How Student Support Helped Alum Geraldine Guinto Reach Her Goals

By DeVry University

February 27, 2020

3 min read

At DeVry University, we know that every student journey is unique. That’s why we put student support at our core – providing students with the personalized, one-on-one attention they need to achieve their goals.

See how alumna Geraldine Guinto balanced working a full-time job and going to school with the help of her student support and career services advisors.

ALLISON DE LA GARZA: It's more about how can this student get across that stage, and how are we going to walk that journey with them?

GERALDINE GUINTO: What stood out about DeVry when looking for higher education is that they offer hybrid or online classes for adults who are interested in taking classes while having a full-time job. And I don't have a consistent schedule, and it keeps changing every week. And so I chose DeVry because I was able to work around my schedule and plan according to when I can do my discussion posts, work on my quiz, and study and do my homework. My admissions representative helped me through the entire enrollment process. And so she gave me information about the human resources program I was interested in and helped me tailor the program to my needs. The student support advisor was in my corner from day one.

ALLISON DE LA GARZA: Well, really, I just try to get to know the student – listening, figuring out what their motivation is for starting and then bonding with them over that.

GERALDINE GUINTO: She checked in with me at least once a week, checking in about my personal life, my work life, and, of course, my classes. And I could tell she really cared.

ALLISON DE LA GARZA: We make an effort to walk the journey with the student. So it's not just a student comes in and is going to take classes and get a degree. We're walking that journey with the student.

GERALDINE GUINTO: She also helped me build a plan of study that worked for me and my busy work schedule, which was so important. And as I was near graduation, my career services advisor helped me create a professional resume, build my LinkedIn profile and coach me for upcoming interviews. I really felt supported as I looked ahead to starting my new career.

JENNY MLEKO: We talked about her background, her experience, and ultimately what her career goal was, and that was to work in human resources. That's what her degree was going to be in. So we spent a lot of time getting to know each other. I wanted to make sure she felt comfortable with me because we were going to be working very closely together and I wanted to support her every step of the way.

GERALDINE GUINTO: They will really take the time to listen and have your back. From my first experience at DeVry to the last, I felt cared for and supported by the team at DeVry. I think that kind of student-focused support is rare, and it's one of the reasons I'm proud to say I'm DeVry grad.

JENNY MLEKO: And I'm so happy that she's at this point where she can take her resume, go apply for jobs and get interviews. And she's getting a lot of interviews right now, and that's where my passion is in career services and helping people and supporting them with their job search and taking them through that entire process, like I did with Geraldine.