Why Lewis

Lili Chiquito

I attended a seminar for Lewis University and was sold with everything that Lewis offered. Their support staff made the transition of going back to school, after being gone for so long, much easier and stress free. The accelerated degree program particularly appealed to me because of my schedule with work and home. This program has made my dream of returning to school a reality. The fact that Lewis University offers the accelerated program proves to me that they are in touch with the reality of so many working Moms and Dads returning to school. By offering an alternative to the traditional programs, they have made achieving an undergraduate degree a reality.

This program has enhanced both my personal and professional growth with the courses it offers. Each course has been applied to real life situations which make it easier to understand. It has also given me the opportunity to share my experiences with my classmates and in turn, they have done the same. I have a greater sense of pride along with respect from my colleagues and upper management ever since I enrolled in Lewis University and look forward to the doors that will open because of it.

I have been with my organization for 2 years. I am currently the office manager ensuring the office runs smoothly for everyone involved. I am the liaison for all communication both internal and external. I am also responsible for all accounting for our Oak Brook location. My previous employer began the process of downsizing which led me to look for employment elsewhere. This reality check made me take a good look at my skill sets and re-evaluate how I could improve to make myself more marketable

On a personal note, I have been married for six years and am a mother of two extremely energetic little girls. Needless to say, my daughters keep me busy and they also played a role in my overwhelming motivation to return to school. I am grateful for the support of my family because managing full time work, school and home is not an easy task.

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Eleni Fosses

I chose Lewis University for two main reasons. The first was being the recommendation of a previous supervisor. He went through the Lewis program and graduated the spring before I started the program myself. The second is that the adult accelerated program is well run and organized. Class size, communication, campus locations, faculty and class offerings are among the many factors that make this a successful and enriching academic program to participate in.

My personal and profession growth has been supported by the program. I feel that I have gained a great deal of respect from my colleagues. I have gone from having 1 direct report to 9 since I started. My confidence level has increased tenfold. I have gained poise in meetings and can write a proposal. I read the business section now with understanding and I have received compliments on how I handle making decisions, and giving performance reviews. In addition, my family has been so supportive that they think I’m amazing and I have been a good role model for our children.

I have just completed my 22nd year with The Strive Group. I began my career as a customer service rep and now I am the manager of the customer service department and the prepress department. I have 9 direct reports and report directly to the General Manager. Along the way I was given the opportunity to do purchasing or prepress materials and to go into sales for a while.

My husband and I will be married for 27 years this October. We had three wonderful children that have grown into fine adults. They are all currently pursuing college degrees or graduate degrees. I have been a Sunday school teacher at my parish for 25 out of the last 34 years.

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Ashley Gloster

Have you ever started something and not finish? May be a crossword puzzle or a Soduko game, or a painting job. If you’re anything like me that kind of thing just doesn’t sit right. I started going to college 22 years ago in Canada, but I quit after two years and got a job. A few years later decided that I should go back and finish my degree. I had completed a few classes and everything was on track, and then I got an offer to transfer to the USA that I just couldn’t say no to.

Fast forward a couple of years and I applied to Lewis in what used to be their LUCEP program, now know as the School for Professional and Continuing Education. I was counseled and informed that I didn’t have enough credits to attend so I went to a local college, got the required credits and reapplied to Lewis, got into the program and my journey started again. After successful completion of several classes I was transferred to New York, the journey was halted again. Four years in NYC, and back to Chicago. I have now been back in the Chicagoland area for 8 years, last year I got that feeling again of not completing something that I had started over 20 years earlier, so I made an appointment with one of the counselors, and it was back for the fourth time.

I have held a Directors position with a large corporation, I am currently a Vice President of Operations for a privately held company in Chicago; I have been very lucky over the years with my career and have had several mentors and several lucky breaks. Completing my degree probably won’t help me in my current position due to the structure of the company, but who knows what the future might hold, and if I do get thrown back into the lions den of the corporate world, I want my degree.

I have seen the inside of 4 different colleges and Universities over the years, but the best educational experience I have had is at Lewis. The SPCE fits really well with my busy schedule, class one night a week and you carve out time during the rest of the week to get your homework done. It’s not a chore, it’s a great experience, it’s and experience that no one should deny themselves of. I have a couple of more years to go before I complete my BA, and with the help of the counselors I have already started planning for my MBA. So if you are in a similar situation as me, there is a chance to finish what you started, make your next move, it may be one of the most self fulfilling ones that you will ever make.

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Lauren Heneise

I work nearly 50 hours a week as the operating partner of my coffee shop. Still, Lewis allows me to successfully attend classes full time while pursuing a degree. I’ve applied information and tools obtained at Lewis to my own business. Business Communication, Human Resources Management and Business Law have all equipped me with the practical training required to organize my business, manage my employees and increase my productivity. If this wasn’t helpful enough, I’m simultaneously earning my Bachelor’s Degree!

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Susan Knapik

The Adult Undergraduate Accelerated program at Lewis University allows the flexibility that adult working students need in order to complete their degrees. Lewis University offers high quality classes that are relevant to current business standards. As I embarked on my journey to finish my undergraduate degree, I selected Lewis as the place I wanted to attend. I have not second guessed that decision for a moment.

Recently, I took a seminar at Lewis University on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. The seminar, titled, “Coaching: Myers Briggs”, was phenomenal! Through interactive exercises, the instructor made the course enjoyable and presented the materials in a way that made me eager to utilize the knowledge into my personal and professional life. This seminar was similar to other courses at Lewis, in that a holistic approach is taken to ensure maximum benefits are received by the student.

I was blessed early in life with two sons. Since children are only little for a short time, my academic career was put on the back burner so that I could enjoy their childhood and teenage years. Now that my sons are older, I have returned to school to complete what I began many years ago.

I am currently employed with a company in downtown Chicago where I have been for the past 8 and a half years. I enjoy the analytic work that I perform on a daily basis for my employer; however, I am eager to move into a management role. With my BA in Management from Lewis University, I will be able to make this goal a reality.

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David Peterson

I had just finished back to back projects at work that required me to travel every week in the spring of 2007 when I received a flyer to attend an open house at the Lewis University Shorewood campus. At the open house I talked to one of the admissions recruiters who told me about the accelerated degree program for adult learners. I was impressed with the degree program and the Lewis philosophy. The importance the university places on both ethics and cultural diversity are a reflection of my personal beliefs. I enrolled that spring and started in the summer session. I have not questioned been disappointed with my decision.

I am currently in the accelerated program majoring in Business Administration. Lewis offers great class variety at the main campus as well as the satellite campuses making it very convenient to complete a degree. I had been thinking about going back to school for a while, I tried to start a couple of times but the situation and the timing was never quite right. I need to finish my degree if I wanted to advance beyond my current position at work. The company I work for started to require a degree for many positions beyond entry level jobs. I am a Distribution Process Manager for Navistar Inc. and have been with the company for 20 years and hope to be there another 20 with the opportunities that I will have with my degree from a high quality school like Lewis University.

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Gabriel Rojo Jr.

The Adult Business Program allowed me to fulfill a lifelong promise I made to my father and myself – that I would become one of the first in my family to graduate from college. The college experience was absolutely priceless. I wish I would have made the choice to go straight to Lewis University right after high school. Upon graduation, the company I work for afforded me a pay raise and a promotion allowing for continued personal and professional growth.

I decided to attend Lewis because of the terrific student to teacher ratio which creates an ideal learning environment. Lewis also has a flexible, affordable, and highly motivational adult college program. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Business Management – Organization Leadership. Lewis offers state of the art classrooms and a great college environment in which to achieve success.

I work for General Reinsurance Corporation as an Account Manager. I’ve been with the company for a little over 10 years. In addition, I’ve been married to my wonderful wife Gloria for the past 4 years.

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Dedra Sims

My decision to attend Lewis University was solely based upon my faith and trust in God. I was totally confused on what I wanted for my life, and how I was going to accomplish it. I prayed and asked God to show me the purpose that he has for my life, and allow me to walk in that purpose with his guidance. After continuous prayer seeking God’s help, I came home from work one evening only to find a brochure from Lewis University in my mailbox, so I took this as my answer from God that this is where I should be pursuing my education.

I am currently in the Healthcare Leadership Program, with hopes of graduating in the Spring/Summer of 2009. I plan to continue my education here at Lewis in the Fall of 2009, pursuing my MBA with a concentration in Human Resources. The past six years has been very tough on me and my family, but with faith, perseverance, and a strong will to accomplish my goal, I can say that all of the hard work has truly paid off. I want to thank Lewis University and it’s staff members for making my education experience so rewarding.

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Mona Smith

Lewis University has given me the opportunity to fulfill one of my lifetime dreams – earning a college degree. I chose Lewis because it is large enough to meet your educational goals and small enough to know you on a personal level. The faculty genuinely cares about you and wants to help you succeed.

I completed my Bachelor of Science Degree in December 2007 with a double major in Business Administration and Marketing. I am a full-time working married mother of two. So needless to say, I was very busy trying to juggle all these areas of my life and it wasn’t easy; however, Lewis’s accelerated program was flexible and it allowed me to move at my own pace.

I currently hold the position of Customer Care Specialist at Akzo Nobel Functional Chemicals in Chicago, IL. Since I graduated, I have received recognition for my achievement from the company and will start sales training with an account manager this year. So things are looking up at my job.

I plan to continue my education and pursue a graduate degree in the near future. Also, I have plans to own my own business one day. None of this would have been possible without my degree from Lewis University.

I am very grateful for the learning experience I have had at Lewis and for all of the wonderful staff and students that I have met along the way. In addition, I am very proud to be a part of the Alumni of this great university.

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