Hale Education has an excellent team of counselors, test prep instructors and administration support.

Meet the Counselors

Ayesha Siddiqui
Team Lead
Ayesha graduated from New York University with a double major in Political Science and Journalism.
During sophomore year in university, she interned as a Contributing Writer for one of Pakistan’s major daily newspapers, where she engaged in original enterprise reporting and published several articles. In junior year, she became a Communications Intern for the Committee to Protect Journalists, during which her responsibilities included fact-checking for their Asia Division. Her initial Pre-Law years at university resulted in a paralegal role post-graduation at an immigration law firm in Manhattan, where she assisted attorneys with legal research, writing and analysis. Ayesha mastered the procedures for F-1, H-1 and J-1 visas and facilitated clients in navigating the application process. Upon moving to Singapore, Ayesha procured a role at UN Women as the editor for their newsletter. This opportunity involved writing high-quality content on women empowerment and other activities related to ending violence against women. Ayesha’s keen interest in writing also sparked her entrepreneurial spirit, which further led her to co-found an online start-up promoting businesses focused on products and services for kids. She sold the company when she moved to Dubai and decided to focus on honing her writing and communication skills by joining a digital marketing company as a Content Writer.
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Ukasha Farooq
Team Lead
Ukasha completed his undergraduate degree in Business with full-honors from the University of Manchester, UK.
He then pursued his Masters Degree from Dartmouth University, US, on scholarship, where he served as an Honorary Admissions Ambassador and his public policy thesis was nominated for the Byam Thesis Excellence Award. After having worked in an Assistant Instructor capacity at Dartmouth, Ukasha continued his work as an educator and counselor all over the world, including the UAE, China, and South Asia. His students have secured acceptances to Stanford, Columbia, Boston University (Trustee Full Cost of Attendance Scholarship), Tulane (Global Scholars Scholarship), Georgia Tech, Oxford, and others.
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Jackson Richard
Educational Consultant
Jackson earned a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and Human Biology with a double major in Media Studies from Emory University, where he received the full-ride RW Woodruff Scholarship and was a member of the Emory Scholars Program.
He secured over $260,000 of merit aid across several scholarships, including the National Merit Scholarship, and was an AP Scholar with Distinction. During his time at Emory, he worked at the Emory Writing Center assisting students applying to university and graduate programs to create compelling essays. He was also deeply involved in the refugee community in Atlanta, Georgia as a summer school teacher and cultural liaison for newly arrived refugees. After graduation, Jackson taught English full-time at a private primary school in South Korea.
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Meghan Halverson
Educational Consultant
Meghan graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics.
While at university, she worked with the Wisconsin Special Olympics, headed international student support groups and provided private English tutoring classes for high school students in nearby underserved communities. She did her final semester in Spain where she delved into the field of education through teaching English as a second language to local students. After graduating, she moved to Brazil to teach English and study Portuguese, and served as a translator in the city of Rio de Janeiro during the Olympics. After returning to the United States, she managed the international student office at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, assisting both outgoing study abroad students and incoming international students. This served to deepen her understanding of international student life in order to better assist students transitioning both culturally and academically. She moved to Dubai in 2019 and worked as Director and Counselor in tutoring and supported students achieve their academic goals across various subjects and age groups. Her goal is to play a pivotal role in guiding students to reach their full potential and take advantage of the benefits of studying and living internationally.
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Belal Aziz
Educational Consultant
Belal Aziz is an accomplished international scholar and a proud recipient of the prestigious Austrian Fulbright award.
He pursued an MA in International Relations, Development, and Finance at NYU's Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies in the vibrant city of New York. Having lived in the Middle East, Europe and the United States, Belal has a unique perspective on the global education landscape. His His passion for community building and organizations, international development, diversity, and diplomacy has driven his academic and professional pursuits. As a Fulbright scholar, Belal achieved academic excellence and demonstrated a commitment to promoting cross-cultural understanding and collaboration in the heart of New York City. He also worked at the Financial Access Initiative at NYU Wagner, where he developed new grant budgets and built case studies and theme summaries based on field studies on the growth of small businesses (SMEs) in developing countries. At Hale Education Group, Belal will leverage his expertise to provide guidance and support to students from around the world. Drawing on his experiences and network in the dynamic and diverse city of New York, he helps students navigate the complex admissions process and achieve their academic and professional goals.
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Shokhrukhbek Nurmatov
Educational Consultant
Shokhrukhbek (Shokhrukh) attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service, majoring in International Economics and minoring in Government, from Georgetown University Oatar.
Shokhrukh's professional experience includes positions as a Business Intelligence Analyst at Snoonu and a Business Analyst at Growth. In these roles. he demonstrated his ability to evaluate business performance, create data visualizations using tools like Tableau, and provide strategic insights to optimize sales strategies based on market analysis. In addition, he actively contributed to research projects in his role as an Economics Research Assistant at Georgetown University Qatar, where he gained experience in data cleaning. analysis. regression modeling. and Literature reviews on affirmative action policies. Outside of his academic and professional pursuits. Shokhrukh actively engages in extracurricular activities. He has been coaching students in navigating university applications for both bachelor's and master's degrees, offering guidance and support to aspiring scholars. He has also participated in programs and events focused on cultural exchange and dialogue, such as the DC-Doha Dialogue Program in Washington D.C. and the Global Peace Summit in Baku. Shokhrukh has showcased his skills in various competitions, including winning the World Bank Group Case Challenge and national business competitions like QBIC Hackathon 2022 and DIC IdeaCamp 2022, where he and his team secured a $50,000 prize. Additionally, he is a blue-belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu enthusiast and is always open for light spars.
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Gerren Graham
Educational Consultant
Hailing from Houston, Texas, Gerren graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas with a double major in Spanish and International Studies with a minor in business, and from Pennsylvania State University with a master’s degree in International Affairs.
He received departmental honors in his International Studies concentration at the University of Kansas and was inducted into the school’s Spanish Honors Society. He attended Pennsylvania State University on an academic scholarship. Along with completing an original research project which was presented at a national conference, Gerren had the opportunity to travel extensively, studying or interning in four different countries across Central and South America. During his undergraduate career, Gerren was a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, which connected him with a range of charitable initiatives and exposed him to the benefits of an active campus life.
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Sam Mcneilly
UK Admissions Specialist and Research Mentor
Sam has taught at schools, English language teaching centres, and lectured at universities in the UK and US.
His research has been published in leading peer-review journals, as well as high impact collections designed to communicate innovative academic work to general readerships. Alongside this, he has helped students succeed in University applications to universities in the UK, US, and EU. He is excited to continue assisting students with their higher education journeys in the UAE. In addition to his professional and academic endeavours, Sam enjoys creative writing, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
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Hishaan Mahtani
Educational Consultant
Hishaan graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Administration and a minor in Entrepreneurship.
While at University, he founded Cornell Real Estate Development Investment Trust, a community for those interested in learning about the real estate industry and applying such knowledge to assess investment opportunities of real development projects in New York. During his studies of hospitality and business management, Hishaan worked as an essay writing coach for Student Agencies Tutoring, aiming to improve student performance for both academic and professional endeavors. Hishaan also served as the Managing Partner for Bonsai Capital, a student-run venture capital firm which evaluates the investment potential of business ideas and raises relevant capital for successful pitches, yielding an annualized return of 30%. In the summer of his junior year, Hishaan worked as a Global Markets Analyst at Goldman Sachs, engaging in division-specific sales, trading and documentation training. After receiving his Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics and Dean's List Honors, he was awarded recognition as the "Best Negotiator" in Advanced Negotiations at Cornell. Prior to college and throughout the entirety of his higher education, Hishaan has continued to work with his moral education program for children aged 6-13, which focuses on teaching core life values to today's youth. He remains passionate towards philanthropic endeavors and other interests such as fitness and basketball and is excited to continue to focus on helping students pursue their personal and
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Chafic Mekkaoui
Educational Consultant
Chafic is an education enthusiast and seasoned corporate consultant who bridges the gap between aspirations and achievements.
He completed his high school here in Dubai with the IB Program from Emirates International School and graduated from the University of British Columbia with a major in Sociology and Law. During his undergraduate years, Chafic immersed himself in the international student experience. His work with Jumpstart — an orientation program for incoming international students — fueled his passion for guiding others toward success. After graduating, he began his career working with Student Counselling Services and has gone on to work as a consultant since returning to Dubai. With successful applications to Cambridge, Harvard, USC and UCLA, he's helped guide students through the admissions process for universities globally and has helped over 250 students in attending a university that aligns with their aspirations.
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Aaryan Guglani
Educational Consultant
Aaryan's academic journey was marked by a unique dual-degree program, culminating in a Bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology from Emory University.
His time at both institutions was not just about academics but also about making a difference. Aaryan was a driving force at the International Student and Advocacy Board, tirelessly championing international student rights across the U.S. Aaryan also participated in “HealthReach,” a program through which he traveled around Atlanta, teaching STEM subjects to children at hospitals and volunteer centers. During his college years, he engaged in various research labs and internships, working on projects ranging from designing and manufacturing exoskeletons for stroke patients to use at home for rehabilitation to monitoring and processing data from vital sign systems in underprivileged hospitals in Malawi. For his capstone project, Aaryan developed and implemented a barrier system to protect sterile technicians from contaminated water during the cleaning of surgical equipment, with his work being published in several journals. Raised in Dubai, Aaryan was accepted into some of the top institutions worldwide, which gave him a deep understanding of various application processes and requirements. Eager to share his knowledge, he began freelance university counseling while in college, helping students in Atlanta and back home in Dubai with admissions essays and making informed decisions about their higher education journeys. Aaryan has a passion for creative narratives and believes that each student has a unique personality they can showcase during the college admissions process. Outside of work, Aaryan is a big football fan and enjoys spending his free time playing video games or working on engineering passion projects.
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Meet the Test Prep Instructors

Sachin Ruhela
Test Prep Instructor
Sachin holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.
Having a strong command and love for Mathematics, he went on to explore a teaching opportunity as a fresher and within 6 months of his career realized what he loves to do. In the 1st attempt, he got the certification to teach SAT, GRE AND GMAT with The Princeton Review. He has taught SAT students in most renowned schools in India like Welham Boys School, Ecole Global, St. Georges, Kaisaga International, Hope Town Academy, and Indian Public School. He also got a privilege to take GRE classes in one the most prestigious institutes of India i.e. Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee. After having ample experience, he worked with Jamboree Education for 3 years. This opportunity gave him exposure to work with different students and helped them realize their goal to study abroad. And now with an experience of over 9 years and teaching more than 10,000+ students from every domain in person and on online platforms.
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Roy Khoury
Test Prep Instructor
Roy graduated from the American University of Beirut, where he earned a Bachelor’s in English Literature in addition to a teaching diploma.
He also graduated from the The University of Durham with a Master’s degree in history. He has taught at schools and teaching centers, with experience working with students of diverse ages (9 to 63) and varied sectors (among them TOK, SAT, and IELTS). He has developed a range of methods that allow for flexibility and student engagement.
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Administrative Support

Mudit Mishra
General Manager
Mudit Mishra is General Manager at Hale Education Group and is responsible for improving efficiency and increasing departmental profits while managing the company's overall operations and overseeing several elements of the business.
Prior to joining Hale, Mudit worked with Allsun DMCC, a leading company in the Oil & Gas downstream services. Mudit has led a variety of projects throughout his career, including serving as the lead of a team responsible for creation of a Series-A Fundraising Deck for Project Chaiwala, incorporating an omni-channel revenue business model and developing a digital transformation strategy and loyalty program that cross-sells and upsells products. He has worked as a Financial Analyst at Silverskills Pvt. Ltd. in India for over 2 years. He has worked with brands like KEI Industries and Smile Foundation. Mudit holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from SP Jain University and a Bachelor's Degree in International Business Administration from Amity University, Delhi, India.
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Giulia Beccaria
Operations Manager
Born and raised in Italy, Giulia began enriching her education in 2012 when she moved to the United States.
During her one-year program, she developed her interest in volunteering and a passion for the tourism industry. She later completed her bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano while participating in various volunteering projects around Italy and abroad. As she was contributing to the development of an English course for children living in rural areas of Sri Lanka, she reaffirmed her interest in the hospitality world. Giulia worked in the events industry, participating in the successful delivery of multiple conferences for non-profit organizations. She later enrolled in Les Roches Marbella to complete her studies in International Hospitality Management. After various opportunities in the European continent, she decided to move to Dubai, where she has been based for the past 3 years.
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Shivanshu Tiwari
Finance Head
Shivanshu is a Chartered Accountant, a rank holder in the final level coupled with extensive experience in Auditing and Assurance. He has been associated with a Big4 firm for two years.
Shivanshu is engaged in various humanitarian and socio-economic organizations back in India since his early teenage years. He enjoys cooking as his part-time hobby and is an excellent badminton player. He is fluent in English and Hindi and is a beginner in Gujarati. Shivanshu is an avid reader of books belonging to the thriller genre and has a keen interest in cinema and fine arts and likes to explore more about them. Due to his peripatetic lifestyle, he enjoys traveling and would like to explore places.
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Shayna DeSilva
Business Development Associate
Shayna was born and raised right outside of Washington D.C. where she also earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences.
While in school, she spent much of her time in the Athletic Department as a sports medicine intern where she assisted student athletes who were receiving rehabilitation due to injuries. She dedicated three summers to the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation where she conducted research and worked in patient advocacy. She also volunteered every Friday at the National Institutes of Health in the Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Services as a patient ambassador. After graduation, Shayna worked at a bariatric medical clinic where she served as the primary point of contact for patients who qualified for non-surgical treatments. She conducted research and strategic planning to ensure the profitability of the gastric balloons that were being used. She soon joined the Key Executive Leadership Program at the American University in downtown D.C. where she helped guide public sector senior executives through leadership training. She managed a cadre of 22+ executive coaches who developed federal managers’ potential to create higher engagement, personal development, and performance for themselves and others. Shayna accepted a position in the federal government in 2019 and started her work with the Food and Drug Administration as a Consumer Safety Officer and Investigator. She maintained a Top Secret clearance while assessing the risk of intentional contamination of imported human and animal food, and liaised with law enforcement agencies to obtain and respond to intelligence concerning potentially hazardous food shipments destined for import into the U.S. Shayna moved to Dubai in June 2022 where she hopes to continue motivating others into realizing and reaching their maximum potential.
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Rumman Hassan
Office Administrator
Born in Pakistan and raised in Dubai, Rumman is a Mechanical Engineering Graduate from Heriot-Watt University.
Rumman had worked his way from being a Facilities Engineer to a Deputy Manager in his previous engagements. Apart from his core job, he always tried to educate the blue collared workers he supervised in basic English, Math, and concept building. He wrote method statements for the repair and maintenance of the HVAC equipment. Coming from a family of teachers, he firmly believes that education is everyone's right and would gladly accept any opportunity to engage with the less privileged. During his free time, he would be found taking long road trips in and outside of the UAE and talking about everything in the sky, from stars, and clouds to airplanes, or a long debate about gravity with his Physics teacher.
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Angelica Agon
Operations Associate
Angelica earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Management with a major in Marketing Management in the Philippines as a working student.
She has always been passionate about customer service, sales, and operations. In 2015, she moved to Dubai and worked in a start-up company for seven years.
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Arnie Leto
Operations Associate
Arnie is from the Philippines where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.
He studied Secondary Education for 2 years but did not pursue it after he realized his passion for hospitality. Right after graduating, he worked as an Assistant Restaurant Manager which helped him become better at dealing with people and handling customer complaints. Arnie moved to Dubai in 2015 and worked in hospitality since then – working in a restaurant and a 5-star hotel. Having worked in the hospitality industry for a decade has tremendously molded him into becoming great at engaging and empathizing with people.
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Hale can help you get into your dream university!