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About Ascensia

Built by people who lived it.

Our team comes from the very regions we serve: Egypt, Kenya, and Venezuela. We experienced firsthand what it means to be a high-potential student in a system where the pathway to top universities is largely invisible. Ascensia is the program we needed and did not have.

The team

Six people.
One shared experience.

Six team members. Our team spans Egypt, Kenya, and Venezuela. Every member either experienced this gap directly or has dedicated their work to understanding and closing it.

Mohamed Mashhour

Mohamed Mashhour

Chief Executive Officer

Mohamed leads Ascensia's strategy, partnerships, and program design. He navigated the international admissions process from Egypt and built Ascensia to give the next generation of students the infrastructure he had to build for himself.

Egypt LinkedIn
Jeremy Muchilwa

Jeremy Muchilwa

Chief Operating Officer

Jeremy oversees Ascensia's operations, cohort management, and program delivery. From Kenya, he brings firsthand experience of navigating educational access gaps across East Africa.

Kenya LinkedIn
Camila Caruso

Camila Caruso

Chief Communications Officer

Camila leads Ascensia's communications, brand, and outreach strategy. From Venezuela, she shapes how Ascensia reaches students and funders across the globe.

Venezuela LinkedIn
Youssef Taleb

Youssef Taleb

Chief Program Officer

Youssef designed and built the 9-track curriculum at the core of Ascensia's program. He brings a deep understanding of what international students need to navigate global admissions.

Egypt LinkedIn
Youssef Nassar

Youssef Nassar

Chief Technology Officer

Youssef leads the technical infrastructure underpinning Ascensia's digital platforms, mentorship matching, and curriculum delivery. He builds the tools that make the program scalable.

Egypt LinkedIn
Ismail Aboelmagd

Ismail Aboelmagd

Chief Strategy Officer

Ismail shapes the long-term vision driving Ascensia's growth; from new regions and partnerships to the students the program will serve next. He ensures the right people are in the pipeline and the right strategy is on the map.

Egypt LinkedIn

We are the people we have been waiting for.

Our story

We are the
people we
have been
waiting for.

Even as students at institutions like STEM High School and the African Leadership Academy, our team saw the scale of what was missing. Participation in selective global programs gave us access to international networks that transformed our trajectories. It also made visible the millions of talented peers left behind without any comparable guidance or mentorship.

Some of us were able to connect with peers at top institutions through selective program networks, but only within those immediate circles. Beyond such programs, there is effectively no pathway for most students navigating this process. Ascensia is built to close that gap through structured, matched mentorship rather than leaving it to chance.

Our primary research, conducted in March 2026 across 77 student respondents in Egypt and Nigeria, confirmed what we already knew from experience. The demand is real. 87% of respondents expressed strong interest in the Ascensia model. The infrastructure to meet that demand does not currently exist at any meaningful scale.

What we stand for

Four principles.
No exceptions.

E

Excellence

We hold our curriculum, mentors, and students to a high standard. Not as gatekeeping, but as respect. Students applying to the world's most selective universities deserve preparation that matches that ambition.

A

Access

Admissions are need-blind. Full need-based and merit-based financial aid is available. The students who most need this program are often the ones least likely to find it. That asymmetry is the reason Ascensia exists.

A

Authenticity

We help students find and present their genuine story. The best applications are honest. We build the skills to communicate that honestly and compellingly across any application system in the world.

C

Community

Every student who completes Ascensia enters the alumni mentor network permanently. The program compounds with every cohort. Each class makes the next one stronger, more informed, and better supported.

Our progress

What we have
already built.

Complete

9-Track Curriculum

Comprehensive admissions preparation built specifically for international students, covering every component from standardized tests to financial aid to non-US admissions systems.

Complete

Primary Research: 77 Responses

Conducted March 2026 across Egypt and Nigeria. Key findings: 87% of respondents have no dedicated counselor, 65% are uncertain about need-blind admissions, 87% expressed strong interest in the Ascensia model.

Complete

Mentorship Infrastructure

Applications, onboarding guide, training materials, and digital infrastructure for the mentor network are fully developed and ready for the first cohort.

In progress

School Outreach

Reached out to Egyptian secondary schools and EducationUSA via AMIDEAST. Meetings confirmed with school counselors. Outreach to EducationUSA ongoing.

In progress

Mentor Network Identification

Mentors are being identified at top universities through the team's personal networks and institutional outreach. The first cohort mentor pool is actively being assembled.

In progress

Pilot Cohort Planning

First cohort targets optimal number of students with maximum diversity. Curriculum delivery via digital platforms. Feedback and iteration built into the process from day one.