About Us

Angela Warfield

Dr. Angela Warfield is the principal consultant and founder of Compass Academics.  With over 25 years of experience in higher education as a professor, test developer, author, advisor, and admissions reader, Dr. Warfield is eager to share her expertise and strategies for college success with her clients.

She holds a Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Iowa and has taught at both two-year and four-year colleges and universities.  She has served on admissions committees, advised undergraduate students, tutored extensively in writing centers, developed testing materials for the ACT, and instructed test prep courses for Kaplan. 

Since founding Compass Academics, her team has helped over 400 clients successfully navigate the college application process, receive admission offers and scholarships from top-choice schools, meet and exceed their ACT/SAT goals, explore career opportunities, and plan and execute fulfilling Gap Year experiences. 

Dr. Warfield is a member of the Missouri Association for College Admission Counseling.

Cindy Ford

Cindy Ford draws on her academic experience as a subject matter expert and test prep tutor, and her professional experience from 17 years in Corporate America, to assist students in achieving their goals.

Ms. Ford’s experience defining complex program requirements and procedures for peers and clients alike informs her approach to reaching students where they are and translating difficult concepts for easy access and understanding. Mathematics and Physics are her specializations, but she also has general experience working with and managing, college students as a university library professional.  As a parent of teenagers, Ms. Ford understands their unique anxieties and concerns.

Her goal is to be a facilitator, cheerleader, and mentor for young people learning how to navigate academic struggles. She is passionate about scientific inquiry and self-discovery; there is little more satisfying than witnessing the “aha” moments that students express when they reach a point of self-realization and achievement.

Michelle Parrinello-Cason

Dr. Parrinello-Cason has a Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition from Saint Louis University and over ten years of experience working with students in a range of educational settings. During this time, she has worked one-on-one with students in writing centers and taught at the college level.

Throughout these many experiences, she has focused on teaching strategies that allow her to meet diverse learner needs, including the needs of students with giftedness, ADHD, and anxiety.  

Setting high standards and providing adequate support to meet them is core to her teaching philosophy.

Michelle LaPorte

Ms. LaPorte is a skilled Protein Biochemist with 10 years of higher education teaching experience. She received her BS in Biology from Truman State University before moving onto Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where she received her MS in Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry.

With ten years of experience in higher education, she has developed and taught traditional, hybrid and online biology and microbiology courses. She has extensive experience in tutoring and mentoring of both high school and undergraduate students in Biology, General Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology, General Chemistry, Pre-Algebra, and Algebra.

John Ford

Mr. Ford is a physicist by training and an IT professional by trade with over twenty years of experience. He holds an MS in Nuclear Engineering from University of Missouri.

Mr. Ford draws on his subject matter expertise and experience in training and mentoring IT team members when engaging clients. He has led teams large and small with a focus on constant training and consistent improvement. He tutors clients in standardized test prep and all levels of Math and Physics.

Libby Wilcox

Libby Wilcox is passionate about student success. As a parent of a recent college graduate and current HS student, Libby makes sure to listen to her clients, meet them where they are, support them on their journey, and encourage them to meet their goals. 

As one of our senior test prep associates, Ms. Wilcox is a Reading/English test prep specialist for the ACT and SAT. Her clients love her ability to connect on their level and make test prep feel like “fun school.” She is well-versed in different learning styles and working with students who have accommodations for learning differences. Ms. Wilcox is an avid reader with a preference for historical fiction, a list of 500+ books on GoodReads, and she has been part of dedicated Book Club for over 10 years. She recognizes that every client doesn’t share her passion for reading, but she makes content accessible and relatable while imparting valuable strategies and skills for test success.

Chris Modica

Chris Modica is a 25-year veteran of marketing and advertising agencies serving Fortune 500 companies, an avid reader, and lifetime learner. For a time, he specialized in developing e-learning courses and online training programs for corporate and retail employees. Today, he specializes in distilling all manner of complex ideas and processes into easily-understood online experiences.

Throughout his professional career, mentoring and being mentored has left a lasting, positive impact. This is the spirit with which he approaches tutoring students in English and Reading. Chris loves connecting with clients and helping students reach their goals.

Wally Scull

Mr. Scull is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Missouri with 7 years of counseling experience with K-12 students, teens, and adults. He holds a Masters degree in Counseling and the following certifications: Certified Clinical Telemental Health Provider and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional.

Utilizing evidence-based, mainstream approaches including Client Centered, Solution Focused, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mr. Scull counsels students, teens, and adults experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD/ADD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Executive Functioning challenges, Learning Disorders, and self-esteem issues.

Before joining Compass Academics, Mr. Scull worked at a renowned private school specializing in teaching students with unique learning needs. He’s also worked in public K–12 schools, an intensive outpatient treatment program, and with the United States Air Force as a Career and College Counselor. When he’s not supporting students, he enjoys taking walks, cooking, listening to music, kayaking, and traveling with his family and loyal rescue dog.

Molly Dubberke

Amy Krueger