Meet Our Team
Reilly Grealis, Chief Marketing Officer:
“I always knew that college was in my future but that was about the extent of where I knew I was going. I did pretty well in high school but I greatly struggled with all things math and science. I’ve been a voracious reader since I was a kid and ultimately, decided that’s what I wanted to pursue. I chose to attend the University of Cincinnati after visiting the school and made the mistake of ONLY visiting that school.
It was an excellent school but I quickly realized (the second day there) that UC was not for me, simply because I hadn’t done research into what it was that I truly wanted out of a school and my education. Feeling lost and unsure, I decided to transfer to my local community college for a semester to figure it out.
Once I was home, I finally did some research and realized that I wanted to attend Ohio State University. That next fall, I transferred to Ohio State and never looked back. I had found my perfect school but now my major was unsure. I switched my major twice only to find myself back to being an English major, wasting my time and money in the process.
I’m grateful for my English degree, however, as an adult, I finally realize that there are many other pathways out there that I simply didn’t know about. If I had the guidance that we offer at Open Road while I was in high school, I’d have been able to save thousands of dollars and time to dedicate myself to my education.
My goal is to make sure the students that I work with realize they have someone in their corner. That I know, firsthand, how difficult it is to declare what you want to do at 17-18 years old. There’s a right path for everyone, it’s just about finding the right map.”
Sam Rubinoski, Chief Executive Officer:
“Growing up with a mom as a director of a non-profit youth organization, my work ethic and passion for investing in youth and education was instilled in me from a young age. I was born and raised in Columbus, OH, enveloped in the omnipresence that is The Ohio State University. My parents, grandfather, aunts, cousins, etc. all attended OSU with many pursuing careers there postgrad.
Our family epitomizes the idea of being proud alumni, so when the time came to apply for college there was no applying elsewhere. I majored in education and began classes at Ohio State that fall.
Although the road which led me to OSU seemed like a natural progression, I was quickly overcome by a sense of uncertainty. I began to question the path I had pursued and felt directionless. After switching my major several times, I decided on Human Development Family Studies because the courses seemed relevant to things I was learning in life, and I needed to finish before amassing insurmountable debt.
The sense of relief from graduating was quickly replaced with questions about what was next. After devoting time after college to volunteering and traveling abroad, I realized I was passionate about education and investing in the community, but in a more general sense, rather than teaching a specific subject. While working in Denver as a math teacher and case manager for high schoolers struggling to find their own path, something clicked. I wanted to help students find their source of motivation and encourage them to explore their own passions purposefully. That's how I came to find myself in education consulting, and finally here at Open Road, a space where we get to help people take time and thoughtfully explore what's next for them. This way, they can dive into the future feeling excited and well-prepared.”
Coco Marcil, Chief Operations Officer:
“I started college when I was sixteen, moving 3,000 miles away from my parents to a small liberal arts college in western Massachusetts. I made the decision to go to that college because they would take me when I was 16, and I was antsy to get out of Los Angeles.
I loved college, and I loved the academic approach that came with being a student pursuing a liberal arts education. I attended one of the smallest colleges in the country, so I got a lot of individualized attention, and was able to design my own coursework starting my sophomore year. I ended up studying Politics and Literary Theory, and I wouldn’t change anything about that. That being said, my undergraduate education was very bent towards work in academia––rumor has it that 80% of the graduates from my college are working towards or have an advanced degree within five years of graduating, which is certainly among the highest in the country.
Though I loved school and the work that came with it, I didn’t feel committed enough to my studies to pursue further education, and I knew that the sad reality is sometimes getting an advanced degree in the humanities closes more doors than it opens. When I graduated into a global pandemic, I found myself unsure of what the next steps would be.
Ultimately, I found work with high school students on navigating the same path that myself and many others have been navigating. Even though I loved my academic undergraduate experience, I wish that I had approached it with a little bit more intentionality, and so my goal with our work here at Open Road is to help students not make the same mistakes that I did, and to help them maximize the opportunities available to them. I hope to help them find next steps that set their lives ablaze, whether that be in an academic context or otherwise.”
