About Us
Working with teenagers each day for over two decades has given us the perspective and understanding to support any student towards a vision of a future that feels right for them. Our wealth of experience, our creativity and our individualized approach will help both you and your child feel confident as you navigate the college process. Please consider our broad offerings of support and allow us to co-develop a course of action that will help your child confidently grow into this next stage of life. Below, meet our team:
Theresa Donovan Walter
Co-Founder | Coach
Theresa earned her B.S in English Education at the University of Delaware where she was also a Division I athlete. She went on to earn a M.Ed. from Fordham University, an Administrator’s certificate from Stony Brook University and a Doctorate from St. John’s School of Education and has been teaching young people for 28 years. She is the 2022 recipient of the Harvard Club of Long Island's Teacher of Distinction award. Theresa also holds a Health and Nutrition Coaching certificate and approaches her work with students from a wellness perspective.
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Theresa has taught English from grades 6-12 at one of the top-performing districts on Long Island. She is now the Department Chairperson of the English Department and is passionate about progressive educational practices. Theresa’s unique style of creating community within a classroom enables her to tailor instruction individually as she grows to know each child. For over 17 years, Theresa has guided students through the college process, ensuring a compassionate and low-stress experience. Theresa prides herself on her ability to connect with young people’s inner voices and tap into each student’s individuality as she works to bring out the student’s best self.
Margaret Lane Dunne
Co-Founder | Coach
With nearly 30 years of experience tutoring, coaching, consulting and teaching, Margaret Dunne is an expert at guiding students and families through the increasingly selective admissions process. Whether curating a college list, crafting a memorable personal statement, creating a compelling student activites sheet, or prepping for an informational interview, Dr. Dunne helps clients develop an authentic voice and articulate what makes them unique. She believes that the process of choosing the just right college can be truly transformative— but only if the college application process is personalized, collaborative and research-based. Her ultimate goal is to co-create a timeline for a lower-stress application process and to empower her student clients in their own decison making process.
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Margaret holds a B.A. in Psychology, an M.A. in English and a Doctorate of Education in Administration and Supervision. She is an New York University certified personal development coach with extensive training in cultivating growth mindset. Additionally, Margaret completed NYS training in working with ENL (English as a New Language) students as well as coaching students with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). Currently, she is a tenured faculty member of a top-performing Long Island high school where she spends her day teaching juniors and seniors.
Stephen Walter
Vice President of Sales
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Stephen's engaging and warm personaility adds to the human-centered approach Donovan Lne offers to clients. Behind the scenes, Stephen supports the mission of Donovan Lane's mission: to help every student receive a personalized and supportive journey through the college admissions process.
Stephen has spent over 30 years of a career in advertising and sales for multi-national media companies and brings his depth of knowledge to elevate the team at DL as the company continues to grow and expand.
Kerith McElroy
Communications | Operations
Kerith passionately believes everyone has a great story to tell, and her focus is on expanding the Donovan Lane's reach in order to help as many students as possible showcase theirs.
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The first part of Kerith's career included working in a variety of media platforms such as magazines, websites and television. She then spent the past 20 years helping small businesses launch and grow through marketing, website design and product development.
She received a B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College, and an M.P.S. in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
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Owen Walter
Social Media Director
Owen is a sophomore at Cornell University and is keenly aware of trends in college applications and essays, in particular Ivy League trends and ethos. Owen creates and manages all content creation posts for DonovanLane and facilitates communications for our program.
Owen is interested in consulting, sports business, and human capital. Owen is the Vice President of the Cornell Class Councils, the Student Admissions Ambassador at Cornell IL, the Social Chair of Lambda Chi Alpha, and a forward on Mundial Men's Club Soccer team at Cornell. Owen is also the social media director for the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Team at Cornell University.