Joseph (Joe) Connell, M.S.

Joe Connell founded College Station of the Hudson Valley and has spent over 20 years working with high school and college students to achieve their potential. After starting with a position in Admissions at a Public Ivy, he has spent time working with or visiting over 300 colleges. He currently serves as the Assistant Vice President at Ramapo College. He began his private tutoring and college admissions business 15 years ago after working for Kaplan and Educational Services Center.

  • 17+ years SAT and ACT Tutoring/Teaching Experience

  • Current Assistant Vice President at Ramapo College responsible for academic advisement, career development, first-year experience, placement testing, tutoring and student success

  • Former College Admissions Counselor at a Public Ivy

  • Member of Higher Education Consultants Association

  • 1998-2002 Former D3 Tennis Captain at Lycoming College

  • Youth Sports Coach and Former High School Tennis Coach; US Soccer Grassroots Coaching License

  • Recipient of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grant for Integrated Planning and Advisement Student Success

  • 2004 MS in College Student Personnel Administration from Miami University (OH)

Sidney (Sid) Teshome

Sid Teshome has over 10 years SAT and ACT Tutoring/Teaching Experience and completed his College Consulting Certificate from UC Irvine in Spring 2021 to serve as an Independent Educational Consultant. In addition to his educational work, Sid is a leader in the community and a graduate of Leadership Orange.

  • 10+ years Tutoring Experience

  • Independent Educational Consultant

Galia Kisiova, M.S.

Galia Kisiova spent 15 years in the private sector, working as a Statistical Analyst. She then decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an educator and is now a certified Mathematics and Physics teacher. Galia has been tutoring for the last 10+ years and joined College Station of the Hudson Valley a few years ago. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Math Education.

  • 10+ years of tutoring experience

  • High School Mathematics and Physics teacher

  • Bayer USA Foundation scholarship recipient

  • 2020 M.S. in Physics Education from Colorado State University, CO


Corinne Yanis, M.S.

Corinne Yanis is a teacher at the Minisink Valley Central School District and has been working there since January 2017. She has been in the education field for over 8 years. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English: Critical Literature and a Master's of Science in Teaching English as a New Language (TESOL). Corinne is the JV Girls and Varsity Boys tennis coach for Minisink, coaches Odyssey of the Mind in the winter, and is part of the Minisink diversity committee. Corinne has traveled to teach English at international schools in Vietnam and Cambodia. She went to Hartwick College in Oneonta for her undergraduate degree and SUNY New Paltz for her graduate degree. Corinne joined College Station of the Hudson Valley last year and is certified to teach the following:

  • Middle Academic English Language Arts (grades 5-9)

  • Secondary English Language Arts (grades 7-12)

  • Special Education (grades 7-12)

  • English as a New Language (grades k-12)


Michael Hanley, M.S. Ed.

Michael has spent 17 years teaching in the Dobbs Ferry School District and has been tutoring privately for almost all of those years. He joined College Station of the Hudson Valley last year.

  • 2003 Graduate of Oswego State University (Summa Cum Laude; B.S. N-9 Education)

  • M.S. Ed. In Instructional Technology from Western Connecticut State University

  • 17 years teaching experience in the Dobbs Ferry School District, with two IB World Schools (MS and HS)

  • 6th grade Science, 8th Grade Accelerated Science, 9th Grade Earth Science

  • Middle School Content Leader for 7 years

  • 15+ years of tutoring experience ranging from 2nd grade through HS Earth Science, Living Environment, Chemistry, Physics, Alg 1 and 2, Geometry, Pre Calc and multiple IB Science and Math Courses

  • Modified, JV, and Varsity coaching experience in Soccer, Basketball, and Lacrosse for 12+ years

Additional Tutors

▪ We have a team of additional tutors who work with us throughout the year.

▪ Each of our additional tutors meets our high quality standards of delivering customized, personable and empowering tutoring!


Why should I work with College Station?

Joe took his first private tutoring client in the Hudson Valley in 2005, and Sid joined him a few years later. Together, Joe, Sid and Galia have helped hundreds of students in the Hudson Valley go further than the student thought possible. Every student who has worked with them for the last 15 years has been referred by a friend or a guidance counselor that they've built rapport with. As a result of COVID-19, they wanted to do more and launched College Station of the Hudson Valley in the middle of the pandemic to bring hope. Our commitment is to stay small, yet have a major impact for you!