Discovering the pathway together.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COLLEGE COUNSELOR,
STANDARDIZED TEST PREP INSTRUCTOR
Chris Larson
Chris is the founder of College Pathways of the Triad. A graduate of Rice University, Chris has been an actuary for 16 years after teaching high school math and Spanish. Chris earned the College Access Counseling Certificate from Rice and is a member of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling. He scored in the 99th percentile on both the SAT and ACT exams and taught a variety of standardized test prep classes during graduate school. Chris is passionate about helping students discover their full potential in college and beyond.
DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
Kelen Walker
Kelen has worked in education for the last 23 years. She first entered the world of college admissions while working for her alma mater (Union College in Schenectady, N.Y.) as an Assistant Director of Admissions. She then transitioned to guiding high school students through the college counseling process for over 11 years, first at Saint Mary’s School in Raleigh and then at Salem Academy in Winston-Salem, where she served as the Director of College Counseling. For the past 10 years she has held several roles at Canterbury School, including the Director of Admission and Teacher. She earned a Master’s degree in School Counseling from NC State and loves the process of helping young people find their path to college. Kelen has two children, a daughter at Page High School and a son in middle school at Canterbury.
COLLEGE COUNSELOR
Christie Squire
Christie loves helping youth find their passion. She has worked throughout North Carolina for the last 23 years as a high school counselor. Although she is a Guilford County native, she resided in the Triangle area for several years after completing her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned a Master's degree in School Counseling from North Carolina Central University. Her most recent roles were at Grimsley High School as well as Weaver Academy, and she brings a deep network of relationships within the Guilford County Schools network to her role here.
Christie is married to her supportive husband, and they share a daughter who is a recent graduate of George Mason University as well as a son at Grimsley High School.
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Harsha Mirchandani
Harsha has a passion for philanthropy. She loves fundraisers and fundraising! During her sabbatical from physical therapy over the last five years, she primarily has been involved in multiple fundraising events, volunteering in the community and serving on different boards. Currently, she serves on the Board of Memory and Movement Charlotte.
She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. She then went to East Carolina University to get her Masters in Physical Therapy. Harsha practiced PT for 18 years, specializing in geriatrics. She is married to her wonderful husband of 17 years and they have a 14-year-old son.
Harsha loves to be involved in the community and serves as a “life coach” to many! Harsha lives by the saying, “Set yourself up for success.” And that is exactly her goal with College Pathways as Director of Development — she wants to help set all of the students up with all of the success in the world!
BOARD MEMBER
Kenneth Brown, Jr.
Passionate about empowering young people, Kenneth leads Elon University's first-generation student initiative as Assistant Director for First-Generation Student Support Services. Dedicated to enhancing the first-gen student community, he collaborates with diverse stakeholders campus-wide. A product of Guilford County Schools, Kenneth graduated from Smith High School, where he actively supported athletics and participated in the IB Program. Following his graduation from Elon in 2019, he championed local nonprofits in the Triangle area during his tenure at the AJ Fletcher Foundation. Kenneth's commitment to student success was further solidified with the completion of his Master's Degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University in May 2023, cementing his role as a catalyst for positive change in higher education.
BOARD MEMBER
Dayna Carr
Dayna Carr is the founder and director of Glenwood Together, a community development organization focused on seeing the people and place of their neighborhood flourish. She's lived her entire life in disinvested communities, both rural and urban, and has a passion for seeing students and families thrive. As a first-gen college student who now teaches at an HBCU, she is eager to partner with College Pathways to support students along their academic journeys.
BOARD MEMBER
Erin Pellarin
Erin is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University. She is ABD in English Literature, but has found her true passion in teaching English to secondary students. Over the past decade, Erin has taught on a variety of levels in different institutions -- community college, traditional public high school, charter high school, and private middle and high school. Beyond her subject, Erin's favorite part of teaching is developing close and long-lasting relationships with students. Through developing these relationships, she has become very aware of the access gap for underserved students and is honored to join College Pathways of the Triad to participate in closing the gap.
BOARD MEMBER AND TREASURER
Jordan Muse
A graduate of Miami University, Jordan has been an actuary for over 25 years. He’s often taken on mentoring roles and loves to develop talent and ensure that others achieve their potential. He believes that education, guidance, and encouragement provide the cornerstones that empower the next generation.
BOARD MEMBER AND SECRETARY
Rolisa Tutwyler
Rolisa is the Founder & CEO of CCMNT Speakers, a speaker management agency that sits at the intersections of the academy and activism. She is passionate about community — one of her favorite sayings is “It takes a village to raise a child.” She loves this quote because inherent in it is the understanding that we won’t always get to choose who is in our village — but that doesn’t mean that the voices that we do not choose are not valuable. In addition to enjoying her four adult children (2 college graduates, 2 currently enrolled in HBCUs), she is active in her church.