Elise Pakiela is a Graduate Coach with InGenius Prep and a magna cum laude graduate of Northwestern University, where she earned a BS in Theatre with an Entrepreneurship minor and an Integrated Marketing Communications certificate.
After performing professionally through middle and high school, Elise taught theatre in her hometown of Cleveland, then spent three years as a Peer Mentor in Northwestern’s Office of Academic Support, leading weekly sessions on academic strategies and personal wellness for peers across majors and grades, including international and transfer students. She has since built a career in arts administration, producing Theatre Communications Group’s 2024 National Conference and working in development and research roles at Barrington Stage Company and TOC Arts Partners.
As a Graduate Coach, Elise brings an accessible, empathetic, and data-informed approach to coaching. Her theatre background makes her passionate about helping students craft authentic, lived-experience-driven applications, and she is well-versed in the college audition process for prospective theatre and performance majors.
