Lindsey Villanueva
I even had my second baby during the Fall 2021 semester!
Life pushed Lindsey Villanueva, BA in Management ’22 into the workforce at a young age. Lindsey was never able to attend college in the traditional sense. “I took classes at a community college on and off for 10 years before applying to Loyola.”
Lindsey currently works as an office manager for a Mid America Paper Recycling in Chicago. She has been at this company for 17 years – starting as a part-time receptionist, and growing to her leadership role with the support of her degree from Loyola.
While not understanding what a Jesuit education meant, Lindsey was drawn to the values espoused by Loyola’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) and more importantly – the flexibility and care offered to all its students. And no one needs more flexibility than a new parent. Lindsey applied to Loyola just after her son’s first birthday. She felt like her son was the catalyst she needed to drop out of community college and embark on this educational journey. “There is something about Loyola and the instruction that kept me running on faith. I had so many moments in my time here where I wanted to throw in the towel and focus on family. But due to the unwavering support from Loyola and its amazing instructors, I persevered. I even had my second baby during the Fall 2021 semester!”
Her time at Loyola was enriched with life-changing and impactful moments. While volunteering at the Greater Chicago Food Depository Lindsey was moved to understand the depth of food insecurities in our community. Says Lindsey “We are all aware of hunger and the food insecurities that surround us, but I’m not sure that we understand how much actually goes into fighting it. After my first time volunteering, I knew that it would be something that I would do again and again – and teach my children/family”. She plans to continue her volunteer journey with this organization and Salvation Army even after graduation.
She even chose a project that helps the community, as part of her a capstone assignment. My capstone addresses the different needs parents have during the pandemic as they attempt to homeschool their children. I have developed a website that serves as a guide to multiple facets of homeschooling - including accreditations, program suggestions, and ideas and connect them to a network of ambassadors. This last nugget is taken out of SCPS’ awesome ambassador program, where prospective students are given the chance to connect with current students and share very real experiences and ideas.
Lindsey has some great advice for students considering a journey with Loyola’s SCPS.
Go for it! Make a commitment to yourself and give yourself grace at the same time. There will be hard days, but Loyola has a great support system – use it! Reach out to instructors, ambassadors, classmates, etc. as needed. You will find a valuable network there to lift you up.
I even had my second baby during the Fall 2021 semester!
Life pushed Lindsey Villanueva, BA in Management ’22 into the workforce at a young age. Lindsey was never able to attend college in the traditional sense. “I took classes at a community college on and off for 10 years before applying to Loyola.”
Lindsey currently works as an office manager for a Mid America Paper Recycling in Chicago. She has been at this company for 17 years – starting as a part-time receptionist, and growing to her leadership role with the support of her degree from Loyola.
While not understanding what a Jesuit education meant, Lindsey was drawn to the values espoused by Loyola’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) and more importantly – the flexibility and care offered to all its students. And no one needs more flexibility than a new parent. Lindsey applied to Loyola just after her son’s first birthday. She felt like her son was the catalyst she needed to drop out of community college and embark on this educational journey. “There is something about Loyola and the instruction that kept me running on faith. I had so many moments in my time here where I wanted to throw in the towel and focus on family. But due to the unwavering support from Loyola and its amazing instructors, I persevered. I even had my second baby during the Fall 2021 semester!”
Her time at Loyola was enriched with life-changing and impactful moments. While volunteering at the Greater Chicago Food Depository Lindsey was moved to understand the depth of food insecurities in our community. Says Lindsey “We are all aware of hunger and the food insecurities that surround us, but I’m not sure that we understand how much actually goes into fighting it. After my first time volunteering, I knew that it would be something that I would do again and again – and teach my children/family”. She plans to continue her volunteer journey with this organization and Salvation Army even after graduation.
She even chose a project that helps the community, as part of her a capstone assignment. My capstone addresses the different needs parents have during the pandemic as they attempt to homeschool their children. I have developed a website that serves as a guide to multiple facets of homeschooling - including accreditations, program suggestions, and ideas and connect them to a network of ambassadors. This last nugget is taken out of SCPS’ awesome ambassador program, where prospective students are given the chance to connect with current students and share very real experiences and ideas.
Lindsey has some great advice for students considering a journey with Loyola’s SCPS.
Go for it! Make a commitment to yourself and give yourself grace at the same time. There will be hard days, but Loyola has a great support system – use it! Reach out to instructors, ambassadors, classmates, etc. as needed. You will find a valuable network there to lift you up.