Shani has been working in education for over 13 years, though her path to this field was not a straight one. After completing an MA in Public Communication from American University (she holds a BA in Religion from Washington and Lee University), she landed in the test prep industry, where she rose from department assistant to manager of course and tutorial programs. She enjoyed her work, but wanted to transition to the world of non-profit education, and that’s where she’s been ever since. She has been a part of the Ingenuity team since 2006; she worked as the admissions coordinator for five years and then spent several years tackling college counseling and special projects. In 2016, she became a full-time employee again as the Dean of Student Engagement. Whether working in admissions or student services, as an adjunct professor or college counselor, her belief in the intrinsic value of education has been her North Star. She is committed to providing the best possible support to students and she’s passionate about helping them and their families navigate the journey to and through college.
Professionally, she’s most interested in helping each of our students in their “becoming” – providing experiences that will enrich their lives, supporting them in their endeavors, and guiding them to a future where they will be successful. Shani believes strongly in Ingenuity students and says, “I know that they will change the world with their minds.”
Her personal interests include meditation, reading, traveling, laughing with family and friends, cooking, and trying not to embarrass her kids from the sidelines at soccer and lacrosse games.
She loves to read, (she says asking her to pick a favorite book is like asking her to pick her favorite child, favorite Ingenuity senior (during any given year), or her favorite song. Here are a few books she loves:
- The All Souls Trilogy (Harkness)
- The Red Rising Trilogy (Brown)
- Wild (Strayed)
- Pride and Prejudice (Austin)
- The Harry Potter series (Rowling)
- Different Seasons and The Stand (both by Stephen King)
- Me Talk Pretty One Day (Sedaris)
“What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.”
—Hamilton, “The World Was Wide Enough”
