Meet the Team

Andrea Carpenter has been with Kogod since 2011 and leads the Office of Career Engagement team of professional and student staff to deliver career services and programming for undergraduate, specialty MS, MBA, and alumni populations. As a Nationally Certified Counselor and Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, she works with students and alumni using a strengths-focused approach to gain a better understanding of themselves and the world of work and provides the resources for them to connect their skills and interests with meaningful career opportunities. Andrea earned a BS in Psychology from University of Valley Forge (formerly VFCC) as well as an MS in College Student Personnel from Shippensburg University.

Prior to joining American University’s Kogod School of Business as the Associate Director for Graduate Career Development, Robin Marks spent her career in corporate recruiting and higher education. Most recently, as the Senior Technical Recruiter at Azul 3D, Robin ran all strategic recruiting initiatives for the 3D printing start-up. Robin spent 10+ years in higher education, leading teams in the career centers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of Delaware. Robin maintained a private coaching and therapy practice in Charlotte, NC. Robin started her career in recruiting for 2 major law firms in the Washington, DC area. She received her Master of Philosophy in Education in Professional Counseling from the University of Pennsylvania and her Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Legal Institutions, Economics and Government from American University. Robin is a proud AU Eagle and enjoys making an impact on the careers of AU Kogod graduate students.

Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach

My Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Restorative | Connectedness | Context | Adaptability | Arranger

I work with MS and MBA students, both currently enrolled (in-person or virtual) and alumni.

Jessetta Ray (she/her) brings abundant experience to American University Kogod School of Business working with diverse student populations in counseling and postsecondary education.  She received her master’s degree in Adult Education and School Counseling from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.  She is pursuing a doctoral degree in Higher Education Administration from Liberty University. She is a Gallup Certified CliftonStrengths Coach who helps individuals elevate their natural talents. She strongly advocates diversity, equity, and inclusion for all individuals.  She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She loves spending time with her family creating memories, traveling, and golfing.  ​​​​​​​

Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Relator | Focus | Achiever | Includer | Belief

Brandy Roders is a graduate of Springfield College with a Bachelors of Science degree in Human Services and Masters of Science Degree in Organizational Management & Leadership from Wilmington University. She has over 16 years of cumulative educational experience in grades K-12 and higher education. Over the course of her career, she has served as a teacher, scholar services coordinator, middle school dean and more. Her experience includes coaching, program implementation, managerial roles, student engagement, facilitation, and more. Her passion for student success allowed her to become a Gallup-Certified Clifton Strengths coach, using her Woo, Communication, Positive, Developer, and Consistency talents to lead others to sucess. Her passion to see young people evolve, fuels her everyday work; allowing her space to grow continually. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her niece and nephews, traveling and meeting new people.

Caroline Yacoe brings over 10 years of experience in career services across higher education and edtech. Most recently, she led a team focused on reporting student outcomes, managing career operations, and shaping student career journeys in edX’s technical boot camps. With a background that includes roles as a career coach, recruiting coordinator, and learning designer, she found her niche early on at the intersection of career development and technology, developing and teaching online career courses at the University of Maryland, College Park, and the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Passionate about innovation in career services, Caroline is excited to apply her expertise in her role at Kogod as the associate director of systems and outcomes. 

Bennett has a BA in Digital Media Production from SUNY New Paltz, and an MS in Climate Science from Northern Arizona University.

He manages student platforms and marketing for Kogod Career Development, providing technical and logistical support for career tech resources and informing students, staff, faculty, and employers of opportunities through the Career Development office.

In his spare time, Bennett is an avid cyclist. You’ll see him on the trails in and around DC, catch him if you can!