Karen Freedman is a founding member of College MAPS and a passionate advocate for helping young people discover their strengths, cultivate meaningful extracurricular pathways, and confidently navigate the college admissions process. She believes that early exploration, intentional engagement, and strong mentorship are essential to unlocking a student’s full potential and shaping an authentic, compelling story for college and beyond.

Karen holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Florida and began her career in New York City as an account manager for a major fashion brand, where she developed strong skills in communication, strategy, and relationship building. She later transitioned her professional focus toward youth development and community leadership, where she has made a lasting impact.

Karen has served as a Director for JaxTHRIVE, a youth-led nonprofit organization, where she mentored student volunteers to become confident leaders and changemakers within their community. Through her leadership, she has empowered teens to take initiative, develop their voices, and create meaningful impact through service and advocacy.

She also brought the Spread Cream Cheese Not Hate® initiative to her community—an impactful campaign dedicated to combating all forms of hate and promoting unity. She has served in multiple leadership roles, including PTO President and Synagogue President, further demonstrating her dedication to building strong, connected environments for families and students.

As the mother of two daughters—one a graduate of Yale University and the other currently a junior at Princeton University—Karen brings both personal insight and professional expertise to her work. She understands firsthand the evolving college landscape and is deeply committed to guiding families with clarity, empathy, and strategic direction throughout the journey.

Dr. Elizabeth Paul is a founding member of College MAPS, where she helps guide students and families through the college journey with clarity, strategy, and confidence. With more than 30 years of experience in education, mentoring, and healthcare, she is passionate about helping students identify their strengths, explore meaningful opportunities, and navigate the increasingly complex college admissions landscape.

Dr. Paul currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida (UNF), where she helped design the university’s Global Health Certificate Program. She earned her Master of Public Health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and her doctorate from Columbia University’s Teachers College, where she also taught as an Adjunct Assistant Professor.

Throughout her career, Dr. Paul has been deeply committed to supporting young people and expanding educational opportunity. She founded the Adolescent Health Alliance, a peer-led health education program for youth, and has served as a director of JaxTHRIVE, a mentoring and tutoring nonprofit supporting refugee and underserved students in Northeast Florida.

Earlier in her career, she spent four years living in Thailand, where she became fluent in Thai, helped establish the Thai WorldTeach Program, and worked with Save the Children in an Indochinese refugee camp.

Dr. Paul is also the mother of three children who have recently navigated the college journey themselves, her oldest son graduated from Princeton University, her daughter is a Robertson Scholar at Duke and UNC, and her youngest son is a freshman at MIT, where he also plays varsity lacrosse.

Amy Maughan is a teacher, writer, editor, and certified life coach devoted to helping young people discover their passions, develop their voice, and realize their highest potential.

She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and received her undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University, where she taught writing and presenting skills as an adjunct professor. She serves on the National Advisory Council for BYU’s Department of Family, Home, and Social Sciences, mentoring students, providing expert counsel on major issues, and contributing to the department’s development and improvement.

Deeply committed to the arts, Amy chaired a local Children’s Access to Art Program for nearly a decade, co-founded a Dramatic Arts Booster Club for high school students, and helped facilitate workshops in a variety of settings that integrate art, music, and writing as a form of therapy. She has been a reader for two literary agencies, a mentor for JAX Youth Writers, and a long-time volunteer for organizations that support women suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a severe illness and complication of pregnancy that she endured over many pregnancies.

Four of Amy’s five children have navigated the college application process, with her eldest son earning a BS in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley. Her daughter was a D1 athlete, rowing for Northeastern University in Boston, where she twice won ESPN’s Elite 90 award for her academic rank and graduated with a Master’s in Environmental Science. Her second son is a film major at SCAD, her third son is headed to UCF in the fall, and her cute 6th-grade caboose is still at home.

As a founding member of College MAPS, Amy finds great joy in helping students explore their intellectual and creative interests, cultivate meaningful experiences, and craft authentic narratives that highlight their strengths, passions, and aspirations.

Kate Zarczynski is a founding member of MAPS, where she helps students discover their voice, craft compelling personal narratives, and harness the power of authentic self-expression.

An attorney turned award-winning author, Kate brings both analytical rigor and creative storytelling to her work with students. She earned her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and her law degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, where she served on the Texas Law Review, before beginning her career at a major global law firm in Chicago. 

Kate also spent more than a decade serving as the Area Admissions Coordinator for Northwestern University in North Florida, where she interviewed more than 150 applicants as part of the undergraduate admissions process. Through this experience, Kate developed significant skill and experience preparing students for college interviews.

After leaving the practice of law, Kate returned to her first passion: writing. She is the author of two young adult novels, Hello, Goodbye and Don’t Let Me Down. She is the recipient of the Florida Book Awards Gold Medal for Young Adult Fiction and the Writers’ League of Texas Discovery Prize for Young Adult/Middle Grade Fiction.

In addition to her writing career, Kate frequently speaks about storytelling and the publishing industry. She has presented to professional organizations, writing groups, book clubs, and high school audiences, sharing insights on the craft of writing and the path to publication.

Kate is also the mother of three children. Her oldest daughter is a freshman and Division I athlete at Yale University, where she is a member of the women’s swim and dive team. Her two younger children are currently in high school.