- November 24, 2015
- 4:11 pm
- Palak Shukla
“Loyola Changed My Life”
Meet Darlyne Koretos – Loyola’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) graduate from the class of ’82 with a BA in Communications – a determined spirit with a never-give-up attitude.
Darlyne graduated high school and worked full time for three years before marrying and moving to Oklahoma where her husband was completing his undergraduate degree. Says Darlyne “I would have liked to study further and move ahead but my partner was not very supportive.”
The marriage did not work out. But being divorced and a single parent did little to quell the spark of wanting to achieve extraordinary heights for Darlyne. She moved back to Chicago with her daughter and was pleasantly surprised to find out that her employers, a Chicago-based publishing company and later a Fortune 100 company, encouraged her passion for knowledge and funded her education.
“That’s how Loyola happened,” says Darlyne. “I found out that my employers would pay for my tuition, so I decided to give it a shot. I started with a psychology class at University College (now known as SCPS,) and was hooked! After that, there was no looking back for me.”
Even in the eighties, Loyola was an exemplary institution that gave you hands-on experience. “I’ve always thought of myself as a closet journalist, and I remember interning for a local newspaper, The Chicago Defender, that worked to promote equal employment,” Darlyne recalls. “That internship, coupled with Loyola’s courses in journalism, communications and public relations helped me realize my potential and give my career a definite progression.”
With her classes in Loyola, Darlyne started as a secretary and then eventually was named Manager of Corporate Communications for the Fortune 100 company and transferred to Cincinnati. Thus began a long, rich career path in public relations and communications that allowed her to retire in 2014 as Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Executive Service Corps of Cincinnati.
Darlyne has not ‘retired’ from sharing her wealth of experience with others though. With her varied background of public relations and strategic planning across a broad spectrum of industries, including nonprofit agencies, she currently serves as a volunteer consultant and coach for Executive Service Corps of Cincinnati, as well as serving as Board Chair for the Executive Service Corps US, a national affiliation of nonprofits. Darlyne also chairs the marketing committee for Safe and Supported, a program for homeless LGBT youth, and also is on the communications team for Women Helping Women.
When asked about giving advice to current adult students, Darlyne says, “Be determined. Don’t get overwhelmed. Don’t keep thinking of how much you have left to do. Just keep achieving a little at a time and slowly, you will accomplish it all.”
It took Darlyne 13 years to complete her degree at Loyola. She chose to attend one class at a time, and with Loyola’s flexible and adaptable schedule, she was able to manage it all. She then went on to earn an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Alums like Darlyne Koretos, with their determination, hard work and perseverance, is what makes Loyola a rivaled institution like no other!
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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.