Mary Cowen Program Director
In the spring of 2012 , Mary Cowen had the opportunity to take a group of homestay kids on a seven-day road trip spanning through seven states from the Colorado Rockies to the Arizona Grand Canyon . Through this cultural immersion experience , not only did it open the eyes of her students to a world beyond their own , but it also helped Mary realize that a child ’ s education and development could expand beyond the confines of the classroom .
Having taught high school math in the Chicago Public Schools for over 15 years , Mary sought to create an educational experience that would not only set students up for academic success , but also immerse them in the culture of the United States . C2Elite is the culmination of that vision . Mary graduated as Valedictorian from Korea University with a BS and MS in Mathematics . She continued her higher education by receiving an MS from McMaster University in Hamilton , ON in Canada and a MA in School Counseling from Northeastern University in Chicago , Illinois . She has three lovely children and resides in Champaign-Urbana , Illinois .