LEAH E. PASQUESI 525 W. Aldine Apt. 503 • Chicago, IL 60657 • (630) 200-7723 • lpasquesi1@luc.edu

EDUCATION Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois May 2015 M.Ed. in Higher Education candidate

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois May 2011 B.A. in Psychology, minor in Sociology Honors: James Scholar, Graduated Cum Laude

Scuola Leonardo Di Vinci, Rome, Italy (Semester Abroad) January 2010-May 2010 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Student Academic Affairs Graduate Assistant August 2013-Present Loyola University Chicago College of Arts and Science (CAS): Office of the Dean, Chicago, IL

§ Advise a caseload of 100 transfer students on an individual basis to impart a working knowledge of degree requirements and opportunities for students to achieve their academic, career, and life goals

§ Conduct individual advising appointments and drop in advising sessions through a developmental and holistic advising approach

§ Implement intensive advising sessions for students on academic probation § Aid students in navigating university and academic policies § Assist transfer students with course articulations, including interpretation of the Illinois Articulation Initiative § Advise Arts and Sciences majors, pre-health, pre-law, and undeclared students § Refer students to campus partners (e.g. tutoring, wellness center, career services) based on their individual needs § Monitor students’ academic performance and provide outreach to students via an early academic alert system § Evaluate students’ progress toward graduation by completing degree audits § Assist with logistics of academic programs for new-student orientation by providing training for new advisors and

orientation leaders, evaluating writing and math placements needs of students, and presenting information on academic policies as well as the curriculum to incoming students and their parents/guardians

§ Develop and facilitate “CAS Around Campus” Workshop Series in collaboration with advising staff, including some of the following workshop topics: “Making the Most of Your Engaged Learning Experience,” “Registration Nuts & Bolts,” “Preparing for Graduate School” and “Where I Stand: Developing a Personal Mission Statement”

§ Create and implement an evaluation plan to assess the effectiveness of one-on-one advising appointments through post-advising surveys and a student focus group

§ Collaborated with advising staff across various offices to revise and implement a more reflective and developmental process for students to undergo when placed on academic probation

Training and Development Graduate Intern August 2014-December 2014 University of Chicago Center for Leadership and Involvement, Chicago, IL

§ Assisted in the planning and execution of the Center for Leadership and Involvement’s annual Registered Student Organization (RSO) training programs

§ Created an online module that provides supplemental training on recruitment and retention of new RSO members § Facilitated dialogues to RSO leaders regarding diversity and inclusion in RSO communities § Led the design and implementation of assessment projects aimed to evaluate ongoing training programs

College Adviser, Illinois College Advising Corps August 2011-June 2013 East Aurora High School, Aurora, IL

§ Implemented Illinois College Advising Corps’s mission to increase college attendance and completion of low income, underserved, and first-generation high school students as full-time college advisor at East Aurora H.S.

§ Counseled over 600 students individually on post-secondary planning and career exploration § Assisted students with approximately 600 college applications, 250 FAFSA applications, 200 ACT registrations,

and securing 5 million dollars in scholarships during the 2012-2013 school year § Organized fifteen campus visits each school year for approximately 280 students § Facilitated workshops on college readiness, skill building, and financial aid to over 900 students each year

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§ Presented ten workshops to 174 parents to encourage parent involvement in students’ college processes each year § Executed annual “Decision Day” event for 300 seniors to celebrate their commitment to postsecondary education § Raised over $2,500 and received food and gift donations for each “Decision Day” event § Coached students on financial literacy topics for a Financial Literacy Bowl where they placed 2nd out of 23 teams § Collaborated with teachers, administrators, counselors, college admission staff, and community partners to

implement college preparation programs and events within the school that encouraged a college-going culture

Illinois College Advising Corps Training June 2011-August 2011, July 2012, September 2012 University of Illinois system, Elmhurst College, and Washington D.C.

§ Received extensive training in college and career counseling, admissions counseling, financial aid, project management, and financial literacy by professionals in their prospective fields

§ Discussed the barriers and challenges related to college access and strategies to overcome them § Selected out of 340 advisees at a national conference to participate in a focus group to assist The College Board in

implementing a college readiness curriculum for educators RELEVANT EXPERIENCE Editorial Assistant: Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education & Student Affairs August 2014-Present Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL

§ Serve as a reviewer of manuscripts submitted to this newly established student-run, open-access journal which examines higher education and student affairs through explicit use of critical frameworks

§ Assist with programming designed to support graduate students in developing as critical scholars including, “Writing for Publication: Developing a Writing Mindset” and “Get your Mind WRITE!: Peer Review Workshop”

Professional Development Chair: Higher Education & Student Affairs (HESA) Organization August 2014-Present Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL

§ Collaborate with fellow HESA board members to ensure that we are fostering an inclusive community in our graduate program that supports the mission of our program and our instituion

§ Provide opportunities for members to grow and develop as scholars and practioners through intentional programming related to professional development, social justice, and navigating the higher education field

Teaching Assistant, Undergraduate Seminar: Campus Acquaintance Rape Education Jan. 2011-May 2011 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, IL

§ Co-instructed a course which explores sexual assault prevention and supporting sexual assault survivors § Facilitated discussions on the complexities and intersections of social identities § Trained 60 students over the course of a semester to become acquaintance rape workshop facilitators § Encouraged students to translate knowledge from lectures and class discussions to social action on campus

Educator, First Year Campus Acquaintance Rape Education Program August 2009-May 2011 University of Illinois Women’s Resource Center, Urbana-Champaign, IL

§ Raised awareness about sexual assault and factors contributing to our rape supportive culture § Conducted workshops for first year students that fostered critical dialogue about supporting rape survivors

DiversityEd Advisory Board Member, Diversity and Social Justice Education October 2010-May 2011 University of Illinois Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations, Urbana-Champaign, IL

§ Served alongside higher education professionals, professors, as well as students to assist DiversityEd in programming campus-wide events that encourage community-building, social awareness and cultural diversity

AWARDS Recipient of “Staff Member of the Year” Award May 2012, May 2013 East Aurora High School, Aurora, IL Nominated by the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 East Aurora High School Senior Classes

2012 Making Choices for Excellence Award May 2012 District 131, Aurora, IL Awarded by the District 131 School Board for “going above and beyond to inform and inspire the East Aurora Tomcats to pursue their post-secondary education dreams”