A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and former Questbridge Scholar, Ashleigh is deeply attuned to the barriers first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students face, as well as those of students who navigate Korean or international educational systems. She herself moved to Korea alone at age sixteen and later studied at the Graduate School of Education at Seoul National University, giving her insider knowledge of both American and Korean elite academic contexts. However, her lived experience extends beyond mere theory taught in the classroom.

With over five years of experience as an independent educational consultant, Ashleigh got her start in boutique admissions consulting firms in the heart of Gangnam. However, during her work with these firms, she was left appalled by the low quality of education, lack of organization, and gross inefficiency she witnessed. Beyond that, she found herself disturbed by the factory, one-size-fits-all approach to education paired with the sheer amount of fakery and fraud that other educational consultancies forced upon students and parents. Ashleigh considers these trends as a handicap to the futures of these students, clipping their wings before they have ever attempted to fly.

Fresh from these experiences, Ashleigh decided to establish Sigma as a bulwark against predatory and unethical practices in the private education industry. Pooling together the best educators and minds in her network, she developed a team of scholar-teachers, excited to guide the next generation of young minds. So yes, Sigma is young. However, Ashleigh believes this is one of Sigma’s many strengths.

Based on her observations at other firms and her own experience applying to college, she developed the Common App Boot Camp in 2022—a strategic and narrative-driven approach to U.S. college admissions that has helped students gain acceptance to Ivy League and top 50 universities minus the stress and fakery that traditional consulting typically consists of. Ashleigh encourages her students to “embrace the cringe” and work towards their passions without conforming to superficial expectations. Her holistic consulting approach mirrors this belief.

Originally created as an internal tool to help students clarify their story, Ashleigh’s Boot Camp grew into a repeatable methodology after testing it with dozens of students from both U.S. and Korean educational contexts. The process guides students through their Unifying Personal Story (UPS), helping them understand the values that drive them, identify meaningful turning points, and articulate the “throughline” that connects their experiences, achievements, and ambitions. Rather than focusing on polish or performance, the program centers real self-understanding combined with strategic positioning.

Ashleigh’s work lives at the intersection of authenticity and system-hacking. Her consulting philosophy cuts straight to the core: find the real stories, not the contrived narratives that look good on paper. She's living proof that beating elite systems doesn't require the right connections or generational wealth-just smart strategy and the nerve to execute it. This approach has made her a sought-after guide for students navigating competitive academic landscapes.