Education Consultant
Day and Boarding Schools
Clare Anderson joined the School Counseling Group in 2002. She received her B.A. from Washington & Lee University and her M.Ed. from the University of Virginia in Counselor Education. Most recently, Ms. Anderson served as Placement Counselor and Director of College Recruitment at Independent Educational Services (IES), a non-profit teacher/administrator placement firm for independent schools nationwide. Prior to IES, Ms. Anderson spent three years as the Upper School Counselor at Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina. She grew up in Texas and Washington, DC, where she attended the National Cathedral School, and graduated from the Pomfret School in Connecticut. Ms. Anderson is a member of the IECA and WISER.
Education Consultant
Colleges, Universities and Gap Year (high school higher education planning)
Dr. Jeweler-Bentz joined the School Counseling Group in 2009 and is a native of the Washington, DC area. She attended Montgomery County public schools, earned a B.A in Psychology from the University of Michigan, and received her Psy.D. in clinical psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She has several years of clinical experience in university counseling centers, including DePaul University in Chicago and, most recently, The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Dr. Jeweler-Bentz has also taught at the undergraduate and graduate level and has been a private academic tutor and college advisor for local area high school students. Prior to her graduate studies, Dr. Jeweler-Bentz worked as an undergraduate admissions officer for the University of Michigan. She was responsible for reviewing prospective freshman application materials and for making subsequent recommendations for admission. Dr. Jeweler-Bentz has a clinical interest in the stress that often accompanies the college application process, and she has given several lectures on the topic.
Office and Billing Manager
Lindsay Donnellan came to The School Counseling Group in 2007. Ms. Donnellan attended Montgomery County public schools, graduating from Thomas S. Wootton High School. An alum of North Carolina Outward Bound, she has experienced the many types of programs to which the consultants at SCG refer. Nominated to attend the United States Air Force Academy, Ms. Donnellan opted instead to attend St. Joseph's University, concentrating in Criminal Justice. As a transport professional working with Adolescent Intervention Services she has accompanied students to wilderness therapy programs throughout the country. Ms. Donnellan has also managed the budgets, schedules and staffs of several small, local businesses. At SCG she is the office and billing manager and assistant to the counselors.
Ethna Brennan Hopper, H.Dip.Ed., M.A., IECA, CEP
Founder
Schools and Crisis Intervention
Ethna Hopper has nearly 50 years of experience in the field of education. After receiving a B.A. from University College in Dublin, Ireland she earned an M.A. in Guidance and Counseling from Catholic University in Washington, DC. She has served as the coordinator of Special Instruction at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, and before entering private practice she was a teacher, counselor and Director of Testing at Purnell School, a boarding school in New Jersey. Her sixteen years of teaching include extensive work with learning disabled children. Mrs. Hopper co-founded and is currently a member of WISER.
Client Relations Coordinator
Susan Puritz joined the School Counseling Group in 2006. Born and raised in Annapolis, she attended public schools in Annapolis and later received her B.A. from Denison University. Ms. Puritz began her career in sales and marketing and after fourteen years left to raise her children. Ms. Puritz devoted her professional skills to providing active leadership in the school community, serving as PTA President and Head of Fundraising for a Montgomery County elementary school. Mrs. Puritz brings a range and depth of experiences to SCG where she supports and facilitates family and school communications for the director, as well as supporting the overall functioning of the office
Alexandra Ruttenberg, Ed.M., IECA, CEP
University Admissions and Career Counseling
Colleges and Universities
Alexandra Ruttenberg earned her B.A. cum laude from Yale University, her Ed.M. in Counseling from Harvard University and her Ed.S. in Higher Education Administration from George Washington University. After spending three years in psychological research and in school admissions, Ms. Ruttenberg joined the School Counseling Group in 1993. For ten years she provided educational counseling through SCG to the education office at The World Bank and The International Monetary Fund for grades pre-K through university. For three years, she was a Spouse-Partner Career Advisor for The World Bank. She is a member of IECA.
Peter A. Sturtevant, Jr., M.A., M.A.L.S., IECA, NACAC
Director
Schools, Crisis Intervention, Mentoring, and Gap Year
Peter A. Sturtevant, Jr. became Director of the School Counseling Group in 2000, after eighteen years in independent schools. From 1992-2000, Mr. Sturtevant served as Head of School at, first, The Gunston School and, later, Gunston Day School in Centreville, Maryland. Previously, Mr. Sturtevant worked for ten years at the Maret School in Washington, DC, teaching English and humanities, coaching, advising seniors in the college admissions process, and serving as Senior Master of the Upper School. Mr Sturtevant is a Washington, DC native, having attended the Potomac School and Landon School before receiving his B.A. from Bowdoin College and his M.A. from Middlebury College. For two years, he attended public elementary school in Burlington, Vermont. He recently received his M.A.L.S. from Skidmore College in Counseling Philosophy. Mr. Sturtevant is a member of WISER, NACAC, and IECA.
Jenney G. Wilder, M.S.Ed., IECA
Education Consultant
Schools and Crisis Intervention
Jenney Wilder joined the School Counseling Group in 2005. She received a B.A. from Wheaton College (MA) and an M.S.Ed. from Bank Street College of Education (NY) with New York State teaching certifications in childhood general and special education. She is in the process of transferring her teaching certifications to Washington, DC. While a student at Bank Street, Ms. Wilder taught in two New York City public schools, one in East Harlem and the other in Tribeca. She also privately tutored students in reading and writing. Before earning her special education degree and becoming an educational consultant, Ms. Wilder spent several years at three successful start-up companies in Silicon Valley. Ms. Wilder is a native of the Washington, D.C. area where she attended public schools in Montgomery County before graduating from the Maret School. Ms. Wilder is a member of IECA and a board member of WISER.
NACAC – National Association of College Admissions Counselors
WISER – Washington Independent Services for Education Resources