Galin Scholars is an educational nonprofit that works to increase knowledge about the college preparation and admissions process for high school students and their families. Our mission is to provide guidance and support to students who have strong academic potential but fewer resources to explore college options through a comprehensive process. 

We believe knowledge is power and high-achieving students from all backgrounds can expand their options for college with guidance and targeted support during high school. Galin Scholar’s partnership with Galin Education allows us to provide services such as high school planning, test preparation, and college admissions advising to cohorts of Galin Scholars each year. Providing stipends for our scholars to access extracurricular opportunities in academics, the arts, and athletics is another important way we are working to increase opportunities for students. 

The Galin Scholars program is provided at no charge to our scholars through a combination of donations and grants in addition to contributions from Galin Education. 

Galin Scholars also collaborates with school districts, community groups, and other youth-serving organizations that help prepare students for success in high school, college, and beyond.

Our partnership with Galin Education

Galin Education was founded by Zach Galin with a simple goal – to help parents and students navigate the complex world of college admissions. From there, the organization has expanded to provide individualized academic tutoring, test preparation, and one-on-one college counseling. These services have proven valuable to students and their families looking for guidance and support with the goal of accessing their best fit college.

Recognizing the need to expand access to these services, Zach is actively involved with Galin Scholars to provide the same high quality, one-on-one support with Galin Education tutors and counselors. This will provide the opportunity for more students and families to expand their knowledge of the college options available to them and to find the best fit for their college experience. 

Meet the team

Chris Gomez Schmidt
Executive Director

As Executive Director, Chris aims to increase access to comprehensive college preparation for students in Dane County and to grow community support for this important work. She previously worked as the Director of Enrichment at Galin Education and from 2020-23 served on the School Board of the Madison Metropolitan School District. Prior to that, she led an advocacy network to improve how K-12 schools provide advanced instruction and to address disparities in access and opportunity.

Chris has lived with her husband and three children in Madison since 2002. She sees Galin Scholars as a way to level the playing field in the college preparation process for low-to-middle income families. As a student, Chris benefitted from opportunities at her Minneapolis public high school to explore science and opportunities for college.

Bianca Tomasini, Board Member

Bianca Tomasini is a native of Mexico who obtained her graduate degree at UW-Madison and has worked most of her career as a research scientist in the biomedical field, both in academia and industry. She has lived in Madison with her family since 1999 where she enjoys kayaking in the lakes and hiking in the forests nearby.

As immigrants, Bianca and her husband realized when their first child was applying for college admission that the process can be intimidating and unclear. As a volunteer at her children’s high school, she met students, both from immigrant families and those who would be first-generation college students, who had strong wishes and the skills to attend college. But they could see it only as a dream because they couldn’t bring all the needed parts together. She is very interested in helping to bring the excellence of Galin Scholars to those students and improve their possibilities of fulfilling their college education dreams.

 

Cameron Feist, Board Member

Cameron has had a 20 year career in education most recently as the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management & Director of Financial Aid at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. Cameron previously served as Director of College Counseling at University School of Milwaukee, and began his career in undergraduate admission. Cameron, his wife and two children fully embrace Wisconsin weather, and their favorite family activity is skiing.

While Cameron’s professional life has mostly centered around college enrollment, he is passionate about issues of college accessibility. He joined the Galin Scholars Board out of his belief that the support offered to Galin Scholars can fundamentally change their college and future trajectory.

David Olson, Board Member

David serves as the Director of Education at Retro Report, a non-profit media company dedicated to connecting history to the present. In this capacity, David designs Retro Report’s free curriculum and professional development. Prior to joining Retro Report, David taught for more than a decade at Memorial High School in Madison and still spreads his passion for civic education by serving on the iCivics Educator Network, the Teacher Advisory Board for the National Constitution Center, and the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies.

As a long time teacher and coach, David is excited to work with Galin Scholars in order to make sure that students have access to extra-curricular opportunities and amazing tutors. David lives in Madison with his wife and two children.

Ruth Frawley, Board Secretary

Ruth recently retired from teaching in the Middleton-Cross Plains School District after many years working as the advanced learning specialist at Kromrey and Glacier Creek Middle Schools. In that role she enjoyed creating a variety of programming options to encourage all students to take on new academic challenges. Ruth enjoys active hobbies, time outside, gardening, cooking and time with family.

She is excited about the potential of Galin Scholars to support area students in their efforts to navigate the college admission process. This program could really help some students take their post high school dreams to the next level.

Susan Alban, Board Treasurer

Susan Alban has had a long career in accounting. She attended
Villanova University and obtained her CPA. She built experience in mortgage banking, internal audit, and corporate accounting before raising three children. She then channeled her experience and effort in the realm of non-profit accounting, working at the Interstate Postgraduate Medical Association for 14 years. She has also used her non-profit accounting expertise to help a number of community organizations. She serves on two advisory boards.

In her spare time, Susan enjoys traveling with her husband to visit their three children and sometimes walking their dogs. She is excited to be on the Galin Board. As a prior Galin parent, Susan is motivated to help identify and expand access to educational opportunities for students.

Zach Galin, Board President

Zach founded Galin Education to help parents and students navigate the complex world of college admissions. The organization offers many forms of college preparation guidance including individualized academic tutoring, test preparation, and college counseling. Galin Education also conducts workshops with school districts and communities to increase knowledge about the college admissions process.

Zach graduated from Northwestern University and earned a Master’s degree in education. In New York City, he led an academic tutoring and test prep center and worked for Teach for America in the South Bronx. Zach has served on many nonprofit boards in the Madison area. When not at work, Zach enjoys spending time with his wife and three small children. For many years, Zach has wanted to build Galin Scholars to help high-achieving, low-to-middle income students access college
preparation to maximize their academic potential and college options.

Gloria Reyes, Advisor
Co-Director, Dane Cty. Human Services
Former School Board President
Madison Metropolitan School District

James Howard, Advisor
Economist, US Forest Service (retired)
Former School Board President
Madison Metropolitan School District

Laurie Fellenz, Advisor
Executive Director
WI School Music Association

Perry Hibner, Advisor
Lead Survey Strategist, Donovan Group
Director of Communications (retired)
Middleton Cross Plains Area School District

Silvia Romero-Johnson, Advisor
Asst. Superintendent Teaching and Learning
Middleton Cross Plains Area School District