- September 29, 2015
- 10:36 am
- Palak Shukla
“The Jesuit values of compassion and understanding made me the person I am today”
Dolores Priegnitz, a graduate of University College, Class of 1990 (now known as School of Continuing and Professional Studies), is an HR professional who takes a strategic approach to address challenges in her work. Dolores helps organizations and teams achieve their objectives through effective communication, collaboration and strategic stakeholder engagement.
With a background of over 20 years in Human Resources and Change Managem
ent, Dolores says the hardest part of her job is to be able to pool resources and team up with people of different cultural upbringings and professional surroundings.
She says “Change management in simple terms is telling someone who has been working in a certain way to join forces with other people and departments, and essentially change their work routine. While they know it is for the good of the organization, it is hard to ask someone to alter their workflow of years. And that’s where my Jesuit values are tested every day. I keep reminding myself that it is ‘people first-company next’, and always try to listen, be compassionate, and be a problem-solver. I am proud to say that over the long course of my career, these values have never failed to accomplish the task at hand.”
With an undergraduate degree from University College and an Ed.D in Asian Pacific Leadership from University of San Francisco, Jesuit values are deeply ingrained in Dolores’ everyday life. One of her biggest achievements and a true reflection of her Jesuit principles was her doctoral research. For her thesis titled “A hermeneutic approach to American and Vietnamese leadership practices through imagination”, Dolores traveled to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. After overcoming bureaucratic hurdles, Dolores was successfully able to set up an e-learning center in partnership with Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. This center provides internet and technology access to underprivileged groups of people, and has managed to improve their overall standard of living.
Says Dolores “The e-learning center was one my toughest undertakings; that turned into one of my proudest accomplishments. Not only did it challenge me on every level, it provided an understanding into cultural practices that affect business decisions. Had it not been for my Jesuit education, I would have never been exposed to such knowledge and ethos.”
When asked about her experience and time at Loyola, Dolores says “My earliest memory is attending a re-entry orientation by Dr. Sandra Cook. She talked about the challenges of coming back to school and Loyola’s support network – and I knew I could do it! Along the way, classes with professors like Dr. Les Dennis and Dr. John Stallworth, helped me attain a global perspective on addressing problems – something I use to this day in my professional career.”
She was thrilled when told that SCPS continues the long tradition of supporting adult students by offering the re-entry orientation as a scholarship class (CPST 200), where students get an understanding of what it takes to return to school and how to balance the demands of school, work and home.
Enthusiastic for always wanting to learn more and update her knowledge, Dolores ended our conversation with these words of advice for prospective students “Follow your dreams and do not fear. Loyola is a supportive and compassionate environment, with faculty who make you the center of the program. It’s not easy, but I promise it will be worth it.”
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Last year marked the centennial year for adult education at Loyola and we are celebrating the anniversary by gathering stories of our alumni who want to share their Loyola experience, and how it has transformed their lives. Throughout its history, SCPS changed its name a few times but has consistently served adult students. If you would like to share your story as an alum, please email it to scps@luc.edu. We would love to hear from you.
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