Meet Our Team

Three full-time college counselors and a full-time registrar/college counseling assistant are committed to guiding Country Day students and families in the college application process.

Our college counselors have more than 65 years of experience on both the high school and university sides of college admissions. They maintain contact with colleges and universities across the nation, visiting many campuses throughout the year and attending conferences annually with other colleagues in college admissions.

Katie Elsasser

Director of College Counseling

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Katie joined Country Day in 1995. Past experience includes director of counseling at Charlotte Catholic High School, career counselor at Queens University of Charlotte, and assistant dean of admissions at College of William and Mary.

Boards/Associations: Member of the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), Southern Association of College Admissions Counseling (SACAC), Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS), and The College Board. Previously served on college advisory boards at UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Georgia, and Auburn University. Served on the faculty for Summer Seminar for new college counselors, served as Dry Run Faculty for new admissions counselors, and is the communications chair for the Board of Directors for the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC). 

Education: Bachelor of Arts in English, University of Virginia; master's in Education, school counseling, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Catherine Loftin Odum

Associate Director of College Counseling

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Catherine joined Country Day in 2004. Prior to joining us she worked as director of development and marketing for the Levine Museum of the New South. She also served as senior assistant director for academic scholarships, UNC-Chapel Hill; application screener, UNC-Chapel Hill Undergraduate Admissions Office; Admissions Committee, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University; and admissions officer, Georgetown University.

Boards/Associations: Member of the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), Southern Association of College Admissions Counseling (SACAC), Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS), and The College Board. Previously a member of the regional selection committee of the Morehead Foundation. Member of the Queens University of Charlotte Counselor Advisory Board.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in English, Davidson College; master's in Education, school counseling, UNC-Chapel Hill

Jonathan Woog '98

Assistant Director of College Counseling

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Jonathan joined the College Counseling Office in 2008, left for two years to work in the family business, and returned in 2014. Prior to joining Country Day in 2008, he worked as an Admissions Associate at Charlotte Preparatory School. Jonathan was also an an Assistant Editor for Street and Smith's Sports Annuals/Sporting News Yearbooks and a Graduate Assistant in the Lynchburg College's admissions office.

Boards/Associations: Member of the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), Southern Association of College Admissions Counseling (SACAC), Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS), and The College Board.

Education: Bachelor and Master's degrees in English and English Education from Lynchburg College.

Donna Witman

Registrar/College Counseling Assistant

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Donna joined Country Day in 1990. Prior to joining the College Guidance Office in 2009, Donna served as a fundraiser and administrative assistant in the Advancement Office. She also worked as an administrative assistant in the Development Office, Greenhill School, Dallas, Texas.

Boards/Associations: Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS).

Education: Associate of Science, Central Missouri State University.