Ana Andino
College Coach
At Empowered Education, Ana serves as a College Coach, supporting students with essay development, career exploration, application timelines, and overall strategy. With her experience as an international student and academic mentor, she helps students stay focused, meet deadlines, and present their best selves throughout the college application process.
Ana’s Journey
Ana Andino graduated as salutatorian from high school with a remarkable GPA of 99.9%, taking on leadership roles as class president and vice president for several years. She actively participated in AP courses, extracurriculars, and volunteering initiatives such as Operation Smile and Techo Honduras. Ana went on to earn her B.A. in Business Economics with a minor in Mathematical Economics from Mercyhurst University, graduating summa cum laude and receiving the Business Economics Major Award for Excellence.
She later completed a Master’s degree in Local Economic Development at the London School of Economics (LSE), supported by a merit-based scholarship. Ana is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy at Duke University, focusing on economic development, climate change, migration, and agricultural economics.
Ana’s Educational Background
Class of 2014
High School Diploma in Science and Humanities
Class of 2018
BA in Business Economics with Mathematical Economics Minor
Class of 2020
MSc Local Economic Development
Class of 2027
PhD in Public Policy, studying economic development and the intersection between climate change, migration and agricultural economics
Professional Experience
Ana has extensive experience guiding students through the college application process, drawing from both her personal academic journey and years of mentorship. While excelling in rigorous academic environments across three countries, she’s maintained a commitment to helping others succeed—especially students from Latin America navigating international education. Her deep understanding of admissions, scholarship strategies, and long-term planning makes her an invaluable resource for aspiring college applicants.
A standout achievement in Ana’s academic journey was earning the only A+ (Distinction) in Mercyhurst’s Capstone Course in over a decade—a testament to her discipline, intellectual curiosity, and work ethic. This, along with a 92nd percentile score on the National Major Field Test, reflects her academic excellence and commitment to mastering complex topics.
What our students have to say about Ana:
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Cristina Lainez, Bentley University
“Ana was a pleasure to work with at Empowered. She gave me thoughtful and in-depth feedback on my college essays, highlighting things I hadn’t thought of and helping me fine-tune my writing. I noted with particular interest how adaptable the scheduling was; my schedule is often full, and our meetings were easy to fit into. Ana brought a positive and encouraging outlook to the entire process, minimizing my stress—she reframed mistakes as opportunities to improve. She constantly supported me in making my essays the best they could be. Besides the essays, she also helped me leave with a better understanding of which colleges suited my interests and goals. That was extremely beneficial. Empowered is a great resource for individuals going through the college application process, and I am very thankful for the support that I received!”
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Carlos Chinchilla, Notre Dame Law School
“Empowered was a fundamental part of my success as an applicant to a Master of Laws program. Ana's empathy, diligence and insightfulness helped me refine my ideas into a clear and compelling narrative of my personal and professional background, as well as my motivations and career aspirations. I highly recommend Empowered to any professional wishing to pursue graduate studies abroad.”