Attendees
“Maps are great resources out on the open road, but nothing beats a personalized tour from those who know the routes best.”
Event Sponsor
ACCESS COLLEGE FOUNDATION
Access College Foundation, a non-profit corporation founded in 2004, was formed to help spread information to assist parents of high school students to maximize college financial aid. This organization sponsors classes and hosts free seminars to walk parents through the financial aid application process with trained professionals.
Access College Foundation sponsors and hosts college fairs under its Dollars 4 College banner bringing together in a single venue college and vocational school recruiters along with financial aid, grant and scholarship providers.
Access College Foundation assists families to obtain scholarships and grants for college and vocational tuition assistance.
The Internal Revenue Service on June 30, 2006 determined that Access College Foundation is exempt form Federal income tax under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Access College Foundation are deductible under § 170 of the Code. (A copy of the IRS determination letter is available upon request.)
Event Speakers
Brett Luedde – President, Summit College Funding, Inc.
Brett Luedde’s professional life has always been focused on strategies and team-based success. A native of Pittsburgh, PA, he received his MBA from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. He spent five years with Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI), one of the largest and most diversified specialty metals producers in the world, working domestically and internationally in a variety of strategically focused roles. His last role for ATI was to set and oversee the energy strategy for all of ATI’s operating companies, which included over 57 locations. This included supply strategies, risk management, price risk hedging and strategic operating projects. Before working with ATI, Brett was instrumental in the international expansion of a Dutch shipping company, The Albatros Group, based in Rotterdam. He established operations for the company in Estonia and managed the London, England sales office. Prior to working with Albatros, Brett was a professional volleyball player in The Netherlands.
In 2005, Brett moved to Encinitas, CA, with his wife Tera and two children, Hayden and Hunter. Here, Brett discovered that enabling people to make sound financial decisions is his passion. “Teaching people how to take control of their finances and their future is the most wonderful feeling for me,” he explains. This passion is what led to the founding of Summit College Funding, Inc.
What makes Summit different from other college planners? “Quite simply – our holistic approach,” Brett says. “We focus on the complete college application and financial aid process, but more than that we never forget the parents.” The company’s approach is based in fundamental principles of financial health and not solely focused on just rate of return. “It’s cash flow, security, and being able to sleep well at night knowing that what you want to have happen will happen. We want college to be paid for without sacrificing the parent’s retirement.”
In his spare time, Brett enjoys spending time with his family and playing volleyball, basketball, and squash. He is also President of the San Diego chapter of the Carnegie Mellon Alumni Association and recently served on the Board of Directors of the San Diego NAIFA chapter.
Dr. Mimi Fuhrman – Founder, Rock Solid Testing
Rock Solid Testing Services was founded in 2007 as a practical and affordable alternative to high-priced, multi-session test preparation classes. The founder and president of Rock Solid, Mimi Fuhrman has been a standardized test developer for 18 years and has written test items and developed high-stake standardized tests for high school students, college graduates and teacher candidates. In addition to her experience with tests such as the SAT and ACT, Mimi has taught multiple subjects at the middle school, high school and college levels. With a passion for science, Mimi holds degrees in Earth and Space Sciences from MIT and the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
At Rock Solid, Mimi uses her experience at writing and developing tests to give students a refreshingly different perspective of the SAT, ACT and other standardized tests. Each student that utilizes Rock Solid receives individual feedback based on the student's personal strengths and weaknesses. Rock Solid educates a student on how to take the test the way a professional would.
She currently resides in Carlsbad, California; her youngest son is a senior at Carlsbad High School, while the eldest attends the University of Pennsylvania.
Anthony V. Ybarra - Founder, Veritas Academic Consulting
Anthony V. Ybarra has come to be known as one of the nation's leading college admissions consultants, even earning recognition as the "Admissions Secret Weapon" by Fox Television. Anthony possesses a rare combination of experience and credentials that few in this country have attained. In addition to his recent college admissions experience, he has also earned his Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Southern California and possesses first hand admissions knowledge at a highly selective university (USC).
It is with this exceptional background and "inside knowledge" that Anthony has developed a systematic approach to assisting students to earn admission into the colleges of their choice.