Consulting Experts
Michelle Marion
President, Senior College Advisor
Michelle began her career at Berkeley College as an Admissions Counselor, and later as Assistant Director of Admissions. She moved on to work as a School Counselor at DePaul Catholic High School, where she learned to love working with students and their families, taking them through the entire college application process. She began Next Step to offer students the opportunity to have a person who will be there for them every step of the way through their college search. Michelle uses the expertise she has learned in the high school and college fields as the Senior College Advisor at Next Step. She earned her BS degree from the University of Scranton, and MAEd from Seton Hall University.
Maria Conklin
Associate College Advisor
Maria began her career as a counselor at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, NJ. There, she worked closely with families, students, and admissions counselors in order to assist her students in selecting the right college for them. She went on to work as a K to 5 school counselor in the Montville school system, however while she enjoyed working with the elementary school students, her passion for college counseling never faded. She joined our team at Next Step in 2021, where she is excited about working with students on the high school level again, leading them towards their perfect college and career path. Maria received her BS in Psychology from the University of Scranton and her MA Ed and Post MA in School Counseling from Seton Hall University. mariac@nextstepccs.com
Donna Zdanowicz
Associate College Advisor
Donna has been working in the education field since 2004 as an elementary school teacher, and most recently as an 8th grade language arts teacher and tutor. While working in the Montclair School District, she served as the ELA subject matter leader, as well as serving on the middle school curriculum writing committee. As a former NCAA softball pitcher, Donna used her passion to help mold young softball players as the Morris County Belles coach in 2004, the Drew University coach in 2006, and the Montclair High School JV coach from 2011 to 2015. She currently gives private pitching lessons. Donna earned her BA degree in Sociology and Elementary Education from Moravian College, her MA in Reading from Montclair State University, and also has Elementary Education, Middle and High School English, and Reading Specialist certifications.