About Anne Marie
As I move into my second decade of guiding students and families through the college admissions process, I’m grateful for the wisdom I’ve gained through all the twists and turns on my path.
A Winding Path
From college to Searching for meaning
“I have no idea what I should major in or what career I want!”
This is the refrain I hear from my students: they’re often overwhelmed by societal pressure to have their whole lives planned out by age 17. My own path has been full of surprises, challenges, and blessings. I bring that hard-earned wisdom to every student I encounter. I’m grateful for my foundational education in the humanities, which supported my growth as a reader, writer, and thinker.
Upon graduating magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1997 with a dual degree in Studio Art and Philosophy, I completed a master’s degree in English from the University at Buffalo.
But I had no idea what I wanted to do. I considered PhD programs, law school, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, or even just some job in a cubicle. Eventually, I wrote for a newspaper in Scranton, Pennsylvania (alas, before The Office) and worked as a copywriter for Book-of-the-Month Club in New York City. I never considered becoming a teacher.
That all changed on September 11, 2001.
I had recently gotten a marketing communications job at an office in Midtown, but my real passion was volunteering at Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day High School. After 9/11, I was laid off from my marketing position and forced to reevaluate my life. What did I really want to do? What was holding me back from doing work that was truly meaningful to me?
My Pivot
Life took me in an unexpected direction
I took baby steps toward becoming a teacher, and soon I was hired at the Browning School, an independent all-boys school on the Upper East Side. Even though those early days in the classroom were hard (teachers joke that they wish they could apologize to their first group of students), I was glad I had taken the risk and switched careers.
By the time I moved to Maryland with my husband and fellow Buffalonian Ross Comaratta, I found my stride. Teaching at the Key School in Annapolis greatly influenced my pedagogical style: I learned to really listen to my students and help them find their distinct voices as writers.
Ross and I moved back to Buffalo in 2007 and I started teaching in the English and Art departments at Canisius High School.
With the support of Jesuits like Fr. Bob Pecoraro, I was able to complete the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and take part in many of the campus ministry retreats. Relating to students—regardless of their faith tradition—on an emotional and spiritual level informs the way I engage with students to this day. The Jesuits talk about cura personalis, or “the care of the person,” and that’s precisely what I aim to do at Stress Free Admissions. I want each student to feel fully seen and understood as a whole person—not merely a sum of test scores, GPAs, or sports statistics.
In 2016, Ross died from acute myeloid leukemia at age 39. This experience deepened my empathy and made me more attuned to the struggles and hardships of my students. I’m committed to supporting the mental and emotional wellbeing of every teenager I work with, and I’m mindful of the stress and anxiety they face.
My Purpose
I tell my students that they, too, will find their path
Just as I never planned on being a teacher, I never planned on running my own college admissions consulting firm.
I started this business in 2009 with fellow Williamsville East alumna Allison Newman, who is now Director of Guidance and Counseling Services for the Buffalo Public Schools.
As I tell my students, this wasn’t a job that I even knew existed when I was in college. I’m proud of crafting this position from scratch, and even more proud of meeting the needs of teenagers as they move through important life transitions. I remind them that, somehow, I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be. Even though life might not unfold the way they plan or expect, I tell my students that they, too, will find their place.
I love helping students share their own stories in college essays. I look forward to helping future students walk their paths with peace and confidence, gaining their own wisdom along the way.
Dedicated to Success
Meet the stress free admissions team
Leslie Pisarzewicz
This University of Wisconsin grad may be from the Midwest, but we have claimed her as our own here in Western New York.
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Leslie has experience all across SUNY Buffalo, including administrative roles in the Gifted Math Program, Accessibility Resources Department and Jacobs School of Medicine. But her strong project management skills were shaped as longtime president of the Smallwood Elementary PTA. (If you know, you know.) When it comes to creating schedules, keeping students on deadlines, and crafting custom college lists, Leslie runs a tight - but always friendly - ship. As a mom of three teens, Leslie has seen it all, and knows how to gently deal with the ups and down of high school emotions.
Janet McNally
Janet McNally is a graduate of Canisius University and the University of Notre Dame (MFA), and is a novelist and poet.
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She has published two young adult novels, The Looking Glass and Girls in the Moon, and a prizewinning collection of poems, Some Girls. As a tenured professor at Canisius, Janet teaches creative writing classes in both poetry and fiction, including young adult fiction, and loves talking with students about being a working writer. She often directs creative honors theses, in which students produce story or poetry collections. Additionally, she is the director of the Canisius University Honors Program. To say that we’re blessed to have her on the team at Stress Free Admissions is an understatement. Janet is an expert at helping students who need to write show-stopper essays (and supplements) for highly selective colleges.
Meg Maxwell
Meg brings 20 years of nonprofit and higher education communications experience to Stress Free Admissions.
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Meg has a genuine love for supporting students through the writing process. A graduate of Holy Cross and UB’s Teacher Residency Program, her academic expertise is matched only by her Big Mom Energy (she has four kids, ages 13, 12, 9, and 7). When she’s not helping Stress Free Admissions students write stand-out college essays, Meg teaches at Tapestry Charter School.
Madison FOLLEY
Madison has worked as an admissions professional at public and private colleges for over five years.
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Madison knows what the admissions process looks like from the “other side”! We are so lucky that she’s able to bring this wealth of information and experience to Stress Free Admissions. Madison loves to work with students on creating timelines, strengthening pathways to college, and helping families find the right fit. Additionally, she has specialized knowledge in international admissions and the visa process… both for students looking to study in the US, and American students looking to study abroad (including Canadian universities). With a strong commitment to access, equity and student success, she offers insight and empathy (and a really cool fashion sense).