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Benerd Alum Celebrates Four Years As Director
Jennifer Juanitas graduated from Benerd College's Degree Completion program in 2018 and worked her way up from an Administrative Assistant to Program Director for OLLI at Pacific.
"I had done everything I could have done without a degree. I feel like I hit the ceiling on what was making me happy and what I knew I could achieve. I knew I needed a degree to get to the next level."
In 2013, Jennifer Juanitas was working as a Sales Lead at Loft, looking to make a change in her life. After much debate, she enrolled at Delta Community College in Stockton to earn her associate degree in Organizational Communication and General & Teacher Education Preparation. Jennifer decided to continue her education and earn her bachelor's degree in Organizational Behavior (now Organizational Leadership).
"I knew many people in Stockton who worked at Pacific who encouraged me to apply. I didn't think I'd get into the program. After researching, I thought the program was perfect, and it fit my schedule. I loved everything about how it was structured for a nontraditional student."
Not only did Jennifer enroll in Pacific's Organizational Behavior program in 2016, but she also began working at Pacific's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) as a part-time Administrative Assistant.
"Four people in my cohort who worked at Benerd College encouraged me to apply for the position. It had over 100 applicants and had been posted past 30 days, so I thought my chances were low," she said.
During her last semester, the former OLLI Program Director left, and Jennifer was promoted to Interim Program Director. In 2018, Jennifer officially became the Program Director.
"I moved up a level in my career. The director position was the perfect job for me, and the support from the university was amazing".
Last July, Jennifer celebrated her fourth year in the role and she recently started the Master of Arts in Organizational Change and Innovation graduate certification program.
Learn more about the Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership, or email Lisa Matuska at lmatuska@pacific.edu.
