John Russo, Founder and CEO
Prep U4 Success was born out of the experience its’ creator John Russo gained from his prior career in New York. In that capacity, John worked closely with colleges and universities as well as high school counselor associations.
John provided college admissions and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) workshops for major organizations such as the New York State STEP program, the Long Island STEM Hub, the New York State School Counselors Association as well as local universities multiple diversity groups and high schools offering parent workshops.
In addition, John created an educational resource guide for LI’s Cradle of Aviation and has also been one of the judges for STEM student poster competitions in both New York, and most recently here in North Carolina.
John’s experience as a professional and a parent of two college graduates quickly taught him that one of the most overwhelming endeavors for parents and students is the college admissions process. He takes pride in knowing that after completing a Prep U4 Success group workshop, parents will know how to navigate the entire college admissions process with confidence.
JoAnn Baty Russo, President
JoAnn is the spirit “behind the scenes” of Prep U4 Success. With over 30 years of experience in leadership, marketing and customer service, a mother of three as well as an “Annma” of four, JoAnn fully understands the juggling acts faced by families in today’s busy world.
JoAnn has been quoted to be “a results-driven leader who inspires and brings out the best in others” as well as possessing “energy, creativity and commitment to any challenge.” Whether it is having that one-on-one conversation with a college or university president, or training a new employee, JoAnn understands how to achieve desired results. Her back-ground in training allows her to clearly identify the needs of her audience, yielding useful information while creating a safe learning environment.
Like John, Prep U4 Success is a passion of hers to work with families as they navigate their way through the College Admissions Process in a successful and stress-free manner.