About Us

OUR TEAM

  • Roberto Hasbun

    FOUNDER AND CEO

    Roberto graduated from the American School of Tegucigalpa as Valedictorian in 2017 with a 98.5% average and 98th percentile on the ACT. He got admitted to Princeton and Columbia University with more than $400,000 in financial aid/scholarships. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in History at Princeton University in 2021 and a Master’s in Management at Cornell University in 2022.

    Roberto worked in the Princeton Undergraduate Admissions Office and has extensive experience in guiding students in the application process.

  • Paola Simón

    DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND OPERATIONS

    Paola graduated with a degree in Psychology and has dedicated the past five years to making a positive impact in the education sector. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Special Education, Intervention in Learning Difficulties, and Psychopedagogy at ISEP University.

    Paola manages the day-to-day operations, including social media, reaching out to new students, and implementing a growth strategy.

  • Rosibel Rodas

    DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT

    Rosibel graduated from the American School of Tegucigalpa in 2016. She then graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering at the Catholic University of Honduras. She is passionate about education and empowering the future generation.

    She manages onboarding for new students and helps match them with one of our college admissions consultants.

  • Ana Ortiz

    STUDENT SERVICES COORDINATOR

    Ana graduated with a bachelor's degree in Pedagogy and got a master's degree in Psychometrics and Educational Evaluation, both from the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). Following this, she received a government scholarship and a student loan from Hondufuturo to pursue a Master of Science in Neuroscience and Education at the University of Bristol in the UK.

    Ana Belly has three years of experience in educational research, focusing on admissions, educational evaluation, and psychometric test development, among other topics, while working in the Admissions Office at the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University.

  • Ana Andino

    COLLEGE COACH

    Ana graduated as salutatorian at Macris School (GPA: 99.9%) and went on to attend Mercyhurst University with a full external scholarship, graduating with a degree in Business Economics and a minor in Mathematics.

    She completed her Master’s degree at the London School of Economics (LSE) in Local Economic Development and is now pursuing a PhD at Duke University. In between, Ana gained three years of professional experience.

  • Jalileh Garcia

    COLLEGE COACH

    Jalileh Garcia completed her Undergraduate at Columbia University in 2021 and her Master’s at Oxford University in 2022. She received more than $300,000 in scholarships and financial aid at Columbia and the Harry J. Carman Fellowship for her studies at Oxford. This prestigious fellowship is given to only two graduating Columbia seniors. She wrote a thesis for both of her degrees.

    Throughout her education, she perfected the art of writing. Jalileh is passionate about helping students achieve their educational goals and show their authentic selves through the essay.

  • Paulina Madrid

    COLLEGE COACH

    Paulina graduated as Salutatorian from the American School of Tegucigalpa and studied International Economics and Management at Bocconi University in Milan.

    She has experience working at an edu-tech start-up in Barcelona and is now an incoming master’s student at Brown University in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program.

    Paulina understands the complexities of the application process and is passionate about mentoring students to find their paths and voices.

  • Mariangelica Vargas

    COLLEGE COACH

    Mariangelica graduated from the American School of Tegucigalpa as a full International Baccalaureate alum. After being accepted to several top universities in the U.S. and Canada, she chose Lehigh University, where she received a comprehensive financial aid package and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Marketing in 2018. She went on to complete a Master’s in Project Management from Universitat de Barcelona in 2024.

  • Sofia Rodriguez

    COLLEGE COACH

    Sofía graduated from Macris School as STUCO President in 2017. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in 2022 and did an exchange year at Purdue University where she studied Political Science and International Economics.

    She currently works as a Transfer Pricing Associate at a Big Four and has previous experience working as a teacher.

  • Maria Fernanda Castro Wu

    COLLEGE COACH AND DUOLINGO/TOEFL TUTOR

    Maria Fernanda graduated as one of the top 10 students of her graduating class at the American School of Tegucigalpa. She was an ICDF full-ride scholarship recipient. She studied business administration in Taiwan. She has experience in finance and education. She is knowledgeable about the application process, particularly the merit scholarship search.

  • Camille Fiechter

    COLLEGE COACH

    Camille graduated from the American School of Tegucigalpa with a 98% average and as the Eagle Medal recipient. She also founded her nonprofit organization, Rafa's Light. Camille is currently pursuing Finance and General Management at Boston College.

    Camille was accepted into Cornell University, the University of Notre Dame, and Boston College with over $250,000 in scholarships and financial aid, and was accepted into UNC-Chapel Hill with a full-ride scholarship. 

  • Gabriela Lagos

    SAT TUTOR

    Gaby graduated with a BA in Economics and Political Science. Merit Scholar recipient at Emory University. SHe has experience in consulting, development, and non-profits, previously working as an immigration paralegal. She was a funds paralegal at a top-10 U.S. law firm and is pursuing a JD-MBA at Tulane University.

    She is passionate about mentoring students and helping them navigate the college application process by finding their voice and understanding what paths they want to take.

  • Ana Lucia Rivera

    SAT TUTOR

    Ana Lucia was awarded the Ambassador’s Medal at her graduation from AST in 2017. She later graduated from the University of Southern California in May 2021 with Cum Laude and Renaissance Scholar distinctions. Upon entering USC, she was awarded with the prestigious half-tuition Presidential Scholarship and became a member of the Honors College.

    Her passion for helping others navigate and succeed through the college admissions process brought her to a job at the USC Admission Center.

  • Maria Teresa Tome

    SAT TUTOR

    Maria Teresa graduated from the American School of Tegucigalpa in 2018 with a 99th percentile SAT score and a 96.5% average. She received a combined $480,000 in scholarships and financial aid from different colleges and universities and later obtained a BA in Computer Science and Visual Arts from Columbia University. She currently works as a Software Engineer at the world's leading asset manager in New York.


Mission

To empower students by providing personalized guidance in the college admissions process. We strive to help students discover and showcase their unique passions and strengths, enabling them to achieve academic success. 


Vision

To be a trusted and leading expert in the college admissions industry. 


Values

Innovation, Integrity, Personalization, Inclusivity, Growth, Impact.

What makes Empowered Different?

The Empowered Foundation: A New Initiative to Transform Education in Honduras

Our mission is to enhance learning through innovative tools that prepare students for a future full of possibilities.

In this first phase, we are equipping classrooms with projectors to make learning a more dynamic and enriching experience.

Escuela Uruguay is just the beginning of many projects that will change lives in Honduras.

FAQs

  • We currently do not offer direct scholarships to universities, but we can assist you with filling out the CSS Profile form, which is an essential part of applying for financial aid at many universities.

    This service is included in our Premium Package for Seniors (1 hour of assistance with Rosibel Rodas). If you purchased one of the other two packages (Essential or Advantage) or only need help with this specific form, we offer an hourly consulting package.

  • We offer three specific packages for seniors, tailored to different needs and levels of support. Each package is designed to provide guidance in key areas such as essay review, application planning, and interview preparation, among others.

  • All Empowered meetings and tutoring sessions are held via Zoom. This allows students to connect from the comfort of their homes!

  • We offer support packages for university applications in Canada, Europe, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We're here to help!

  • Our SAT courses typically last about two months. This period allows students to take multiple practice exams and master the material.

  • Don't worry! We will help you decide on your field of study and create a university list based on your academic strengths and passions. We also offer a Career Orientation Workshop to guide you through this process.

  • Yes! We have experience helping students apply for scholarships and financial aid. Our Premium Package for Seniors includes one hour of assistance with the CSS Profile form. If you purchased another package or only need help with this process, we offer an hourly consulting package.

  • Empowered will help you submit the best version of your university application and increase your chances of acceptance. However, we cannot guarantee admission to any university, as the final decision depends entirely on their selection criteria.

  • Empowered will support your SAT preparation with high-quality resources and personalized tutoring. However, we cannot guarantee a high score, as success depends on the student's commitment and study time.

  • Yes, parents/guardians can attend the first meeting. After that, we will provide an initial report that will be continually updated by both the student and the advisor. Additionally, parents will have direct contact with the assigned advisor for any questions or concerns. However, it is essential to encourage student independence throughout this process.

  • The 2025 SAT course dates, subject to change, are as follows:

    • January 6 – March 1

    • March 3 – May 1

    • April 21 – June 4

    • June 9 – August 3

    • August 4 – September 30

    • October 6 – November 26

  • The 2025 SAT test dates are:

    • March 8, 2025

    • May 3, 2025

    • June 7, 2025

    • August 23, 2025

    • October 4, 2025

    • December 6, 2025

Ready to Start Your Application Journey?

Fill out the form below and an Empowered representative will be in contact within 48 hours!