on the relationship between neuroscience and linguistics as well as bilingual education. As a teacher, she worked with students from diverse backgrounds and academic levels. With a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Ms, Lu knows how to systematically bring out the best of her students and help them become the most successful version of themselves. 

Dr. Xu 

Advisor

Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth University​

B.S., Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Dr. Xu is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Xu’s research focuses on the frontier of modern treatment planning in radiation oncology, and her work has been published in top-tier medical journals. Dr. Xu is also not a passionate doctor, but also a passionate mentor. Throughout the years Dr. Xu has coached a number of M.D./Ph.D. graduates and medical undergraduates to become qualified physicists.

Ms.Rhoden

Instructor/Marketing Specialist

B.A., Portland State University

As an instructor, Ms. Rhoden works with students to improve their ability to express themselves - through writing, speaking or otherwise. She graduated from Portland State University with a BA in Chinese Language and a minor in Arabic. As a mom and someone interested in cross-cultural education, Jade has accumulated a wealth of knowledge in teaching and cross-cultural exchange, which gives her a unique perspective on the American education system and childhood development. She is passionate about helping students grow into effective learners and well-rounded adults.