Laurel A. Brady has over 35 years of experience in serving individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders. Laurel specializes in the area of transition--from high school to post secondary education, to employment and self sufficiency. At SEC, Laurel provides comprehensive educational evaluations for children, adolescents and adults to determine the presence of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) and other special needs, and recommend specialized educational interventions and appropriate accommodations. In addition, Laurel offers academic coaching to help individuals understand the impact of SLD/ADHD on their learning and their life, and develop personalized strategies to maximize their potential.

Laurel’s professional experience includes serving as the Director of the Office of Specialized Services for Ramapo College of New Jersey. This program provides accommodations and specialized support for students with physical limitations and learning disabilities. She also served as a national advisor to Educational Testing Service (ETS), the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and the George Washington University HEATH Resource Center. While in this capacity she participated in a study that examined model programs and best practices in the area of post secondary education and disabilities.

Laurel moved to Savannah in 1991, becoming Executive Director of the Royce Learning Center, which specializes in the education of children, adolescents, and adults with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and other barriers to learning. In that capacity, she served as the principal of the day school, provided supervision for psycho-educational evaluation services, and supervised both the regional tutorial program and the adult literacy program.

Laurel attended Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) and received a Masters of Art degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Montclair State University. Laurel is credentialed as a Nationally Certified Educational Diagnostician (NCED). She is a founding member of the Institute of Coaching Professional Association (ICPA) of McLean Hospital at Harvard Medical School, is a member of the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA), Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD) and the Georgia Counseling Association (GCCA).

Most recently, Laurel completed professional training coursework from Landmark College in Strategies in Executive Functioing and Academic Supports for Students with LD, ADHD and ASD.

Helese S. Sandler is the director of College Counseling for Savannah Educational Consultants and is a founding partner of the practice. Helese received her Bachelors of Art in Social Work degree from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she developed clinical experience as a social worker with children and adolescents. . Upon relocating to Savannah, Helese became the Coordinator of the One-to-One Tutoring Program at Royce Learning Center, where she worked for 10 years. Helese has over 35 years of experience in working with children and their families, focusing on educational and emotional needs.

Helese is a Certified Educational Planner (CEP) and is a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), the National Association for College Admission Counselors (NACAC), the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC), the Georgia College Counselor Association (GCCA), and the Clinical Social Workers Association of Savannah (CSWA-S). She is also a professional affiliate of the Highlands Ability Battery.

Ashley Badger, Ph.D., is a Licensed Psychologist in Georgia who specializes in neuropsychological assessments.  Dr. Badger obtained a B.S. in Psychology from the College of Charleston, SC, a M.S. in School Psychology from Northeastern University in Boston, MA, and a Ph.D. in Counseling and Educational Psychology from Northeastern University. Dr. Badger has completed extensive training in neuropsychological, educational, and personality (projective) assessments with appointments at Harvard Medical School and University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center. She has worked in a variety of settings including schools, inpatient and outpatient hospitals, and private practice. Dr. Badger specializes in comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations of children, adolescents and young adults with developmental, educational/learning, social, emotional, behavioral, and psychiatric disorders.  She is committed to obtaining the best performance from each individual, making the necessary testing accommodations along the way. Specific areas of interest include: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorders, Academic/Learning Disorders, Anxiety, and Depression/Mood Disorders.  During her personal time, Dr. Badger enjoys spending time with friends and family, practicing yoga, and traveling.

Paige Case has a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Georgia, a Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Michigan/Dearborn, and an Educational Specialist’s degree from Nova Southeastern University in Brain-Based Teaching. 

Paige has served as a Transition Specialist for the Savannah Chatham County Public School System for the past 19 years.  Before that, she was a Special Education teacher for 11 years, working with students with Intellectual Disabilities.  Paige is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT).  She was a presenter at two of the DCDT national conferences.

As a Transition Specialist, Paige has developed work-based learning experiences for her students through internships and community-based instruction. She has taught a work readiness class and provided independent living instruction at a summer camp. Paige has assisted students with career exploration, job development, and job placement.  In addition, she has assisted students with college exploration and placement. 

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Maureen Cole has worked in education for the last ten years. She is a graduate of St. Vincent’s Academy and attended Kennesaw State University.  In 2010, she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in education. She has worked in elementary through high school and has an endorsement in reading instruction with specialty training for students with learning disabilities. Maureen is working at Savannah Educational Consultants as our tutoring coordinator. Savannah Educational Consultants offers tutoring in all subject areas and in SAT and ACT preparation.

Lindsay Greco is a former university admissions officer who spent significant time recruiting potential students in the US and abroad. She was raised in the Washington, D.C. area and now resides in Savannah. Lindsay attended the University of Georgia and received a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Political Science. She received a Master of Arts in International Affairs-The Middle East from the American University. She has traveled extensively regarding college admissions throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Lindsay has a working knowledge of Arabic, Portuguese, and Spanish. She is an associate member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), a member of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC), and a member of the National Association For College Admission Counselors (NACAC).

Kathryn Jarvis has been as an administrator and faculty member in private and public higher education for over 35 years, having served as the founding Dean and interim President of Beacon College; the Director of Academic Support Services at Auburn University; and most recently, after retiring from Auburn, as an academic coach at Mercer Medical School, Savannah.  She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Auburn University, Beacon College, Curry College and Lesley College and has worked as a speech clinician, researcher and consultant to. Dr. Jarvis has written and presented in her fields nationally and internationally, and her most recent publications focus on student development theory and its application to student veterans returning to college.

She received a Ph.D. from The Florida State University in Higher Education with a minor in Special Education, a M.A. from Tufts University in Education/Child Development and a B.A. from the University of Florida in Communication Disorders.

As a graduate from the State University of New York at New Paltz with a Behavioral Science degree, and a graduate from Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, with a Master of Science degree in Education, majoring in Reading and Special Education, Henrietta Pearlman has always been concerned with the educational welfare of her students. Her education certification areas are: Pre-School and Common Branch Subjects; Reading Specialist; Special Education – Pre-School – 21; Social Studies – 7-12.

After raising her own children, Henrietta joined the staff, as a Clinical Educator, at Adelphi University in the Program for College Students with Learning Differences. In this program she worked one to one with students strategizing on how they should handle their college workload to become successful students. She was also an instructor of a first semester writing and rhetoric course. She moved on to become the Director of the Learning Center at the same university, responsible for staffing over 90 peer learning tutors at a time and to be a guest lecturer, throughout the university, teaching a class about study strategies regarding each individual course's requirements.

Henrietta and her husband retired in Savannah where she has continued her love, which is to work as a tutor. At Savannah Educational Consultants she works with students who are preparing for their college entrance examinations, both ACT and SAT. She also works with students who have gaps or weaknesses in their learning styles or who require a more thorough understanding of their subjects, study skills and effective communication skills. She has the techniques to engage a student in their learning process. As a Life Coach, where the goal is to train a child to be a self-sufficient, confident, successful student who reaches the top or his or her potential, Henrietta uses the same strategies as she did with her college students.

As a parent and teacher, Cherie has been able to guide students in seeking out and pursuing opportunities that are specific to their interests and talents.  If opportunities did not exist, she created them. For example, Cherie ran a weekly program for elementary school girls to explore their community and introduce them to new ideas and activities.  She has a great network of contacts who have expertise in multiple areas of talent for children in Savannah, and has been able to match many youth programs, camps, and artistic opportunities to specific students’ skills, talents, interests and passions.  With the development of the Talent Opportunity Program at SEC, Cherie is looking forward to helping your child explore paths towards finding success in their lives.

Cherie currently serves as Assistant Principal at Chatham Academy, where she has been teaching for twenty-four years.  At Chatham Academy, Cherie is the liaison between the administration and teaching staff; is responsible for several fundraisers; and has been responsible for prom planning, coordination and execution since she started the prom nine years ago.  

Cherie graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Wheaton College with a degree in Russian Language and Literature and holds a Master’s Degree in Slavic Linguistics from Cornell University. She is certified in Orton-Gillingham (a multi-sensory approach to teaching reading) and  has over 29 years of experience in teaching children with Learning Disabilities, specifically in the areas of reading, language and social skills. She started her teaching career at the Forman School in Litchfield, Connecticut, serving as Dean of Freshmen students and as a houseparent for twenty-four girls for four years.  She also served as a volleyball, soccer and cross-country coach during her tenure at Forman. Twice she organized and led two-week trips to the Soviet Union, conducting research on how their educational system dealt with learning disabilities.

Since 2008, Julie Sappington has performed various roles as a college counselor in higher education in admissions recruitment, application review, and student services—both domestically and internationally. Originally from North Carolina, she attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for her undergraduate Bachelor’s degree in Romance Languages, specifically French. After spending a year teaching English in Paris, France, Julie returned to the US to complete a Master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at the New School for Public Engagement. She lived in France for three years in Lyon, Provence, and Paris and speaks French fluently.

As a member of Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), International Association for College Admissions Counseling (IACAC), and a member of the National Association for College Admission Counselors (NACAC), Julie Sappington is dedicated to facilitating student and family access and understanding in the field of college admissions.

Stephen Watson attended Presbyterian College, University of Georgia, Georgia State University and Pacific Western University earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. He has experience with a private practice, coaching executives, teaching motivational Seminars, and as an entrepreneur having owned five businesses.