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Board Of Directors

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Dr. John Kenny

President & Founder

D.C. National University of Health Sciences, Chiropractic Physician
B.S. National University of Health Sciences, Human Biology
B.A. Northwestern University, Biology

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Dr. Kenny grew up in Chicago, Illinois and wrestled for Northwestern University. After graduating with a degree in Biology, he went on to National University of Health Sciences graduating with a doctorate. He began practicing in 1982 opening two clinics in Chicago. From there, Dr. Kenny went on to become licensed physician in Arizona and Nevada as well as Iliinois. He moved to Nevada in 1988 and has been practicing in the Las Vegas valley ever since. In 1997, Dr. Kenny had a dream to open a school and founded Northwest Massage School where he began teaching Anatomy, Physiology and Kinesiology. Today, his small school has grown into Northwest Career College. Dr. Kenny has served on numerous boards and organizations but focuses his time on his passions: his family, his patients and his students
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Dr. Stephanie Kenny

Chief Academic Officer
Dean of Students

D.O. Touro University
B.A. University of Southern California, Biology

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Stephanie Kenny grew up in Las Vegas and played soccer and softball for the Meadows School in Summerlin. She began working at Northwest at the age of 13 doing everything from cleaning to copying. After graduating high school, Stephanie headed to the University of Southern California to study biology. Upon graduation, Stephanie began pursuing her Medical Career and graduated from Touro University in 2016. Additionally, she accepted the position as the Chief Finance Officer of Northwest Career College where she works side by side with her family.
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Dr. Thomas Kenny

Chief Compliance Officer

D.M.D. University of Nevada Las Vegas, Dentistry
B.A. University of Southern California, Biology

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Dr. Thomas Kenny was born in Chicago, raised in Las Vegas, but considers Northwest Career College his true home. He has been working at NCC for as long as he can remember. He started by moving and building furniture on the weekends and has served in a variety of roles throughout the years. He is now the Director of Regulatory Affairs, overseeing the licensure and accreditation processes for NCC, as well as the Dental Assisting Program Director. Dr. Thomas began his service as an ABHES Commissioner in July 2017 and looks forward to the opportunity to help shape the future of the education industry as a whole.
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Patrick Kenny, B.A.

Chief Operating Officer
Director Of Human Resources

B.A. University of San Diego, Psychology

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Patrick Kenny is one of the founding members of the Northwest family and has served as the Chief Operating Officer since June of 2013. Patrick graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from the University of San Diego and has an extensive background in operations, project management, team building, and student development. As a member of the Kenny family, Patrick has been serving in one role or another at the college for most of his life.
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Michael Kenny, B.S.

Chief Financial Officer

B.S., University of Nevada Las Vegas

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Michael Kenny grew up in Las Vegas and played football and wrestled for the Meadows School in Summerlin. He began working at Northwest at the age of 13 doing everything from cleaning to copying. After graduating high school, Michael headed to the University of San Diego to study accounting. After two years, Michael transferred to UNLV where he completed his accounting and finance degrees while continuing to work for Northwest Career College as the Director of Finance where he works side by side with his family every day.

Staff

Academic Affairs
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Dr. Stephanie Kenny

Chief Academic Officer
Dean of Students

D.O. Touro University
B.A. University of Southern California, Biology

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Stephanie Kenny grew up in Las Vegas and played soccer and softball for the Meadows School in Summerlin. She began working at Northwest at the age of 13 doing everything from cleaning to copying. After graduating high school, Stephanie headed to the University of Southern California to study biology. Upon graduation, Stephanie began pursuing her Medical Career and graduated from Touro University in 2016. Additionally, she accepted the position as the Chief Finance Officer of Northwest Career College where she works side by side with her family.
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Morgan Rouw, B.S.

Executive Assistant II

B.S., University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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Morgan is dedicated to helping NCC students achieve their goals and potential, while also pursuing her own goal of a Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

A life-long resident of Las Vegas, Morgan spends her free time cooking, writing, and attending live music events and family gatherings. She also enjoys craft beer, outdoor activities and traveling. At work, Morgan enjoys the family atmosphere at NCC and working alongside the rest of our friendly and supportive staff.
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Seri Marx, B.A.

Director Of Academic Affairs

B.A. University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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Having graduated from UNLV in 2010 with a B.A. in Communications, Seri pursued a career in office management and worked as an assistant project management. Having moved to Las Vegas in 2003, Seri joined Northwest Career College in January, 2017. Today, Seri serves as the executive Assistant to the Dean of Students where she is able to apply both her interpersonal and business skills working with students, faculty and staff.
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Jacquelin Favela

Academic Advisor I

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Originally from Pomona, California, Jacquelin moved to moved to Las Vegas with her parents when she was eight years old and has been in love with the city ever since. As part of the NCC family, Jacquelin channels her passion for helping others into keeping an organized work environment and striving to make NCC the best college in Las Vegas. A self-confessed social butterfly, Jacquelin spends her free time traveling and going to festivals. She loves working out, going on Sunday runs with her Schnauzer and enjoying every second of her life with her closest friends.
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Daniella Martinez, B.A.

Academic Advisor I

B.A., Arizona State University

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Daniella was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, before moving to Arizona where she worked teaching elementary school students.

Having attended Palo Verde High School, Daniella achieved her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. She then began her teaching career in Phoenix teaching first grade for one year.

Daniella has worked with students in grades K-6 through various tutoring, internships, and volunteering programs as well as working for over two years training fellow college students in educational technology. She now brings those skills to bear as one of our Academic Advisors.

The thing that drew Daniella to Northwest was the family-oriented environment and positive attitude at NCC. Her professional passion is contributing to the future and enriching our world and Daniella looks forward to doing this by elevating students toward their future goals and ambitions.

In her spare time, Daniella’s hobbies include rock climbing, hiking, and crafting. Her guilty pleasures are trying different coffee drinks, going out to eat, and feeding her sweet tooth.
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Tiffany Pellegrini, MEd

Academic Advisor I

MEd, Regis University

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Originally from Illinois, about an hour outside of Chicago, Tiffany received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Western Illinois University and acquired her Master’s Degree in Education from Regis University.

After college, Tiffany moved to Las Vegas to teach in the Clark County School District and has now lived in Las Vegas for twenty years. She loves Nevada and loves working at Northwest because the culture at NCC is so positive and uplifting.

Passionate about animals, nature, and helping people, Tiffany spends her spare time with her two dogs taking long walks and attending fun pet events. She loves to attend charitable events, especially to raise money for animals as well as working out and going out of town to enjoy nature in places such as Sedona, Arizona, and Kanab.
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Century Leigh, B.S.

Registrar

B.S. Northwest Missouri State University

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Century graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with a B.S. in International Business before joined Northwest Career College and the Admissions Team in July, 2017. A competitive figure skater, Century has represented the USA in competitions across the world, including France, Germany, Estonia, and Canada.
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Fernando Herbert, B.S.

Spanish Language Consultant

B.S. Ed. City College of New York

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At an early age, Fernando moved from San Pedro de Macorís in the Dominican Republic to NYC to raise a family and begin his teaching career. Now at the young age of 80, he is still passionate about educating young minds, bringing his years of experience, and his Master’s Degree in Education to bear on his students.

In his spare time, Fernando enjoys reading, crossword puzzles, playing the slots at one of Las Vegas’ many casinos and indulging in good music. He loves that his position at Northwest allows him to continue with his love of teaching and that he can have an impact on the next generation of NCC graduates.
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Ashli Conners, M.B.A.

Administrative Liaison I

M.B.A. Northcentral University, Scottsdale

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Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Ashli recently moved from Georgia to Nevada. A graduate of Desoto High School, Ashli earned her degree from the Texas Woman’s University in Denton, and her M.B.A from Northcentral University.

Now a member of our Academic Affairs Department, Ashli’s passion is to help others prepare for a better future by providing resources, assistance, and encouragement along the way. At Northwest Career College, Ashli can guide and ensure students are successful throughout their chosen program and that fulfills part of her life’s purpose.

At the weekend, Ashli can be found watching movies, cooking, and spending time with family. Since she’s only recently moved to Nevada, she’s also looking forward to hiking and exploring more of the state.
Admissions Department
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Grace Perea

Director of Admissions

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Born in California, Grace moved out to Las Vegas when she was 15 and joined Northwest Career College in November, 2014 managing the office in the evenings, working with the night students. Over the years, Grace continued to demonstrate her understanding of student challenges and needs. Her passion for helping students achieve their ultimate career goals made Grace the clear leader of our enrollment team and today Grace is the Director of Admissions for NCC. Excited to be excited to be part of the NCC family, the best part of Grace’s job is helping to change students lives for a brighter future, and having that impact on as many people as possible.
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Michael Dramis

Intake Manager

Miami Dade Junior College

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A business owner for most of his life, Michael has been part of the Northwest team for eleven years and is now the Senior Enrollment Specialist in our Admissions Department. Michael considers the position of Senior Enrollment Specialist to be one of the most rewarding he has yet held, helping students achieve their goal of a earning a great position in the career they have chosen. So rewarding in fact that, after taking several years off to try out semi-retirement he eventually returned to Northwest where his focus remains the success of every student whose lives he touches every day.
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Hugo Chinchilla, M.B.A.

Enrollment Manager

M.B.A. Argosy University

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Originally a native of New Jersey, Hugo, along with his wife and two sons, moved to Las Vegas in 2000 on the advice of his best friend from high school. They haven’t looked back since. The recipient of a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Rutgers University and an MBA from Argosy, Hugo has been working in education for over seventeen years.

A committed family man himself, Hugo loves the family atmosphere here at Northwest and the fact that he, and every other member of staff, are on the same page when it comes to getting the best for our students. For Hugo, It’s all about the student and their success and his professional passion is changing lives, one student at a time.

In his spare time, Hugo can be found jogging, taking in the latest Disney or Marvel movies, and making the traditional Sunday morning breakfast for his family.
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Emerald Garcia

Outreach Coordinator

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Emerald joined Northwest Career College in February of 2017, taking on the position of Outreach Coordinator. The recipient of a degree in Business Management, Emerald brings her unique background knowledge, skill set, and interpersonal skills to the role. A proud member of NCC, Emerald's passion is solely driven in the direction of aiding students in their dream of finding a career and imparting the message "come be a part of our family!"
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Nicole Pangelinan, A.S.

Special Populations Coordinator I

A.S. Southwestern Community College

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Originally from Guam, Nicole moved to the US at the age of seven. Having gained her Bachelor’s of the Arts degree from UNLV, Nicole has spent the last four years working in post-secondary education and loves the opportunity to help others find the opportunity to pursue the career pathways they are interested in.

Building on her experience of outreach and networking within the community, Nicole’s career goal is to become a career counselor for K-12 or a couples family therapist. She is driven towards this goal by her passion for helping others and particularly creating new resources and opportunities to help young people in her local community.
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Victor Maniece

New Student Coordinator II

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Originally from small-town Ohio, Victor moved to Las Vegas to explore new horizons. At work, Victor enjoys helping NCC’s students discover new possibilities and pursue those opportunities with an open mind and a strong heart. Always outgoing, Victor can always be relied upon to listen and offer advice, and he likes to do both with a smile.
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Jolee Frantzich

Intake Specialist I

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Jolee is originally from New York and moved to Vegas in 1992. Having grown up the restaurant business, with her family owning an International House of Pancakes (IHOP), Jolee moved to Vegas to open up the Great Steak and Potato Companies in the food courts in the malls.

As a professional Jolee strives to be the best at whatever she is doing. On a personal level, she is passionate about her family and is a proud mother of two and a proud grandmother to a beautiful granddaughter.

Jolee enjoys working at NCC because of the family atmosphere that allows here to indulge both her passions at once.
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Saucha Graham

IntakeSpecialist I

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Born and raised in San Diego, Saucha has spent the last 14-years working in the healthcare industry, particularly in the San Diego and Las Vegas communities.

Having graduated from United Education Institute and Concorde Career College, with diplomas in Medical Assisting and Medical Office Administration, Saucha is now one of our valued intake specialists.

Saucha’s professional passion is to put her knowledge into practice in order to make a positive change in people’s lives that are looking to make a change in their own. For Saucha, working with the team here at Northwest, along with the knowledge and skills she is gaining from the position, are the best things about working at NCC.

On the weekend, Saucha can be found indulging in her love of swimming or just relaxing and binge-watching movies.
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Jorge Toro

Intake Specialist I

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Jorge originally hailed from Chula Vista in California and moved to Las Vegas when he was 13 years old. Having graduated from Desert Pines High School here in Las Vegas, Jorge went on to gain a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice.

Now a member of our Admissions Team, Jorge tries to help our students to truly become somebody in life and set them walking down a good path. His favorite thing about working for NCC is the genuine passion that he sees coming from every individual that works here. Everyone lives the company values and they show true dedication to academic and social excellence.

In his spare time, Jorge divides his time between being a youth pastor and his love of food. As an avid foodie who loves to try cuisines from all around the world, one of the things that drew Jorge to Las Vegas was the gastronomic diversity this city has to offer and all the beautifully diverse people that live here.
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Andres Ontiveros

Enrollment Specialist II

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Originally from Sinaloa in Mexico, Andres was raised in San Deigo before moving to Las Vegas in 2015. Having gradate from Chula Vista High School, Andres attended SDSU before coming to join us here at Northwest as part of our commited admissions team.

A positive and optimistic person who is always up for a challenge, Andres enjoys working here at Northwest because of the people and the atmosphere.

On the weekend, Andres can be found watching movies, going to the gym, or doing anything to do with his love of the outdoors.
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Michelle Bennett, M.A., M.S.

Enrollment Specialist I

M.A., M.S. Azusa Pacific University

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Originally from Los Angeles County, Michelle has a background in higher education and social services. A graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a Master of Science that explored the impact of Military Veterans experiencing PTSD symptoms during job interviews, Michelle now brings her experience to bear as part of our admissions team.

Michelle is passionate about creating viable and meaningful differences in the lives of others and, for her, the best thing about working for NCC is being a part of a team that is committed to excellence.

In her spare time, you can normally find Michelle induing in her hobbies such as landscaping projects, home organization, and relaxing near the water.
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Tamica Keene, B.S.

Enrollment Specialist I

B.S. University of Phoenix

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Originally from Nashville, Tamica attended Creston High School and later went to Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) to pursue her degree in Counseling.

Now one of our passionate Enrollment Specialists, Tamica is determined to set a memorable stamp in everyone’s life that she encounters at NCC and grow with each challenge that comes her way.

For Tamica, the best thing about working at NCC is having the opportunity to watch our students accomplish their goals and offering any additional resources to help their journey run more efficiently.

In her spare time, Tamica can be found walking, listening to music, trying out new foods, and shopping.
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Charles “Chuck” Grays III, M.S.

Enrollment Specialist I

M.S. University of La Verne

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Born and raised in California, Chuck earned his B.A. in Communications at the California State University of San Bernardino and his M.S. in Educational Counseling at the University of La Verne before being drawn to join NCC as an Enrollment Specialist.

Chuck has always been community-minded and spends much of his free time volunteering at community service events, and helping, inspiring, and impacting the youth to excel academically, socially, and personally.

For Chuck, the best thing about working for NCC is the family environment where everyone supports each other and that the main goal for Northwest is to make a difference in the students’ lives.

When he isn’t coaching, Chuck likes to spend his spare time writing poetry, playing card games, and indulging his love of football and basketball.
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Dominique Lewis, B.S.

Enrollment Specialist I

B.S. California State University, San Marcos

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Originally from Washington state, Dominique went to high school in a small town called Spanaway but spent all of his college years in San Diego. Having graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Management, Dominique is now part of our admissions team and enjoying the positive impact his role allows him to have on other people.

An upbeat team player who loves creating new relationships, Dominique looks forward to using his knowledge and experience for his own business someday, but in the meantime, he’s using his skills to help lead our students to success.

In his spare time, Dominique can most often be found hanging out with friends and family, watching sports, and trying new things, such as new cities, foods, and activities.
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Raphael Pizarro, B.A.

Enrollment Specialist I

B.A. Keystone College

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Born and raised on Long Island New York, Raphael is a high-school graduate of North Babylon Senior High School.

He then received a BA in Business Administration from Keystone College and is currently pursuing an MBA/MSL with Grand Canyon University and an MA in Digital Marketing with Full Sail University.

A former servicemember in the United States Army, Raphael started his career in education with Grand Canyon University and is now a committed member of our Career Services team.

Having experienced NCC as the father of one of our graduates, Raphael had the unique experience of working with NCC in a business capacity, as the military Liaison for Grand Canyon University, and experiencing the education side as a parent. He now looks to use his skills to mentor our next generation of graduates.

At the weekends, Raphael can be found indulging in his two passions of reading and studying click funnels.
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Ciara Cowlishaw

Administrative Liaison I

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Originally from a town on the small island of Guam, Ciara has lived a globe-trotting life thanks to her parents serving in the airforce. Having lived everywhere from Japan to Germany, Ciara eventually settled in Las Vegas where she graduated from Legacy High School in North Las Vegas and is currently enrolled in UNLV, studying for a degree in Healthcare Administration.

Passionate about helping those around her, Ciara loves working in our front office for a company that is very family-oriented. From the moment she walked in for her first interview, she felt welcomed and like she was meant to be here.

In her spare time, Ciara can be found spending most of her time with her daughter, reading, cooking, or heading to California to spend time with the rest of her family.
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Kryston Latta, A.S.

Administrative Liaison I

A.S. College Of Southern Nevada

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Having graduated from Eldorado High School in 2007 and Community College of Southern Nevada in 2008 with an Associates Degree, Kryston joined our team as an Administrative Liaison.

Motivated by helping others succeed, Kryston is fulfilled by providing our students with a life-changing experience that gives them so many open doors to choose from.

Part of what Kryston loves about working at NCC is the people and the atmosphere! Not only is everyone passionate about student success but also about peer success.

In her spare time, Kryston can be found swimming, hiking, playing video games, and riding dirt bikes from time to time.
Career Services Department
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Tina Spencer, B.A.

Director Of Careers Services

B.A. University of Las Vegas Nevada

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Tina is a New Yorker that grew up in Las Vegas. Having lived in Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Washington D.C and California, she now calls Las Vegas her home again. Tina graduated High School as a Presidential Scholar and continued pursuing her education at The University of Nevada, Reno, The University California, San Diego and ultimately graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. After a varied career in marketing, sales and political consulting she wanted to find a way to make a difference, which is why she became a part of the team at Northwest. Tina joined Northwest Career College in October 2017 as a Career Services Advisor and has fallen in love with being a part of the Northwest family. When she is not helping the students prove that anything is possible, she enjoys reading, rock concerts, and yoga. Tina is focused on helping other succeed and proving that any challenge is just simply an opportunity for growth.
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Jenette Ashcraft, N.C.M.A.

Externship Manager

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Jenette has worked in the field of medicine since she got her first job as a receptionist and filing clerk for a neurologist’s office at the tender age of fifteen. After falling in love with medicine, Jenette graduated from National Education Center in the early 1990’s and went on to pursue a career in medical assisting that has seen her work in a huge range of capacities, from front desk receptionist through back office assistant to billing and utilization manager. A certified medical assistant and holder of a multitude of sub certifications, Jenette’s varied experience of in hospitals, labs, dialysis clinics, urgent care units, and doctor’s offices in over twenty specialties led to her being recruited by Northwest Career College to work in first the Phlebotomy department and then the Medical Assisting department. Jenette’s passion for medicine saw her ultimately assume the position of Allied Health Department Director, where she oversees the education of future generations of medical assistants.
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Lois Westover

Career Services Senior Advisor

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Born and raised in Southern California, Lois moved to Las Vegas in 1994. After spending most of her career in corporate banking and as a bodily injury insurance claims adjuster, Lois moved on to managing a family owned and operated massage therapy clinic for nine years and now passes on her wealth of experience to our NCC students. Lois loves being part of the family environment of Northwest Career College and assisting our graduates in pursuing their dream careers. She spends her spare time enjoying the company of her family.
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Cynthia Lofquist, R.D.A.

Career Services In-School Advisor II

R.M.A. Concorde Career Institute

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As our Dental Assisting Program Chair, Cynthia makes it her mission to keep up with the latest technology and advances in the field of dental assisting, so as to make our Dental Assisting Program always on the cutting-edge. Originally from Chicago, Cynthia grew up San Pedro, California before moving to Las Vegas, in 2006. Having graduated from the Concorde Career Institute in 1998, Cynthia spent nearly twenty years in the dental field before starting at Northwest Career College as a Dental Assisting Instructor. She now uses that vast range of experience, coupled with her love of teaching, to provide our students with the best education possible.
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Stephanie Nally, B.S.

Career Services Advisor II

B.S. University of Delaware

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Stephanie graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science in Human Services and a minor in Fine Arts and is currently working on her Master of Social Work degree online through Boston University.

Stephanie is embarking on a new career setting here at Northwest, but she is excited to be a part of our passionate friendly culture and working with staff who share her passion for helping others. Stephanie believes strongly in the power that comes from being a compassionate listener and a source of emotional support.

On the weekends, Stephanie can be found creating in any form, whether it be painting, photography, sketching, or cooking, hiking, practicing photography, going to Golden Knights games, or spending time with her boyfriend and their two rescue cats.
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Pauline Nguyen, B.S.

Career Services Advisor I

B.S. University of Nevada, Reno

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Born in Stockton, CA, Pauline moved to Las Vegas with her parents. A first-generation Vietnamese-American, Pauline worked hard to put herself through Southwest Career and Technical Academy, going on to attend the University of Nevada Reno and graduating with a B.S in Business Administration.

For Pauline, the best thing about working at Northwest Career College is knowing that, as part of our Career Services Team, she is making a difference in the lives of others.

A big foodie, Pauline can often be found spending her free time eating at different Asian restaurants. She also enjoys buying and looking after her plants and hanging out with her PomChi, Beast.
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Paula Lichardi

Graduate Advisor I

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Paula grew up in Niagara Falls, NY, and lived in California before moving to Vegas after falling in love with the city during a trip to visit friends. Having graduated from Bloomington High School in Southern California, Paula attended United Health Career College’s Dental Assisting program to qualify as a Dental Assistant.

Now a member of our committed Career Services team, Paula love that her job entails helping others gain confidence in themselves and to strive to do their best.

For Paula, the best thing about working at NCC is the family atmosphere. Everyone has the same goal, giving students the opportunity to change their life.

In her spare time, Paula can be found cooking, camping, hiking and driving to California on the weekends.
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Jason Ong, B.S.

Graduate Advisor I

B.S. University of Arizona

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Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jason is a member of our dedicated Career Services team. Having graduated from Bishop Gorman High School, Jason studied Microbiology / Minor Chemistry at the University of Arizona before joining us at NCC.

A dedicated, adaptive, problem-solving individual who enjoys tackling new challenges, Jason loves that his work environment is filled with friendly and welcoming people.

In his spare time, Jason is an active member of a nonprofit service organization called Las Vegas Young Professionals (LVYP) of Kiwanis, which is dedicated to servicing the children of the world, networking within the community, and creating new opportunities to empower others.

He also enjoys playing with his Shiba Inu, video games, and tabletop board games.
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Nadine Bryant, A.A.S.

Administrative Liaison II

A.A.S. College of Southern Nevada

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Nadine moved to Las Vegas from Roanoke Virginia in 2005 and graduated with high honors from the College of Southern Nevada in 2017, receiving an Associate’s Degree in Business Management.

In her spare time, Nadine likes to spend time with her Vegas and East-coast family. She is an avid gamer, but still finds the time to enjoy Nevada’s scenery by heading out hiking, rock climbing, and fishing.
Compliance Department
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Dr. Thomas Kenny

Chief Compliance Officer
Dental Assistant Program Co-Chair

D.M.D. University of Nevada Las Vegas, Dentistry
B.A. University of Southern California, Biology

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Dr. Thomas Kenny was born in Chicago, raised in Las Vegas, but considers Northwest Career College his true home. He has been working at NCC for as long as he can remember. He started by moving and building furniture on the weekends and has served in a variety of roles throughout the years. He is now the Director of Regulatory Affairs, overseeing the licensure and accreditation processes for NCC, as well as the Dental Assisting Program Director. Dr. Thomas began his service as an ABHES Commissioner in July 2017 and looks forward to the opportunity to help shape the future of the education industry as a whole.
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Ashley Lee, M.S.

Senior Compliance Coordinator

M.S. Illinois State University

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Having grown up in Southern California, Ashley moved to Las Vegas to attend the University of Nevada. Having graduated with her B.A, Ashley went on to get her Masters in developmental psychology at Illinois State University, with a focus on adolescent development and their ability to adopt gender norms from different media sources.

AS part of the NCC tea, Ashley enjoys working hard with the rest of the staff to ensure that our students achieve their goals in their academic careers and find their ideal future workplace.

When not at work, Ashley can most often be found working out in a Trufusion workout class or socializing by having friends over for dinner.
Education Department
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Dr. Stephanie Kenny

Chief Academic Officer
Dean of Students

D.O. Touro University
B.A. University of Southern California, Biology

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Stephanie Kenny grew up in Las Vegas and played soccer and softball for the Meadows School in Summerlin. She began working at Northwest at the age of 13 doing everything from cleaning to copying. After graduating high school, Stephanie headed to the University of Southern California to study biology. Upon graduation, Stephanie began pursuing her Medical Career and graduated from Touro University in 2016. Additionally, she accepted the position as the Chief Finance Officer of Northwest Career College where she works side by side with her family.
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Barbara Alcaraz, M.A., L.M.T.

Vice President of Program Management

M. A. Organizational Management, University of Phoenix

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Barbara, originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, has lived in Las Vegas for the past twenty-two years. The recipient of a B.A. degree in American Studies from the University of Minnesota, and an M.A. degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, she also graduated from the Massage Therapy Program at here at Northwest. Barbara has a wide breadth of experience, having worked at the St. Paul Police Department, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and even as a Chiropractic Assistant for Dr. Kenny himself.

As our Massage Therapy Program Chair here at Northwest Career College, Barbara believes in a holistic approach to healthcare, and that the human touch is critical to every person’s wellbeing. Because receiving massage on a regular basis is mentally and physically rewarding, she thoroughly encourages every NCC employee to take advantage of their free monthly massage in the student clinic.
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Mark Brunton, M.S.Ed., CPhT

Director Of Education

B.S., M.S. Kaplan University

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Mark brings a wealth of pharmacy technician experience to share with the students at Northwest, having served in the field for ten years as a Pharmacy Technician and for twelve years as a Technician Educator.

A graduate of Kaplan University, with a BA in Organizational Communications and MS in Higher Education Administration and Leadership. Mark has worked as a surveyor for ASHP’s Technician Accreditation Program, as well as an item writer for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. He is also a member of the Technician Advisory Committee to the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy.

Passionate about producing competent and confident pharmacy technicians through proper training, Mark enjoys working for a college whose culture emphasizes a desire to provide the best pharmacy training in Las Vegas. Not content with training pharmacy students all week, Mark can often be found teaching swing dancing at the weekend.
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Rebecca Hill, M.P.H.

Executive Assistant to the Chief Academic Officer

M.P.H., University of New England

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A lifelong native of Las Vegas, Becky has only just started to appreciate all that this fantastic city has to offer. Born just outside Seattle, Washington, Becky moved Las Vegas via Albuquerque, New Mexico and completed her Undergraduate Degree at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas before moving on to complete her Master's Degree at the University of New England In her spare time, Becky’s world revolves around my boxer, Murphie, watching videos of recipes and crafts that she struggles to find the time to make, and learning to stick to a new interest for more than three months at a time, although she will be the first to admit that’s still a work in progress. Becky's favorite part of working for NCC is that it’s hard to have a bad day working at Northwest because everyone is pulling in the same direction, striving to ensure the students are supported from start to finish and beyond.
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Bailee Whitmore, R.D.A.

Online Education Coordinator

R.D.A. Northwest Health Careers

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An alumnae of Northwest Career College, Bailee graduated with her RDA in 2014. With a career in dental assisting at Affordable ll and office management with the Dollar Loan Center to draw on, she came back to Northwest to become our Dental Assisting Administrative Liaison. A passionate outdoors person spends the majority of her weekends getting lost somewhere in the mountains with her friends.
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Brianna Berkman, R.M.A., R.P.T.

Administrative Liaison II

R.M.A., R.P.T. Northwest Career College

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Bri was born in Florida but raised as a Las Vegas local. After attending Arbor View High School, she then attended Northwest Career College and passed our course with flying colors, qualifying as a medical assistant and specializing in endocrinology.

While she was a student, Bri loved the fact that her instructors made the place feel like home and she couldn’t wait to come to class every day. Now, she’s the one making Northwest a welcoming and community-oriented place to study for a future career.

On the weekends, Bri indulges her passion for dance. She’s been dancing since she was five years old and sees no reason to stop any time soon.
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Krystal Crescenzi, B.S.

Administrative Liaison I

B.S., University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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Born and raised in Nevada, Krystal graduated from Palo Verde High School before moving on to study at CSN for her Associates of Business degree and her Associates of Applied Science in Business Management/ Human Resources Management degree. She has also received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Entrepreneurship from UNLV.

Krystal’s professional passions include creating better processes to allow companies can function more efficiently. This passion for streamlining was part of why she chose business for a degree, because she knew she would use it no matter what career she had in life.

For Krystal, the best thing about working for NCC is that it is a company she can build a career with, not just another job.

In her spare time, Krystal can be found crafting hair bows, canvases, and more with her Cricut machine and watching movies with her husband.
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David Bolshazy, C.C.M.A, EMT-I

Academic Success Coordinator

C.C.M.A. Pima Medical, AZ

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Having started his medical career as an X-ray Specialist while in the U.S. Army, David left the military and became an EMT in Las Vegas. Transitioning to Orthopaedics for the next 17 years, David eventually ended up working as an EEG Technician in Neurology for 2 years.

It was during his time in Neurology that David joined the team here at Northwest, coming to work with us in 2019 as one of our Medical Assisting Instructors.

Passionate about medicine in all its forms David loves to share his 30 years of clinical experience with our students. David continues to advance his knowledge of the medical field whenever he can and plans to study for his Bachelors in Radiographic Technology in 2020

At the weekends, David loves to spend time with his family and can most often be found teaching them how to tie their own flies for fly fishing.
Employee Services Department
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Patricia Russ, B.A.

Employee Services Coordinator

B.A. Angelo State University

Read Bio
Trish, as she prefers to be called, has had the pleasure of working all over the world, mostly within the nonprofit and higher education sectors. A military spouse and mother of two, Trish has become something of a “jack-of-all-trades,” picking up skills from around the world and then bringing them home to NCC.

A part of our committed Employee Services Team, Trish spends her time building relationships, collaborations, job descriptions, and training tools. She loves being part of an organization that is growing exponentially and yet still maintains the “at-home” feeling so she can truly be herself.

At the weekends, Trish likes to stay active, and can most often be found with her family going to the gym, hiking around Las Vegas or practicing her home improvement skills on her new property.
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Justin Cooper

Administrative Liaison I

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Originally from Nuremberg in Germany, Justin has spent most of his time in the US living in Colorado. Justin graduated from Overland High School and went on to a vocational trade school in Clearfield Utah called Clearfield Job Corp.

Justin is proud to have served as an Airborne Paratrooper/Mechanic and now takes the lessons he learned during his time in the military and applies them to his personal passion of being a great role model to his kids and significant other.

At work, Justin believes that the best part about working at NCC is the atmosphere. The positivity on show really drives him to succeed and apply his best effort in any task he is given. Justin strongly believes that, with a team like NCC, success is easily possible.

In his spare time, Justin loves football, hiking and working out, in fact, anything that is physical and keeps his mind working. On the weekends he also enjoys spending time with his family and gaining new experiences with them, whatever they may be.
Facilities Department
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Francisco Reyes

Facilities Manager

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Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Francisco moved to New York when he was 16, living there for around 17 years before moving to Nevada.

A committed member of our Facilities Department, Francisco sees his time here at NCC as a new beginning in his life and is full of enthusiasm for his new post. He enjoys working with this around him in an mutually supportive atmosphere.

At the weekend, Francisco can be found spending time with his family and friends.
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Arthur Estrada

Senior Facilities Operator

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Originally born in Mexico, Arthur grew up in sunny California before moving to Las Vegas at the age of seventeen. He soon fell in love with the city and has been a Vegas native ever since.

A huge sports fan and lover of music, Arthur would one day like to become a professional drummer. Until that time, he enjoys working at Northwest Career College because being part of the family here offers him the chance to learn a range of new and exciting skills.
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Eva Gonzalez Blas

Senior Facilities Operator

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Eva Hailing originally from Puerta Vallarta, Eva was recruited by Northwest Career College to work in the Facilities department. She has been helping to maintain the campus for several years now. She brings her energy and enthusiasm to the position while keeping many instructors, lab instructors and administrators happy with her efforts.
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Tony Gonzalez

Facilities Operator II

Read Bio
Originally born in Mexico, Arthur grew up in sunny California before moving to Las Vegas at the age of seventeen. He soon fell in love with the city and has been a Vegas native ever since. A huge sports fan and lover of music, Arthur would one day like to become a professional drummer. Until that time, he enjoys working at Northwest Career College because being part of the family here offers him the chance to learn a range of new and exciting skills.
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Jamie Cantero

Facilities Operator I

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Having taken a leap of faith and moved to Las Vegas from Riverside CA, Jamie is now a member of our facilities team. A graduate of Quartz Hill high school, Jamie has a passion for animals and meeting new people.

Having joined the team here at NCC, Jamie enjoys the clear passion for our future generation, and the drive to ensure their success, that pervades the culture here at Northwest.

At the weekend, Jamie can be found spending time with her children and experiencing everything she can with them.
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Ashley Martinez

Facilities Operator I

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Originally from North Hollywood, CA, Ashley moved out to Las Vegas when she was just 18 in order to expand her horizons. Ashley’s personal passion has always been art and, as a former art assistant for an art teacher, she also enjoys helping students get in touch with their creative side.

For Ashley, the best part of working at Northwest is the energy and the passion of the people around her and knowing that every day is a new goal and there is an achievement available at the end of that day.

In her free time, Ashley loves to spend time with her friends and family and indulge in her passion for art.
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Valerie Valenzuela

Facilities Operator I

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Originally from Los Angeles, California, Valerie moved to Las Vegas to lend a hand to her family when her grandson was born.

A graduate of Wilson High School in Los Angeles, Valerie now works as a dedicated part of our Facilities department and enjoys working at Northwest because of our great atmosphere and our emphasis on building a family dynamic with our staff and students.

Valerie is a consummate professional who takes pride in her work and likes to make sure her tasks are done to the best of her abilities.

In her free time, Valerie can be found playing words with friends on her phone, traveling to California, meeting up with friends and family or indulging in her love of jigsaw puzzles.
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Jose Navarro

Construction Manager

Read Bio
Finance Department
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Michael Kenny, B.S.

Chief Financial Officer

B.S., University of Nevada Las Vegas

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Michael Kenny grew up in Las Vegas and played football and wrestled for the Meadows School in Summerlin. He began working at Northwest at the age of 13 doing everything from cleaning to copying. After graduating high school, Michael headed to the University of San Diego to study accounting. After two years, Michael transferred to UNLV where he completed his accounting and finance degrees while continuing to work for Northwest Career College as the Director of Finance where he works side by side with his family every day.
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Amelia LeFevre, M.P.Adm.

Director Of Finance

M.P.Adm. Southern Utah University

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Having attended Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah, where she completed a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Criminal Justice, Amelia went on to gain a Master’s of Science Degree in Public Administration.

After being adopted from India when she was just four months old, Amelia grew up in Southern Utah where her parents owned and operated a cattle ranch. After meeting her husband she decided to relocate to Las Vegas and refer to herself as a “small town girl, living in the big city.”

Amelia spends her work days relishing the fact that she can have a positive impact on people’s lives and her weekends chasing around her daughter and three puppies.

Amelia loves the fact that her position here at Northwest allows her to help change student’s lives for the better, how her values match those of the organization and the “family feeling” built into NCC by the Kenny family.
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Aileen Sawyer, B.A.

Accounts Payable Coordinator

B.A. San Francisco State University

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Aileen moved to Las Vegas from Northern California and grew up in the suburban part of the San Francisco, known as the Bay Area.

Having gained a B.A. in Liberal Studies with a concentration on English Literature from San Francisco State University, Aileen moved on to a twenty-year-long career in accounting.

Having made the move to Las Vegas in 2006, Aileen was looking for a new start and found it here as part of the Northwest Career College family. Aileen firmly believes in higher education and the betterment of individuals.

In her spare time, Aileen can be found splitting her time between spending time outdoors hiking the various trails at Red Rock, indulging in her love of Klay Thompson, The Warriors, and basketball in general, and learning to play the piano to emulate her all-time favorite artist, Alicia Keys.
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Kheira Rebial, B.S.

Executive Assistant

B.S. IUT D'Aix En Provence

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Originally born in North Africa and raised in France, Kheira came all the way to Nevada in 2014 and decided to stay when she met her husband while he was serving in the Army as an EMT.

Having studied accounting and finance, paralegal studies, psychology, and sociology in human behavior at university, Kheira achieved her Bachelor’s Degree in accounting in 2013.

Kheira’s professional passions are to learn and grow with the company she works for. Kheira loves helping people to get better especially new graduates or students and especially if they are struggling academically. She will go out of her way to help them to make connections in the subject they are struggling with.

For Kheria, The best thing about working with Northwest career college is family-oriented the workplace, the positivity and, most importantly, how much NCC family cares about the students

Animals are Kheira’s personal passion. She has three dogs and volunteers at animal shelters on the weekends. In her spare time, she enjoys morning walks with her dogs, hikes on the weekends, and sharing precious time with her husband and daughter.
Financial Aid Department
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Michael Kenny, B.S.

Chief Financial Officer

B.S., University of Nevada Las Vegas

Read Bio
Michael Kenny grew up in Las Vegas and played football and wrestled for the Meadows School in Summerlin. He began working at Northwest at the age of 13 doing everything from cleaning to copying. After graduating high school, Michael headed to the University of San Diego to study accounting. After two years, Michael transferred to UNLV where he completed his accounting and finance degrees while continuing to work for Northwest Career College as the Director of Finance where he works side by side with his family every day.
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Guillermo Balderas, B.S.

Senior Financial Aid Officer

B.S. Brigham Young

Read Bio
Taking his parents advice to “invest in himself”, Bill earned himself a Business Management degree from Brigham Young University and considers himself a living example of how an education can be a life changing and sometimes even a lifesaving opportunity. Bill is now a Financial Aid Officer. In that role, he is able to pass on the life lessons he has learned to our students while helping them find their own path to education.
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Donella Stanard

Senior Financial Aid Officer

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Bringing twenty years of experience in the Financial Aid arena to he role as as a Assistant Director of Financial Aid, Donella joined Northwest Career College in May, 2017. Originally a “Jersey Girl”, born and raised in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Donella moved out west in May 2017 to continue her career with NCC.
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Kerri Swallia, M.B.A.

Financial Aid Manager

M.B.A. Southern New Hampshire University

Read Bio
A passionate advocate of human and animal rights, Kerri likes to make the most of every day, learning new skills, taking in new information and spreading positive energy. For Kerri, the best thing about working for NCC is the family environment that both the students and staff help to build. In her spare time, Kerri likes to watch Netflix with her family or head out to the beach to enjoy the sun.
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Diane Barrett, B.A.

Financial Aid Officer I

B.A. Univeristy of Akron

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Having graduated from the University of Akron with an Undergraduate Degree in Mass Media Communication, Diane, a first-generation college graduate, has channeled her passion for higher education into about assisting others in attaining their higher education goals. At work, she can most often be found keeping up to date with the changes in Federal Financial Aid regulations, so as to be of better assistance to our students. At the weekend, she is most likely to be found at a concert, indulging in her love of live music.
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Jonathan Hill, A.S.

Financial Aid Officer I

A.S. Salt Lake Community College

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Originally from Salt Lake City, Jonathan’s wife is from Las Vegas and they moved out here to be closer to her family. Jonathan went to high school at West Jordan High in West Jordan, Utah and then went to Salt Lake Community College where he received his Associate’s Degree.

Jonathan loves working with people and helping them reach goals and achievements, so, for him, the best thing about working with as a member of the Financial Aid team here at NCC is the chance to work with, and help, our students.

In this spare time, you can find Jonathan indulging in his passion for sports and the outdoor, doing projects around the house, and, his favorite thing to do, playing with his children.
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Craig Jackson, B.S.

Financial Aid Officer I

B.S. DeVry Institute

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Originally from Detroit, MI, Craig has lived in Vegas for the last five years. A graduate of St. Martin Deporres High School, and DeVry University with a Bachelor’s Of Science, Craig now works as part of our Financial Aid team and is always looking for ways to learn and develop his skills as a person.

For Craig, the best thing about working here is being part of the NCC family and working with some amazing people.

In his spare time, Craig enjoys traveling the world working on his bucket list and is a passionate and committed baseball coach.
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Tim Thompson

Financial Aid Officer I

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Born in Cadillac, Michigan, Time grew up in Washington state and moved to Las Vegas in 2007. His main impetus for moving was to be in a warm climate, Tim was ready to be away from cold weather.

Having gone to high school in Kennewick WA, Tim studied Computer Science at Columbia Basin Community College and has spent most of his career in call centers specializing in customer service and various areas of employment such as people management, data analytics, and staffing.

A member of our dedicated Financial Aid department, Tim loves the fact that we provide actual training before new starters start work here. In the past several years, all positions Tim has been in have been a “learn as you go” environment in which leaves you wondering if you are doing things right.

On the weekends, Tim loves to travel, enjoys doing yard work, and indulges in his passion for DIY projects.
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Sierra Barnhart, C.N.A.

Administrative Liaison II

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Sierra grew up in Colorado, where she went to high school and college, then spent two years living in Utah before she moved to Las Vegas and joined Northwest as our Financial Aid Administrative Liaison.

As a person that loves helping people in all areas of life, the thing that Sierra enjoys most about working at NCC is having a work family and being able to help other people achieve their dreams.

In her spare time, Sierra enjoys spending time with her family.
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Ash Contreras Hernandez, A.A.S.

Administrative Liaison I

A.A.S. Northwest Career College

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Another Northwest Career College alumnae, Ashley earned her Associates Degree on Applied Science of Criminal Justice with us and now puts it to use as a member of our campus security team.

Ashley loves working as part of such a strong and supportive team and being able to help young people find the right path in life. For Ashley, the best part about working for Northwest is the staff, who she thinks are among the nicest people you can meet.

In her spare time, Ashley is passionate about art and her hobbies consist of videogames, drawing, painting, creative writing, reading, and watching new shows.
Front Office
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Samantha Glover, B.A.

Director Of Front Office

B.A. University of Nevada Las Vegas

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Sam is a Las Vegas native, born and raised. Having worked in hospitality and sales management and, moved to Washington State and Hawaii to follow her husband as he served in the U.S Army, Sam is now back in Las Vegas and a part of our Front Office team.

Sam’s professional passion is finding a career that will focus on her communication and marketing abilities that she accumulated through her customer service background. For Sam, the best part about working for Northwest Career College is the camaraderie of all the faculty and staff. She loves the fact that you truly feel like apart of a family that wants you to succeed in all that you do.

In her free time, Sam passionate about her family, friends, and making connections with people that will make a positive impact on her life. Her hobbies include spending time with family, traveling with her husband and two dogs and finding new books to read.
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Maria Allen

Front Office Manager

City College Of San Francisco

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A veteran employee of Northwest Career College, Maria first joined NCC in 2006 to take up the position of Front Office Manager. A native of the Golden Gate City of San Francisco, Maria attended City College there and began her career telecommunications before moving to Las Vegas to implement her telecommunication skills in the medical and gaming industry. Maria has met every student, employee and visitor to Northwest over the last 12 years, greeting each of them with a warm smile and a kind, "Can I help you?"
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Emily Biles, B.A.

Administrative Liaison II

B.A. University of Hawaii at Manoa

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Emily recently moved to Nevada from Southern California with her best friend and was originally from a small town in Ventura County called Simi Valley. Having graduated high school at Simi Valley High, Emily attended Moorpark College for her GED and completed her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Professionally, Emily is passionate about helping students succeed and reach their full potential. Personally, she is passionate about helping her community, specifically youth development. For Emily, the best thing about working at Northwest Career College is the family environment. Everyone seems truly happy to be working here and they always have a smile.

A self-proclaimed dog lover, college graduate, and hot sauce connoisseur, Emily spends her weekend spending time with friends, playing with her dog and exploring her new city. She also loves to camp and be outdoors.
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Bridget Zambrano

Administrative Liaison II

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Bridget is currently studying Business at the College of Southern Nevada and is hoping to transfer to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to gain an Undergraduate degree. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Bridget is passionate about making sure that everyone who walks into Northwest feels as welcome as she did when she first joined the NCC family. In her spare time, Bridget enjoys the outdoors and can often be found out at Mount Charleston or Red Rook, hiking and walking her dogs.
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Angelica Baltodano

Administrative Liaison I

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Originally from San Francisco, Angelica moved to Nevada to attend college. She studied at Pima Medical Institute for Dental Assisting and is currently studying at the University of Phoenix for her BA in Business.

Part of our Administrative Liaison team, Angelica’s professional passion is helping others by teaching them skills that she has acquired through the years. For Angelica, the best part of working for Northwest Career College is that she has a chance to make a difference in the lives of others as well as moving forward in her own life.

In her spare time, Angelica loves learning how to cook new things, seeing her family, spending time in the mountains with her dogs, and her personal passion, singing.
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Angela Buehler

Administrative Liaison I

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Originally from a small town called Pueblo in Colorado, Angela moved to Vegas around five years ago and hasn’t looked back since. Having graduated from centennial High School, home of the Bulldogs, Angela worked in retail for 12 years before joining us here as one of our Administrative Liaisons.

Angela is committed to making those around her happy and her favorite thing since I joining Northwest Career College is how everyone is so friendly and the extra effort they put in to make her feel like she is part of the family.

At the weekends, Angela loves to spend time outdoors, mostly fishing or spending family time with her five children.
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Hailey Burbridge, B.A.

Administrative Liaison I

B.A. Purdue University, West Lafayette

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Originally from Hobart, IN, Hailey graduated from both Hobart High School and Purdue University with a BA in Public Relations and Strategic Communication.

After graduation, Hailey decided to move out west and settled in Nevada. Now a member of our dedicated Front Office staff, Hailey is passionate about making a difference in the lives of others, both professionally and personally.

For Hailey, the best thing about working here is being able to truly make a difference in somebody’s life for the better, as setting our students up for success is such a crucial role in changing their lives and creating a better future.

At the weekends, Hailey can be found watching sitcoms, cooking, hiking with her dog Xena or hanging out with friends by the pool.
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Erica Carlos, M. Psych

Administrative Liaison I

M Psych Capella University

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Originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, Erica graduated from Moanalua High School and continued her education at the University of Hawaii in West O’ahu, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences with a concentration in Psychology. Erica is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Educational Psychology with Capella University.

Professionally, Erica’s passion is seeing others succeed. She enjoys talking to colleagues and friends about their desires and goals and what steps they’re taking to achieve them, which makes her the perfect fit for her position in our front office.

For Erica, the best thing about working at NCC is the camaraderie. Since her very first interview, she has felt so overwhelmingly welcomed.

In her spare time, Erica enjoys dining out with friends and doing a little bit of retail therapy. She’s also a professional binge-watcher and her favorite T.V. show is FRIENDS!
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Aubrey Flanegin

Administrative Liaison I

Read Bio
As one of our Administrative Liaisons, Aubrey enjoys the feeling of family that comes with joining the Northwest team and firmly believes that unity and camaraderie is the best part of working here.

Born in Virginia, Aubrey graduated with a diploma from Digital Arts and Technology Academy in Albuquerque and now finds her passion in customer service and thrives off making people happy and helping everyone succeed in any way she can.

In her spare time, Aubrey can be found exploring the countryside, as she loves any kind of outdoor activity, or spending time with her family and their pup.
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Madelin Hernandez

Administrative Liaison I

Read Bio
Born in San Diego, California, Madelin moved with her family to Las Vegas when she was just two years old.

A member of our dedicated front office team, Madelin’s professional passion is helping others succeed and to always be there for others. For Madelin, the best part about working for NCC is becoming apart of the NCC family and working with amazing people.

Madelin is a huge fan of scary movies and when she’s not watching one, she can most often be found playing softball and painting. She is the proud owner of two dogs, one chihuahua and a Maltese and spends her weekends walking them in the park.
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Ciera Nelson, A.A.

Administrative Liaison I

A.A. Los Medanos College

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Born in Texas and raised in California, Cierra graduated from Deer Valley High School before attending the Los Medanos College. Cierra’s personal passion would have to be acting and during high school, she attended a performing arts school called DELTA academy.

Now a member of our front desk administrative liaison team, Cierra’s professional passion in math, although she hasn’t quite figured out exactly what she wants to do with math. For Cierra, the best thing about working for NCC is the faculty, as everyone is really welcoming and helpful.

At the weekends, you can find Cierra taking part in her hobbies, such as improv, bowling, and listening to music.
Operations
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Patrick Kenny, B.A.

Chief Operating Officer

B.A. University of San Diego, Psychology

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Patrick Kenny is one of the founding members of the Northwest family and has served as the Chief Operating Officer since June of 2013. Patrick graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from the University of San Diego and has an extensive background in operations, project management, team building, and student development. As a member of the Kenny family, Patrick has been serving in one role or another at the college for most of his life.
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Jilian Lopez, B.A.

Vice President Of Student Relations

B.A. Northwestern University

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Jilian graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and is currently our Director of Career Services. A member of the NCC family since 2013, Jilian has always been passionate about civic engagement, community relations, connecting people, and empowering others to fight for their potential. She is focused on building a positive and encouraging environment, seeking out a strong network of wonderful employer partners, helping students realize there is a perfect job out there for them, and recruiting the best Career Services team on earth.
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Leslie Tran, B.A.

Vice President of Operations

B. A. University of Nevada Las Vegas

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A native of Las Vegas, Leslie graduated from UNLV with a B.S. in Psychology before going on to hold positions that give her a background in administration, operations, gaming/hospitality, and project management. Passionate about giving back to the Las Vegas community, Leslie joined Northwest Career College in 2017 as the Executive Assistant to the COO.
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Sophia Palomino, B.S.

Executive Assistant II

B.S. Westwood College

Read Bio
Originally from Huntington Beach in California, Sophia finished high school there before attending Westwood College in Anaheim to earn her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Along with her husband and two children, Sophia moved from San Diego to Las Vegas in 2016 and joined the Northwest family as part of our operations department.

For Sophia, the best part of the job is the opportunity to emotionally connect with students and she does her best to be a counselor, a friend, cheerleader, and safe place. She finds that being surrounded by like-minded people here at NCC makes being there for the students that much easier

On the weekends, Sophia can most often be found indulging her passion for the outdoors, enjoying sunset surf sessions, camping under the stars, a good fishing trip or a long ride down a snowy valley. She likes to cap those outdoor adventures off with her some of her favorite food, eggplant parmesan, blueberry cream cheese over French toast, cream puffs or caprese pasta.
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Pablo Chacon, B.A.

Director Of Project Management

B.A. Marroquin University, Guatemala

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Pablo grew up in Guatemala before emigrating to the United States when he was 20 years old. After spending some time living and working in San Diego and Pittsburgh, he moved to Las Vegas and has been working with Northwest Career College since April 2017. After a varied career in marketing for an insurance company, career services for a law school and as an executive assistant to the owner of a behavioral health company, Pablo signed on with NCC as an administrative liaison and is now our Director of Technology.
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Kayla Nix, M.S.

Operations Manager

M.S. Grand Canyon University

Read Bio
Having moved to Las Vegas on a whim in 2018, Keyla joined the Northwest family as a member of our front office team. Having graduated from Pueblo West High School, Keyla gained her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice at Chaminade University of Honolulu, before moving on to Grand Canyon University, where she received her Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology.

Part of the reason the Kayla came to join us here at Northwest is her passion for helping people and Keyla considers herself to an empathetic individual who always has an open ear for those who need to be heard. She enjoys working at Northwest because of the open and friendly atmosphere.

On the weekends, Keyla can be found exploring Las Vegas with her boyfriend, Fernando, and attending Church services on Sunday.
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Daphne Neal

Operations Coordinator II

Read Bio
A second generation Vegas native, Daphne's primary goal in life is to make a difference in other people’s lives as a strong leader. For Daphne, the best thing about working at Northwest Career College is that you're part of a new family, where everyone pulls together to help you succeed, provides you with support when you need it, and comfort you if you don't quite reach your goals. In her personal life, Daphne likes to spend as much time as possible with her friends and family, including her fur child, Bently. She also enjoyed playing video games on PS4, cooking, hiking, and forcing her friends and family to play the board games she loves.
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James Bernardo, A.S

Videographer II

A.S. College of Southern Nevada

Read Bio
Originally from the Philippines James came to the USA after joining the U.S. Navy. During his service he was posted all over the world, living in South Korea, Japan, and Italy before moving to California and, finally, Nevada.

With an MBA in Business Administration through Touro University International’s online Master’s Program, James joined the Northwest family as a member of our marketing department. One of the things James loves about working here is being able to collaborate with a lot of talented and passionate people to do meaningful work in education and pursuing NCC’s strategic goals.

A keen photographer, with an Associate’s degree in Commercial Photography, James spends his spare time with his family while trying to keep up on technology and new trends in video and photo production by watching online tutorials and videos and reading articles and blogs.
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Adam Malkowski, A.A.S.

Videographer I

A.A.S. South Suburban College

Read Bio
Adam grew up on the far South East side of Chicago, from a neighborhood known as The East Side. Adam attended Bishop Noll Institute for High school and the Environmental Technical Institute to study HVAC repair before moving on to the South Suburban College where he discovered his love of film and cameras.

Now a member of our marketing and videography department, Adam enjoys indulging his passion for making short films on our behalf.

In his free time, Adam’s personal passion is to make people laugh and he spends most of his weekends either watching films or getting out and about, shooting videos or photos for fun.
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Estefania Martinez

Administrative Liaison II

Read Bio
Estefania, who much prefers to be called Stefy, moved to Nevada at the age of four and has dedicated her professional life to acquiring the tools and knowledge needed to make a life-changing impact on other people.

For Stefy, the best thing about working at NCC is the family atmosphere. The NCC staff strive to make both employees and students feel at home, and Stefy loves seeing how NCC comes together as a family to change every student's life.

At the weekend, Stefy, who considers herself a "movie critic," likes to watch one of her long list of favorite films, cook, listen to music or just cruise around Las Vegas with her friends.
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Helena Marsian-Bolduc

Administrative Liaison I

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Originally from Tampa, Helena left Palo Verde High School in 2013 and attended UCLA to study Acting and film from 2015-2017. Having graduated, Helena came to join us here at Northwest as a Front Office Administrative Liaison while also declaring multiple majors at CSN and continuing her studies into the arts and forensic anthropology.

Deeply inspired by composer Danny Elfman, director Tim Burton, and the character Temperance Brennan from the TV show Bones, Helena's aspiration is to turn her passions for film and anthropology into a future career.

At the weekend, she can most often be found hiking, camping, going running, and playing frisbee at the park with friends, when she's not listening to Nat King Cole on her record player that is.
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Scott Mendel , A.S

Administrative Liaison I

A.S. Community College of The Air Force

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A native of Las Vegas, having grown up on the other side of the mountain in Pahrump, Scott went to Pahrump Valley High School after which he joined the United States Air Force and was enrolled with the Community College of the Air Force.

After spending six years on active duty with the Air Force where he was a munitions systems technician, Scott moved into construction management before joining us here at NCC.

Professionally, Scott loves to work with people and lead teams and, as a member of our Operations Team, he is able to make a difference in the lives of others.

At the weekend, Scott can be found going on adventures with his wife or indulging his love of PC gaming and all things superhero related.
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Jeffrey Simkins

Administrative Liaison I

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Jeffrey’s first job at the tender age of 16 was working for Northwest Career College, having worked with our founder Dr. John Kenny, assisting him in his chiropractic office. Originally a part of our marketing team, Jeffrey took a break from NCC to find himself and after almost a year away from the school, he knew he had to return to the NCC Family. he doesn’t regret his decision.

Now a member of our operations team, there are two things here at NCC that stand out for Jeffrey, the energy and the people. Everyone is so friendly and seeing their smiling faces everyday encourages him to reciprocate the positivity.

On the weekends, Jeffrey can be found painting or indulging in his passion for movies and Photography, sharpening his talents for the day he becomes a successful movie director.
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Myra Aguirre, B.A.

Administrative Liaison I

B.A. University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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Born and raised here in Las Vegas, Myra attended Cheyenne High School, Area Technical Trade Center, and UNLV before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration.

Now a member of our operations team, Myra is passionate about making a positive difference in someone’s life in both her professional career and personal life. For Myra, the best thing about working for NCC is the chance to work for a company whose values align with hers.

On the weekends, you can find Myra hiking and camping around Las Vegas.
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Joe Campo, B.S.

Administrative Liaison

B.S. Colorado State University, Aurora

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Joseph was originally born in New York but lived in Las Vegas for 21 years, taking a brief stint in Sterling, CO, before moving back to Nevada and joining us here at Northwest as part of our Information Technology Department.
A graduate of Durango High School in Las Vegas, Joseph then went to Barstow College in California, Northeastern Junior College in Colorado, and finally went to CSU Global to finish his Bachelor’s degree in information technology.
Joseph’s professional passion is helping people and always being available to assist with any issues that arise, a passion he developed during his 15 years of being a high school and college baseball coach.
For him, the best thing about working at Northwest is the atmosphere, as the college seems to really appreciate it’s employees and students. On the weekend, Joseph likes to spend time with his family and friends, indulging in his love of sports, or building things, such as wood crafts.
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Tony Madero

Administrative Liaison

Read Bio
Tony learned his IT skills by serving 22 years in the US Army as a telecommunications, communication security, and IT expert. Having left the army, he is currently studying for a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems with a specialization in computer forensics.

As part of Tony’s job here at Northwest, he spends a lot of time talking to other staff members and he loves the synergy, happiness, and the passion of the staff and faculty at Northwest Career College.

In his free time, Tony can most often be found bowling, reading, or spending time with his family hiking, at family movie nights, or exposing them to new experiences.
Security
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Andrew Cavaciuti, A.A.S.

Campus Security Officer II

A.A.S. Northwest Career College

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Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Andrew is one of our alumni, having graduated with an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice and is now a valued member of our security team while he attends Grand Canyon University to study for his post grad.

Studying Criminal Justice has inspired Andrew to follow his professional passion and work towards setting up a program for underprivileged youth to receive counseling along with being able to play sports on a team that is affordable for their parents.

Part of what drew Andrew to come back to Northwest was the comradery that he has built with the team and the culture that has been created here that seems to naturally draw the best from people.

On the weekends, you can find Andrew playing basketball with his son. They also go on hikes and play Fortnite together.
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Eligio Gandarilla. A.A.S.

Campus Security Officer II

A.A.S. Northwest Career College

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Born in Paramount,California, Eligio moved to Las Vegas at the tender age of three and has been here ever since, graduating from Northwest with his Associates Degree In Criminal Justice.

On a professional level, Eligio’s passion is to one day be a part of the gang unit and to help teenagers from going down the wrong road. On a personal level, he is passionate about helping his younger brothers achieve their dreams of becoming professional soccer players.

For Eligio, the best thing about working as part of our security team is the family atmosphere and his coworkers, who always motivate him to do better.

In his spare time, Eligio can be found being a full-time soccer dad watching and coaching his two brothers and sister when he is not playing himself.
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Cynthia Villanueva, A.A.S.

Campus Security Officer I

A.A.S. Northwest Career College

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Born in Redwood City, Cynthia moved to Las Vegas from California at the age of eight. A graduate of Northwest Career College’s Criminal Justice Program, Cynthia went on to have a varied career, working for EOS Fitness, NorAm International warehouse, and MGM Grand before coming back to join as a member of our Campus Security team.

Cynthia’s professional and personal passions are learning new things and meeting new people and she loves that the staff at NCC are always very nice and friendly, everyone is always really positive and outgoing.

On the weekend, Cynthia can be found learning how to play the keyboard as well as drawing or painting.
Student Development
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Nancy Enis

Student Development Advisor I

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A six year veteran of NCC family, Nancy began her career in Criminal Law as a Legal Secretary before moving on to become a Paralegal. She worked for thirty-one years for the same attorney before moving to Las Vegas to accepted a position as an Account Manager for GES (Global Experience Specialists) and remained with them for over sixteen years. Dr. John Kenny has been Nancy's Chiropractor for over 20 years and as his patient they often talked about working together, so Nancy retired from GES, she joined the NCC family and currently works in the Student Development Department working hand in hand with our students.
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Vanessa Duarte, A.S.

Senior Adminsitrative Liaison

A.S. Mt. San Antonio College

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Vanessa is originally from Downey, California. After pursuing a degree from California State Polytechnic University for two years, Vanessa transferred to an online platform at the University of Phoenix to allow her to further her career in Seattle. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and a minor in Human Resource Management from the University of the Pacific. Vanessa has experience working in a corporate environment for Fortune 500 companies in the fields of Operations, Human Resources and Database Administration. Kind and compassionate, Vanessa enjoys helping others and working in the Student Development Department has given her the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of NCC’s students.

Faculty

Business Administrative Assistant
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Monica Jones, B.S., C.A.A.

Business Administrative Assistant Program Chair

B.S. University of Phoenix

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Born and raised in the state of Washington, Monica and her family decided to make Las Vegas, Nevada their new home in 2015. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Phoenix, Monica began as the Executive Assistant to the chief operating officer (COO) here at Northwest, where her many talents were showcased. Today, Monica is the Program Chair of the Business Administration Department of Northwest Career College.

Monica brings a passion for helping people to this busy role and is always on hand to help solve a problem or bring out the best in the people she comes into contact with. Her favorite thing about Northwest Career College is the contagiously welcoming atmosphere that envelops people when they come in through the front door.

On her free days, Monica loves spending time with her family, enjoying Lifetime and Hallmark movies, playing spades, and literally anything to do with comedy.
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Trenton Quinn, B.A.

Business Administrative Assistant Instructor

B.A. Colorado Technical University

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Tanya Sprang, B.A.

Business Administrative Assistant Instructor

B.A. University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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Tanya moved to Nevada in eighth grade from Tucson, Arizona. Coming from a USAF family, Tanya has lived in many places, such as Arizona, Hawaii, and South Korea. She went to college at UNLV and has a minor in Japanese. Tanya also served in the Peace Corps from 2017 to 2019, teaching in China for two years at a college in Guizhou, Tongren.

As a member of our Business Administrative Assistant instructor team, Tanya’s professional passion is establishing a mutual relationship of trust with both her colleagues and students and helping her students grow while also learning from them in turn.

Tanya loves the positive energy of the school. She always looks forward to spending time with her students because seeing them grow both personally and professionally is wonderful and she’s thankful for being part of their journey.

On the weekends, Tanya likes to meet up with friends to go shopping and eat plenty of food. Her favorites are Chinese hotpot and Korean BBQ, although she’s open to trying a lot of new things if they’re delicious. She also enjoys reading and writing in her free time with her favorite genres being horror and drama.
Criminal Justice
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Lisa Myers, J.D., L.L.M.

Criminal Justice Program Chair

J.D. L.L.M. Campbell University

Read Bio
Beginning her career as a Paralegal, Lisa soon advanced to the role of Senior Paralegal for various Family Law, Personal Injury and Corporate law firms in the Las Vegas community. She obtained her Juris Doctor and LL.M, completing her fellowship in Washington D.C. and Carson City, Nevada. Lisa also heads up the Educational Board of the LVVPA (Las Vegas Valley Paralegal Association) which is the local chapter affiliated with NALA, the Paralegal Association and CCBA, the Clark County Bar Association. As the Program Chair and an Instructor for the Legal Studies Department here at Northwest Career College, which is comprised of both the Paralegal Studies and Criminal Justice Degree Programs, Lisa uses her passion and love for the law, teaching, and politics to inspire our students.
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Kimberly Gollen, B.S.

Criminal Justice Instructor

B.S. San Diego University

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Kimberly grew up in San Diego and lived there until approximately 5 years ago. As a leap of faith, she and her husband relocated to Vegas to discover new opportunities. For Kimberly, the move has been a positive experience and led to a great opportunity at NCC.

Having graduated from Coronado High School, Kimberly obtained her Bachelor of Science, in Criminal Justice Administration, from San Diego State University.

Kimberly’s professional passion is the study of criminal justice and she also has a passion for helping people see their full potential. Kimberly loves that NCC has provided her with the opportunity to meet great people who have the desire to better themselves and others and she looks forward to supporting students through this chapter of their lives.

On the weekends, Kimberly can be found spending time with her family and indulging in her love of travel and experiencing new cultures.
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Andre Isbell, PhD

Criminal Justice Instructor

PhD Walden University

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Originally from Michigan City, Indiana, Andre spent twelve years in the United States Air Force before working for a few multinational companies in places like the UAE, Uganda, Ethiopia, Germany, Ecuador, and Brazil.

Andre’s personal passion is helping people reach their professional and personal goals which why he became an instructor in our Legal Studies Program.

Passionate about criminal justice and its multifaceted discipline, which covers law enforcement and includes social justice, prison reform, and crime prevention, Andre graduated with an M.A. from Penn State. He then moved on to his Ph.D. at Walden University, focussing on the prevention of child abuse and gender-based violence.

For Andre, the best thing about working for NCC is that the staff are extremely student-focused and have a vested interest in each student’s success.

At the weekends, you can find Andre enjoying the outdoors while fishing or at the beach.
Dental Administrative Assistant
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Yu Lee, B.S.

Dental Administrative Assistant Program Chair

B.S. UNLV Healthcare Administration

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Born in South Korea, Yu Chung Lee moved to Las Vegas to attend Spring Valley High School and then UNLV. She is now a member of our educational staff and is the instructor for one of our dental administrative assisting classes.

Yu Chung Lee’s professional passion is to help students achieve their goals so they have the skills and knowledge to excel in their careers, a passion she shares with all the staff here at Northwest.

In her spare time, Yu Chung Lee loves food, almost as much as her chubby Yorkie named Bopeep, and tries to travel as much as possible.
Dental Assistant
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Dr. Thomas Kenny

Chief Compliance Officer
Dental Assistant Program Co-Chair

D.M.D. University of Nevada Las Vegas, Dentistry
B.A. University of Southern California, Biology

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Dr. Thomas Kenny was born in Chicago, raised in Las Vegas, but considers Northwest Career College his true home. He has been working at NCC for as long as he can remember. He started by moving and building furniture on the weekends and has served in a variety of roles throughout the years. He is now the Director of Regulatory Affairs, overseeing the licensure and accreditation processes for NCC, as well as the Dental Assisting Program Director. Dr. Thomas began his service as an ABHES Commissioner in July 2017 and looks forward to the opportunity to help shape the future of the education industry as a whole.
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Casey Proaño, R.D.A.

Dental Assistant Program Co-Chair

R.D.A. Carrington College

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Originally from North Carolina, Casey attended Forbush High School before attending Carrington College to pursue her certificate in dental assisting and is now a member of our amazing dental assisting instruction team.

Casey, self-confessedly, loves teeth and has been known to start talking about them at any moment. She is fascinated by oral and systemic health. For Casey, the best thing about working at NCC is how dedicated and passionate everyone is to helping people achieve their goals and deliver quality education.

In her spare time, Casey can be found spending time with her little family and friends on the weekends and exploring new places to eat.
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Adrianna Buckley, R.D.A.

Dental Assistant Instructor

R.D.A. Northwest Health Careers

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A native of Las Vegas, Adrianna graduated from Western High School before moving on to study here at Northwest Career College!

Part of what drew Adrianna to dentistry is the fact that you can simply change someone’s life by fixing their smile. Adrianna’s personal passion is to encourage others to be the best versions of themselves, which extends to her desire to help her students grow in the profession she loves.

Adrianna loves working at here at Northwest Career College because of the staff. Seeing everyone so happy makes it fun to come to work. Being an alumna, Adrianna also feels she can lead by example, helping our students to realize that they can do anything they put their minds too.

In her spare time, Adrianna can be found spending time with her kids and husband, swimming and watching movies.
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Angelica Gonzalez , A.S.

Dental Assistant Instructor

A.S. College of Alameda

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Originally from California, Angelica actually moved to Nevada to come and join our Dental Assisting Team. Having graduated from Oakland High School, Angelica attended the College of Alameda to earn her Associates Degree in Dental Assisting.

Angelica’s professional passion is using her experience and passion for dental assisting to teach others. Angelica loves working for NCC because of the great people that are becoming part of her extended family.

In her spare time, Angelica’s hobbies include spending time with her family and doing a little bit of crochet. On the weekends you can normally find her spending time with her 11-year-old son.
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Ellesa Reynada, R.D.A.

Dental Assistant Instructor

R.D.A. Northweset Career College

Read Bio
Originally born in Anaheim, California, Ellesa moved to Las Vegas when she was just four years old. Having graduated from the College of Southern Nevada High School, Ellesa went on to attend the College of Southern Nevada before joining us here at NCC and graduating from our Dental Assisting Course in 2015.

Having spent time in the field as a dental assistant and as the academic director and lead instructor for another dental assisting school, Ellesa returned to NCC to take up the position as one of our new dental assisting instructors.

Ellesa considers the success of her students to be her highest priority and spends her workdays swapping between the roles of mentor, leader, and listener in order to give them the full support they need.

In her spare time, Ellesa can most often be found spending time with her family or indulging in her passion for baking.
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Jessica Vazquez, R.D.A.

Dental Assistant Instructor

R.D.A. Charter College

Read Bio
Originally from Southern California, Jessica moved to Las Vegas with her family before she found both a job as part of our Dental Assisting Team and her husband here. Jessica attended Sylmar HS in California and then Charter College for the Dental Assisting Program and she now hopes to go back to school and further her career in the dental field.

Jessica loves working at Northwest because the people that work here are very easy to get along with, everyone is super friendly, and Jessica finds the Kenny family to be very inspiring.

On the weekend, Jessica can usually be found spending time with her family and three fur babies or taking a quick trip to California
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TR Williams, B.S., C.D.A.

Dental Assistant Instructor

B.S. National American University

Read Bio
A thirty year veteran for the United States Army, TR graduated from National American University in Rapid City, South Dakota, where he earned a BS in Applied Management before going on to hold the position of the Program Director for the U.S. Army Enlisted Dental Training Program. Prior to his retirement, TR was responsible for training over 1,600 military students in the areas of dental assisting, dental hygiene, and dental laboratory technology each year. He now brings the benefits of that experience to our students as one of our Dental Assisting Instructors, doing his part to make our program is best learning experience we can offer our students.
General Education
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Lisa Myers, J.D., L.L.M.

General Education Department Director
Criminal Justice Program Chair

J.D. L.L.M. Campbell University

Read Bio
Beginning her career as a Paralegal, Lisa soon advanced to the role of Senior Paralegal for various Family Law, Personal Injury and Corporate law firms in the Las Vegas community. She obtained her Juris Doctor and LL.M, completing her fellowship in Washington D.C. and Carson City, Nevada. Lisa also heads up the Educational Board of the LVVPA (Las Vegas Valley Paralegal Association) which is the local chapter affiliated with NALA, the Paralegal Association and CCBA, the Clark County Bar Association. As the Program Chair and an Instructor for the Legal Studies Department here at Northwest Career College, which is comprised of both the Paralegal Studies and Criminal Justice Degree Programs, Lisa uses her passion and love for the law, teaching, and politics to inspire our students.
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David Bolshazy, C.C.M.A., EMT-I

General Education Instructor

C.C.M.A. Pima Medical, AZ

Read Bio
Having started his medical career as an X-ray Specialist while in the U.S. Army, David left the military and became an EMT in Las Vegas. Transitioning to Orthopaedics for the next 17 years, David eventually ended up working as an EEG Technician in Neurology for 2 years.

It was during his time in Neurology that David joined the team here at Northwest, coming to work with us in 2019 as one of our Medical Assisting Instructors.

Passionate about medicine in all its forms David loves to share his 30 years of clinical experience with our students. David continues to advance his knowledge of the medical field whenever he can and plans to study for his Bachelors in Radiographic Technology in 2020

At the weekends, David loves to spend time with his family and can most often be found teaching them how to tie their own flies for fly fishing.
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Dennis Jantz, M.Ed

General Education Instructor

M.A. Ed. University of Nevada Las Vegas

Read Bio
Dennis has fifteen years of teaching experience to back up his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. As one of our General Educational Instructors, Dennis can normally be found teaching the general education courses to the enthusiastic Paralegal Studies and Criminal Justice students here at Northwest Career College, and even training new drivers for Northwest Driving School.
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Patrick Kenny, B.A.

General Education Instructor

B.A. University of San Diego, Psychology

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Patrick Kenny is one of the founding members of the Northwest family and has served as the Chief Operating Officer since June of 2013. Patrick graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from the University of San Diego and has an extensive background in operations, project management, team building, and student development. As a member of the Kenny family, Patrick has been serving in one role or another at the college for most of his life.
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Ashley Lee, M.S.

General Education Instructor

M.S. Illinois State University

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Having grown up in Southern California, Ashley moved to Las Vegas to attend the University of Nevada. Having graduated with her B.A, Ashley went on to get her Masters in developmental psychology at Illinois State University, with a focus on adolescent development and their ability to adopt gender norms from different media sources.

AS part of the NCC tea, Ashley enjoys working hard with the rest of the staff to ensure that our students achieve their goals in their academic careers and find their ideal future workplace.

When not at work, Ashley can most often be found working out in a Trufusion workout class or socializing by having friends over for dinner.
Legal Assistant
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Cassidy Wagner, J.D.

Legal Studies Program Chair

J.D., Arizona Summit Law School

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A graduate of Coronado High School and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she she earned her Bachelors of Arts in Communication Studies, Cassidy found her passion in college. Having worked as a paralegal in a law firm for over six years, Cassidy attended Arizona Summit Law School where she earned her Juris Doctor degree. Cassidy has a history of teaching and supporting students. During high school, she worked at the City of Henderson where she would coordinate programs and teach life skills to individuals with disabilities. She now brings that same passion and attention to her role as an instructor for our Paralegal Studies and Criminal Justice courses.
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Christa Del Giorno, A.S.

Legal Studies Instructor

A.S. Hagerstown Business College

Read Bio
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Christa moved to Nevada with her parents when they retired here.

Having graduated from Smithsburg High School, Christa gained her associate’s degree from Hagerstown Business College and moved into a varied career that has included working as a paralegal and owning a yoga studio.

Now a committed member of our Legal Assistant Instruction team, Christa enjoys the opportunity to help people be their best self, whether it is through advancing their career or learning how to do a headstand.

For Christa, the best part of working for NCC is the people. Every person she has met has been kind, knowledgeable, welcoming, and passionate about their job.

In her spare time, Chista can be found traveling the world, having already been all over Europe and Asia, including the Taj Mahal, Mt. Everest, and the Great Wall of China.

When she’s not wheels up, Christa enjoys yoga, running, reading, and baking. Most Saturday mornings, she can be found running at Red Rock, usually training for an upcoming race.

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Shindona Dines, A.S.

Legal Studies Instructor

A.S. Northwest Career College

Read Bio
Shindona, or Dona as she prefers to be called, is a proud alumnus of the Northwest Career College Paralegal Studies degree program. Originally from Southern California, Dona attended High School in Rialto, before moving on to received her Associates Degree in Applied Science in Paralegal Studies and is currently enrolled in National Paralegal College where she is looking to receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Paralegal Studies.

A 14 year veteran of the medical field, Dona now passes on her wealth of knowledge in order to achieve her professional passion for helping her students reach their full potential.

In her spare time, Dona can be found feeding the homeless, organizing a backpack drive for the neighborhood schools, supporting her kids during their sporting events.

Part of what Dona loves about working for NCC is working with great individuals who also have a passion to help others succeed and working in a positive environment where everyone is always cheerful, encouraging, helpful and has a great energy.
Massage Therapy
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Stefano Bartoli, L.M.T., M.B.A.

Massage Therapy Program Chair

M.B. A., Larrosse University

Read Bio
Originally from Long Island, New York, Stefano moved to Las Vegas in 2001 with his family. Stefano has been a massage therapist for 26 years. He worked in sports medicine and physical therapy while in New York before transitioning into the spa industry once he moved to Las Vegas.

Stefano went to massage school in Long Island New York, receiving his AAdegree at Suffolk Community College before going on to receive a BA and MBA from Lacrosse University.

For Stefano, the most exciting about coming to Northwest is bring his years of massage knowledge and experience to our students. He loves to tell people that “nothing beats the human touch” and the world is wide open when you become a therapist. You can branch out to so many different therapies and do what makes you and your clients happy.

At the weekend, Stefano enjoys spending time with his family and friends, hiking, working out, and planning his next trip to his beloved Italy.
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Lance Lisitza, L.M.T.

Massage Therapy Program Chair

L.M.T. Northwest Career College

Read Bio
A sixteen year veteran of the US Army, Lance traveled the world while in the military, including Europe, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Having served as an Airborne Parachute Rigger, Combat Medic, and a Physical Therapy Assistant many of Lance’s duties fell into the realm of patient care and administration, Soldier management, and Airborne operations. After attending NCC and graduating as a Licensed Massage Therapist in 2015, Lance joined us as a member of the Massage Therapy Department, instructing the Day Advance Massage Therapy Program. He is also currently the Director of Student Clinic.
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Ivy Adams, L.M.T.

Massage Therapy Lead Instructor

A.A. Community of Southern Nevada, Psychology

Read Bio
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Ivy is a proud graduate of Northwest Career College, class of 1999, and has been a Licensed Massage Therapist ever since. Her eighteen years of experience has taken her through an eclectic array of job opportunities, from day spas, to resort spa, chiropractic offices, poker room and casino chair massage, as well as being self-employed as an independent contractor. Ivy came to Northwest to work as a Massage Instructor in 2002. In 2006 she left to start a family, but couldn’t stay away for long, rejoining the Northwest family again in 2015.
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Amber Guitar, L.M.T.

Massage Therapy Student Clinic Lead Instructor

L.M.T. Utah College Of Massage Therapy

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Born and raised in Las Vegas, Amber enrolled in Massage School shortly after graduating from Valley High School in 1997. Her love for massage and its benefits stems from receiving regular massages from the age of 11 and falling in love with the positive impact massage can have on people’s lives.

Passionate about helping people and educating them on how to reach their health and wellness goals, Amber enjoys working at Northwest because it gives her the opportunity to be around positive and uplifting people who strive to make a difference in other people’s lives.

In her spare time, Amber loves traveling and exploring, baking, and spending time with her family.
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Paloma Bernal, L.M.T.

Massage Therapy Instructor

L.M.T. Cortiva Institute, Illinois

Read Bio
Originally born in Mexico City, Paloma grew up just north of Chicago and moved to Las Vegas in 2019 to join us here at Northwest as a Massage Instructor, where she enjoys being around our students and being a constant learning environment.

Having graduated from Woodstock Highschool, Paloma discovered she had a passion for helping people be well and so studied Massage Therapy with the Cortiva Institute, a Massage Therapy, and Esthetician School.

In her spare time, Paloma enjoys hiking the Valley of Fire and Red Rock, hanging out with her dog, cooking traditional elaborate Hispanic meals, or at the gym.
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Tobi Lange, L.M.T., C.M.T.

Massage Therapy Instructor

L.M.T. European Massage School

Read Bio
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Tobi has been passionate about the study of the human mind and body since she was a teenager. Having traveled the world for the last 26 years, educating herself in the healing arts in India, South America, Europe, and Australia, Tobi has now joined our Massage Therapy Instructor team to pass those lessons and experiences on to our students.

For Tobi, the best thing about working at Northwest is the sense of belonging to an amazing team and family of individuals whose goals and passions are in line with her own. Tobi’s own professional passion is to teach, create, talk about, write about, and learn anything about the human body.

At the weekend, Tobi can be found watching movies and documentaries, spending time outdoors, or learning to cook.
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Teresa Lopez, L.M.T.

Massage Therapy Instructor

L.M.T. Northwest Health Careers

Read Bio
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Kayla Meyers, L.M.T.

Student Clinic Instructor

L.M.T. Irene's Myomassaology Institute

Read Bio
Kayla grew up in South Bend, Indiana, the home of the University of Notre Dame, and completed her massage therapy studies in Southfield, MI at Irene’s Myomassology Institute in 2017.

After following two of her siblings to Las Vegas, Keyla joined the Northwest family as part of our Massage Therapy School, where she enjoys our focus on fact-based modalities and the medical benefits of massage in the massage therapy curriculum.

In line with her focus on wellness, Kayla is most often found running, hiking, biking, or swimming, that is when she isn’t indulging in her love of music or spending time with her daughter and tiny puppy.
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TJ Perpar, L.M.T.

Massage Therapy Instructor

University of Nevada Las Vegas, History

Read Bio
T.J. has been massage therapist for twenty years and has worked in both the medical and spa environments. A seventeen year veteran of Northwest Career College, T.J. first joined us back when the school was exclusively a massage school. Considering himself blessed to be involved in the teaching of future massage therapists here at Northwest, T.J. divides his time between our Massage School, being active in the church and training in the martial arts, which he has been involved with for the past thirty-three years.
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Darrell Sykes, L.M.T.

Massage Therapy Instructor

L.M.T. Nevada School of Massage Therapy

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Darrell began his career as a Massage Therapist in 2014 when he enrolled at the Nevada School of Massage Therapy. After graduating and beginning his career as a Massage Therapist, Darrell made the decision to return to his old school as a Teaching Assistant, so he could pay forward his experiences as a student.

Having found a passion for education, Darrell worked a Teaching Assistant for two years, being promoted to the role of Massage Instructor, where he taught advanced massage courses, including Trigger Point Therapy, Injury Rehabilitation, and Russian Sports Massage.

Darrell joined us here in 2019 as one of our Massage Therapy Instructors and, In addition to teaching, he works a Massage Therapist at the Four Seasons Las Vegas, as well as running a successful private practice.

When he’s not instructing students, Darrell loves karaoke, weekend trips to the beach, and going to concerts.
Medical Administrative Assistant
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Amanda Beardsley, R.M.A.

Medical Administrative Assistant Program Chair

R.M.A. Deleware Skills Center

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Amanda has over twenty years of diverse medical experience, but her real specialism lies in emergency medicine. She started her career in the field of medicine at the age of sixteen as Pharmacy Technician before becoming immersed into the world of Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine. Initially volunteering at the local city Fire & EMS as a Cardiac Technician/Paramedic-Intermediate, Amanda also began working in phlebotomy for a major regional hospital and would go on to become the Lead Phlebotomist. After a career in Fire & EMS Service and phlebotomy that lasted over seventeen years, Amanda transitioned into the field of Medical Assisting. Hired immediately after graduation into the busiest and most recognized Cardiology practice in the area, Amanda was quickly promoted Lead MA of the Electrophysiology Department. Now our Medical Assisting Co-Program Chair and Medical Administrative Assisting Program Chair at Northwest Career College, Amanda brings an unparalleled level of enthusiasm and experience to educating the next generation of medical and allied health professionals.
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Rebecca Harkins, B.S.

Medical Administrative Assistant Instructor

B.S. University of Phoenix

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Rebecca was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and recently relocated to Las Vegas about a year ago.

A graduate of the University of Phoenix with a degree in healthcare administration, Rebecca now pursues her tremendous passion for helping people and creating memorable experiences as part of our instructor team for our Medical Administrative Assistant Program.

Rebecca is excited to be a part of NCC where she can make a valuable contribution and meaningful impact on our future healthcare professionals.

Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys being involved in community events, specifically those that support autism awareness. She also enjoys hiking, watching movies, and spending time with her family.
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Melanie Morris, B.A.

Medical Administrative Assistant Instructor

B.A. University of Nevada Las Vegas

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After a successful career in entertainment production, Melanie decided she wanted to make a difference in people’s lives and move into the healthcare field. Having started as a Clinical Administrative Assistant for an outpatient dialysis clinic, Melanie found it to be the most fulfilling role she had ever held, so she decided to return to school and become a Master of Health Administration.

Having graduated with a B.A. in Communications and Public Relations from UNLV and a Masters in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix, Melanie joined us as a Medical Administrative Assisting Instructor and now look forward to being able to help students reach their professional goals while teaching them how to elevate the patient experience.

In her spare time, Melanie enjoys hiking with her dogs, drawing, painting, and sculpting.
Medical Assistant
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Amanda Beardsley, R.M.A.

Medical Assistant Program Co-Chair

R.M.A. Deleware Skills Center

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Amanda has over twenty years of diverse medical experience, but her real specialism lies in emergency medicine. She started her career in the field of medicine at the age of sixteen as Pharmacy Technician before becoming immersed into the world of Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine. Initially volunteering at the local city Fire & EMS as a Cardiac Technician/Paramedic-Intermediate, Amanda also began working in phlebotomy for a major regional hospital and would go on to become the Lead Phlebotomist. After a career in Fire & EMS Service and phlebotomy that lasted over seventeen years, Amanda transitioned into the field of Medical Assisting. Hired immediately after graduation into the busiest and most recognized Cardiology practice in the area, Amanda was quickly promoted Lead MA of the Electrophysiology Department. Now our Medical Assisting Co-Program Chair at Northwest Career College, Amanda brings an unparalleled level of enthusiasm and experience to educating the next generation of medical and allied health professionals.
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Corey Del Pino, B.S., R.P.T.

Medical Assistant Program Co-Chair

B.S. N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University

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Born and raised in Los Angeles, Corey Del Pino attended Northern Arizona University after high school and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology with a Chemistry Minor in 2012. After attending Mohave Community College and earning her Medical Assisting Certificate in Phlebotomy, Corey became a Registered Phlebotomy Technician through American Medical Technologists. After four years of patient care in the outpatient and inpatient hospital field at Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City, Corey moved to Las Vegas and joined NCC as our Phlebotomy Instructor, imparting her expert knowledge and experience to our students.
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Vivian Madrazo, R.M.A.

Medical Assistant-Assistant Program Chair

R.M.A. Bryman College

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Born in Guatemala but raised in Southern California, Vivian completed her medical assistant training in December 2001 at Bryman College in Southern California. Her first MA position was in the OB/GYN field and after eight years of OB/GYN experience, and one of family planning, she was offered the opportunity to work as a Medical Technician at the Nellis Air Force Base. During that time she served military personnel and their dependents in the Labor and Delivery unit at the Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital. A resident of Las Vegas since 2004, Vivan is passionate about medicine and committed to teaching. The best experiences of her medical assisting career were learning new skills, such as child birthing, IV use, and neonatal resuscitation and she enjoys passing on that same passion for learning to her students.
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Aaron Arlt, C.M.A.

Medical Assistant Lead Instructor

C.M.A. Brightwod College

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A lifelong native of Nevada, Aaron graduated from Clark High School here in Las Vegas before going on to complete two years at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and one year at both the University of Nevada, Reno, and the College of Southern Nevada. He is the proud owner of a Business Management degree from Hamburger University in Chicago. Having attended Medical Assistant School at Kaplan, Aaron moved on from an eight-year tenure in restaurant management and has been working in the medical field for the past three and a half years. Aaron leads an active life outside of his work at NCC, enjoying soccer, running, camping, fishing and spending time at the sand dunes with his family driving their sand cars and four-wheelers. He feels the best part of his work at Northwest is being able to make an impact on the students and being able to work with an excellent and supportive team.
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Angela Krempel, C.M.A.

Medical Assistant Lead Instructor

C.M.A Medix School Baltimore

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Angela was born and raised in Baltimore, MD, before coming to Nevada in 2017 to experience life on the West Coast.

A Medical Assistant with 20 years of experience, Angi, as she prefers to be called, spent her entire career working for Johns Hopkins Hospital System. Angi has experience in about 10 specialties, but the majority of her time was spent in Pediatrics.

In both her personal and professional life, Angi is passionate about animal advocacy, Autism awareness, delivering great medical care, and supporting live music. In her spare time, she can most often be found attending live music events, partaking in activities outdoors, and indulging in an overall positivity in life.
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Justin Kauker, B.A, R.M.A.

Medical Assistant Instructor

B.A., R.M.A. University of California, San Diego

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A self-proclaimed book nerd that loves jazz music and expensive tea, Justin joined Northwest to pass on his passion for medicine and is continually impressed by the resolve and compassion of the NCC students.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from the University of California, San Diego, Justin did a year of graduate education work at West Chester University before going on to train as a hospital corpsman and lab tech in the US Navy. He now passes on his training and experience to our Medical Assisting students.

Justin loves being a teacher, almost as much as he loves being a student. He thinks medicine is fascinating and loves talking about the complex moral and ethical issues of health care.

At the weekends, Justin enjoys playing goofy songs on the guitar and ukulele, reading American literature and popular science books, taking in stand-up comedy shows, and doing morning laps at the pool.
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Denisse Adams, R.M.A.

Medical Assistant Instructor

R.M.A. Northwest Career College

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Denisse is one of our graduate success stories. Giving up her job as a Walgreens’ Pharmacy Department Team Leader, Denise followed her dream of becoming a Medical Assistant and graduated from Northwest Career College in 2013. After graduation she went on to work for a local Ob/Gyn office, honing her skills before returning to become one of our Medical Assistant Program Instructors. Originally from Yauco in Puerto Rico, Denise grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She moved to Las Vegas with her husband and two children to support her husband’s career in culinary management.
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Diane Bullitt, C.C.M.A.

Medical Assistant Instructor

C.C.M.A. College Of Lake County

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Diane is a 25 year veteran of the medical field. Having graduated from North Chicago Community High School and the College of Lake County she got her first medical position in a hospital working in the patient registration department.

Having obtained her CCMA and Phlebotomy certificates, Diane moved on to spend the next 12 years working in an OBGYN office, 3 years working in the Maternity department in a hospital, and 7 years in a Nephrology office.

Diane’s professional and personal passion is the treatment for the elderly. Diane was raised by her grandmother and was taught early on to respect her elders and to help her elders whenever she could. Diane tries to do this, both in and out of work, as much as possible.

For Diane, the best part of working with us is the diversity of NCC. Diane loves the upbeat and joyful personalities of the faculty. Everyone is committed to giving the best experience to the students as well as each other. The instructors are all focused on helping the students to reach their goals to finish their programs ready to enter the workforce with confidence.

In her spare time, you can find Diane enjoying a good book or attending church with her daughter.
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Pricilla Ludington, R.M.A., R.P.T.

Medical Assistant Instructor

R.M.A., R.P.T. Northwest Career College

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A native of Las Vegas and an alumnus of NCC, Priscilla achieved her medical assisting and phlebotomy license before joining our team of Medical Assisting Instructors.

A self-described extremely extroverted introvert, Priscilla’s professional passions include medical spa treatments, the study of blood and how it applies in different areas of science, psychology, and anatomy, and self-development.

One of the things that Priscilla loves about working for NCC is the dynamic and welcoming environment.

In her spare time, you can find Priscilla indulging in her secret obsession with forensic sciences and high profile serial killers as well as their methodology. She is also passionate about choral singing/performing arts, practicing mindfulness, poetry, animals, and exploring new places or ideas.

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Crissandra Marion-Stovall, B.A.

Medical Assistant Instructor

B.A., Middle Tennessee State University

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Originally born and raised in a small town in Holly Springs, MS, Crissandra recently moved from Nashville to Las Vegas to join our Medical Assisting Instructor team.

Cassandra graduated from Holly Springs High School and Nashville State Community College before going to Middle TN State University to study Psychology with minors in Social Welfare and Mental Health Counseling.

As part of our medical assisting team, Crissandra is looking forward to interacting with our students and helping them reach their goals and uncovering their purposes.

At the weekend, Crissandra can be found spending time with friends and family or painting, writing, listening to music, or learning new things.
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Angela McGuire, M.Ed.

Medical Assistant Instructor

M.Ed. Californai State University Dominguez Hills

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Born in Torrance, California to a family of 13 boys of which she was the only girl, Angela joined the US Army just two days after graduating high school.

After 23 years of service and 4 tours, Angela started her career as a Medical Assistant Instructor in 1999 and taught at several vocational colleges. In addition to her hands-on experience, Angela also has both a bachelor's and master’s degree in Education. Angela eventually moved to Las Vegas and joined us here at Northwest Career College as a Medical Assisting Instructor.

Angela spends her spare time exercising, reading, learning Spanish and practicing Tae Kwon Do, in which she is a blackbelt.
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Hazel Munoz, R.M.A., R.P.T.

Medical Assistant Instructor

R.M.A., R.P.T. Northwest Career College

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Hazel is one of our returning students. Having graduated from NCC in 2017, Hazel spent her time in the field, refining her skills, specifically in OBGYN, before returning to be part of the instructor team for our Medical Assisting Program.

Hazel’s professional passion is obstetrics and gynecology and she has always had an interest in women’s health because of how much there is to know about the female body.

For Hazel, the best thing about becoming part of our instructor team is the chance to share the knowledge she gained in the field and filter her instruction through the experiences she had as a student at NCC.

In her spare time, Hazel enjoys indulging in her passion for playing classical and modern violin music whenever she gets the chance. At the weekends, she can be found spending time with her family, hiking, watching movies, and playing dominos.
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Amanda Pulsipher, A.S.

Medical Assistant Instructor

A.S. Dixie State College of Utah

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Amanda is originally from southern Utah and moved to Las Vegas 5 years ago. A graduate of Snow Canyon High School and Dixie State College, Amanda has been a medical assistant for the last 19 years, with most of her experience being primarily in urgent care.

Now an instructor on our Medical Assistant Program, Amanda loves the medical field. She is fascinated by the way the field of medicine is always changing and improving. Amanda’s professional passion is to help people and make others feel better.

A compassionate and empathetic individual, Amanda is excited to work at Northwest Career College in such a positive and uplifting environment. She loves the family-oriented vibe and felt it from the moment she joined NCC.

On the weekends, Amanda can be found camping, going to the sand dunes, fishing, and boating.
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Re’Naldo Radford, C.M.A

Medical Assistant Instructor

C.M.A. Goodfellow AFB

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Re’Naldo was born in Portland and moved to the Bay Area in California by the age of 12. After high school, he moved around a lot as part of his military service in the USAF, mostly in Texas and Washington.

Re’Naldo first made his way to Las Vegas in 2006 and has returned twice going on about 9 years and counting now.

Before attending the Fire Academy and S.E.R.E. school within the USAF, Re’Naldo graduated from Hogan High School and Western Career College respectively.

Part of what drew Re’Naldo to become part of the NCC family is the opportunity to help someone achieve their goals and knowing that he played a small part in their big scheme of things.

On the weekends, Re’Naldo spends his time working on his craft as a DJ, spending time in the kitchen, working out at off times in the morning, and enjoying life with his family.
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Alyxis Reyna, R.M.A.

Medical Assistant Instructor

A.S. Imperial Valley

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Alyxis is originally from California and moved to Nevada with her parents. One of our homegrown talents, Alyxis went to Sierra Vista High School before becoming certified in Medical Assisting from Northwest Career College.

As a member of our Medical Assisting Department, Alyxis is really excited to have the opportunity to further her education and will be going back to college.

In her free time, Alyxis likes to travel and see new things. She loves to learn new things but has a bad habit of diving into something and not coming up for air. She also enjoys painting and drawing to relax.
Medical Billing And Coding
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Nancy Ferrante, C.B.C.S.

Medical Billing & Coding Program Chair

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Nancy began her career as a Medical Assistant in 1979. From there, Nancy mastered many other areas of the medical field. She spent 35 years in Ohio, building a successful medical practice with the same Physician until his retirement in 2014. During that time she managed five practices, billed for twenty-seven Skilled Nursing facilities, obtained an X-ray machine operator’s license and opened a medical billing business specializing in Podiatry. Despite training many employees over the years, Nancy never imagined herself teaching until she joined Northwest as our Program Chair for the Medical Billing and Coding program. Since then she’s embraced a new passion in life, loves meeting new students every month and takes the greatest satisfaction in guiding that one student, who feared they would never make it, into landing a great job in the field, helping realize their dream in the process.
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Chanel Balajadia, B.A.

Medical Billing & Coding Instructor

B.A. University of Phoenix

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Chanel was born in Las Vegas, but her parents originate from Guam and Saipan. They ended up in Nevada because her father’s last duty station was Nellis AFB. As the daughter of a service person, Chanel went to High School in New Mexico, Las Vegas, and Hawaii.

Having graduated, Chanel moved into Medical Billing and Coding and stayed there for the next twenty years. She is currently a Billing Supervisor and has been working with Neurosurgeons for the past eight years.

Passionate about Medical Billing and Coding, Chanel enjoys the fact that she gets to teach what she loves to do and everyone here at NCC is so positive.

In her spare time, Chanel can be found watching movies, participating in family game nights, attending church, and spending time with friends and family.
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Shelley Dunn. B.S.

Medical Billing & Coding Instructor

B.S. Colorado Technical University

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Shelly is a Kansas City girl who graduated from Grand Island Sr. High School in Grand Island, Nebraska before moving on to earn her bachelor’s degree in Health Care Management from Colorado Technical University in 2013.

Having spent twenty-one years in the field of healthcare and specializing in medical billing and coding, Shelly joined Northwest in order to share her experiences and knowledge with the next generation of healthcare professionals.

In her spare time, she can be found enjoying the great outdoors, quietly reading a book, or enjoying a good history documentary as part of her goal to learn something new every day she is alive. In her words “Life is too short to waste your time not being the best you can be!”
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Nohea Kawaiaea

Medical Billing & Coding Instructor

Northwest Career College

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Born in Hawaii, Nohea moved to Las Vegas, Hawaii’s ‘ninth island,’ when she was eight. Having graduated from Liberty High School, she came to join us here at Northwest Career College and is now part of our excellent Medical Billing and Coding instructors team.

Nohea always wanted a career she could grow with and that allowed her to continue helping and teaching people new things. For Nohea, the best thing about working for NCC is the progressive and considerate nature of the school and staff as well as the genuine family atmosphere.

In her spare time, Nohea is an avid artist and can be found dabbling in tattooing, creating digital art for Twitch, and indulging in her love of Korean soap operas.
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Carrie Ostrander, C.B.C.S.

Medical Billing & Coding Instructor

C.B.C.S. Nevada Career Institute

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Born and raised in Clearwater, Florida, Carrie moved to Las Vegas NV going on 13 years ago in what was supposed to be just a long vacation.

Having graduated from Clearwater High School and the Nevada Career Institute, Carrie came on board with NCC as one of our MBC Instructors. Professionally, Carrie loves analytics and identifying trends in billing. She enjoys helping providers understand the revenue side of their practice and educating them on how they can grow their business.

Carrie’s personal passions are to keep learning new things, sharing knowledge with others, being true to myself and starting new adventures.

Carries chose to work at NCC because she believes that everyone at NCC is genuinely amazing to work with and very helpful, you can tell the sense of pride everyone has to work for NCC. She is truly grateful to be apart of the family.

At the weekends, Carrie can be found taking her two springer spaniels on new adventures, hiking, traveling, MLB Baseball games, reading a good book or embarking on a road trip with a great playlist.

Paralegal Studies
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Cassidy Wagner, J.D.

Legal Studies Program Chair

J.D., Arizona Summit Law School

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A graduate of Coronado High School and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she she earned her Bachelors of Arts in Communication Studies, Cassidy found her passion in college. Having worked as a paralegal in a law firm for over six years, Cassidy attended Arizona Summit Law School where she earned her Juris Doctor degree. Cassidy has a history of teaching and supporting students. During high school, she worked at the City of Henderson where she would coordinate programs and teach life skills to individuals with disabilities. She now brings that same passion and attention to her role as an instructor for our Paralegal Studies and Criminal Justice courses.
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Teresa Marie, J.D.

Legal Studies Instructor

J.D., University of Massachusetts School of Law

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Teresa has had a varied education, having attended thirteen different primary and secondary schools. Having gained a Bachelor of the Arts in Criminal Justice and a Masters degree in Public Policy, Teresa is now a part of our committed Legal Studies team.

Professionally, Teresa would like to teach higher education full time and provide pro bono legal work for the juvenile justice system. She’s is also hoping to do more with a local non-profit that provides awareness for veteran suicide.

For Teresa, the best thing about working at Northwest Career College is the opportunity to help students explore their interest in the legal profession while working with such an inspiring and supportive faculty and staff.

At the weekends, Teresa can be found rollerblading and hiking and she has been known to enjoy rock concerts.
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Lisa Myers, J.D., L.L.M.

Legal Studies Instructor

J.D. L.L.M. Campbell University

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Beginning her career as a Paralegal, Lisa soon advanced to the role of Senior Paralegal for various Family Law, Personal Injury and Corporate law firms in the Las Vegas community. She obtained her Juris Doctor and LL.M, completing her fellowship in Washington D.C. and Carson City, Nevada. Lisa also heads up the Educational Board of the LVVPA (Las Vegas Valley Paralegal Association) which is the local chapter affiliated with NALA, the Paralegal Association and CCBA, the Clark County Bar Association. As the Program Chair and an Instructor for the Legal Studies Department here at Northwest Career College, which is comprised of both the Paralegal Studies and Criminal Justice Degree Programs, Lisa uses her passion and love for the law, teaching, and politics to inspire our students.
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Christa Del Giorno, A.S.

Legal Studies Instructor

A.S. Hagerstown Business College

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Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Christa moved to Nevada with her parents when they retired here.

Having graduated from Smithsburg High School, Christa gained her associate’s degree from Hagerstown Business College and moved into a varied career that has included working as a paralegal and owning a yoga studio.

Now a committed member of our Legal Assistant Instruction team, Christa enjoys the opportunity to help people be their best self, whether it is through advancing their career or learning how to do a headstand.

For Christa, the best part of working for NCC is the people. Every person she has met has been kind, knowledgeable, welcoming, and passionate about their job.

In her spare time, Chista can be found traveling the world, having already been all over Europe and Asia, including the Taj Mahal, Mt. Everest, and the Great Wall of China.

When she’s not wheels up, Christa enjoys yoga, running, reading, and baking. Most Saturday mornings, she can be found running at Red Rock, usually training for an upcoming race.

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Robert Kurth, Jr., J.D.

Legal Studies Instructor

J.D. University of Denver College of Law

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Now in his 25th year of practicing law in Nevada, Robert earned his B.S. in Business Administration from UNLV in 1989, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law in December of 1991. During his career, he has been an Arbitrator for the Eighth Judicial District Court, a former Alternate Child Support Hearing Master, and a Small Claims Court Referee and Mediator. As an Adjunct Instructor for both our Paralegal Studies and Criminal Justice Programs, he now passes on his vast knowledge and experience in the legal field to our students.
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Bernie Zadrowski, J.D., L.L.M.

Legal Studies Instructor

J.D., L.L.M. University of Denver College of Law

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Bernie has been a practicing attorney in Nevada for over twenty years, and is currently a Chief Deputy of General Litigation at the Clark County District Attorney’s Office. An active member of the local legal community, Bernie has served on the State Bar’s Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board as its Vice Chairman, the Judicial Selection Commission, and the Standing Committee on Judicial Ethics and Campaign Practices. Proud to call Las Vegas his home, Bernie now brings his insight and experience to the role of evening Adjunct Professor for the Paralegal Studies Program, helping to shape future generations of Nevada’s legal profession.
Pharmacy Technician
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Danielle Mathews, A.S., CPhT

Pharmacy Technician Program Chair

A.S., CPhTPharmacy Technology Charter College

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Born and raised in Southern, CA, Danielle graduated from Fisk University in Nashville and Charter College in Oxnard, CA before embarking on a sixteen-year career in pharmacy education.

During that time she worked in various pharmacy settings from sterile product preparation for cancer medications to preparing medications for animals.

Now a member of our Pharmacy Technician team, Danielle enjoys working with the students, faculty, and staff while being able to share her knowledge with others.

In her spare time, Danielle can be found painting, reading, camping, being with family and friends, and learning and practicing card tricks.
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Maria Browning, A.S., CPhT

Pharmacy Technician Instructor

A.S., CPhT Career College Of Northwern Nevada

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Having lived in California, Alaska, Nevada, and Japan because her parents were in the Navy, Maria eventually moved to Nevada and graduated from Edward C. Reed High School in Sparks, NV.

She then moved on to the Truckee Meadows Community College and University Nevada, Reno ultimately graduating from the community college with her Associate of Science. Maria also attended the Career College of Northern Nevada to achieve her Pharmaceutical Technician Diploma.

Maria’s professional passions include education, medication safety, and compounding. She has always enjoyed educating the community and sharing her experiences with others with an emphasis on medication safety so that patients are able to be more compliant in their treatments.

For Maria, the best thing about working for Northwest Career College is having the opportunity to change someone’s life for the better through education. She gets to share all her experiences with them alongside the lesson plan. For Maria, it’s one thing to read a book, but it’s another to actually have a mentor go through the motions with you for better understanding.

In her spare time, Maria enjoys modeling, Zumba, and video games. She also loves to cook and bake.

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Alejandro Garcia, A.S.

Pharmacy Technician Instructor

A.S. Imperial Valley

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Alejandro graduated high school in Mexico before enrolling in college where he earned his two A.S. degrees in general science and pharmacy technician studies. For Alejandro, the study of pharmacy has become both a career and a passion.

Now a member of our Pharmacy Technician Instruction Team, Alejandro loves to share his experience and knowledge with others. For Alejandro, the best thing about working for NCC is the family atmosphere with the other staff member.

In this spare time, Alejandro likes to work on cars, when he isn’t grilling for his family and friends or going out to bars and restaurants.
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Samantha Huntsman, CPhT, M.S.

Pharmacy Technician Instructor

M.S. University of Illinois at Chicago

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Raised in Cedar City in southern Utah, Samantha ended up in Nevada in 2014 after moving here from Minnesota to escape the winter.

After graduating from Cedar City High School, Samantha moved to Southern Utah University where she got her bachelor’s degree and then to the University of Illinois at Chicago for her master’s degree.

After spending six years at CVS Pharmacy where she was a lead technician, Samantha has joined our cadre of committed Pharmacy Technician Instructors. Passionate about science and how science can better the lives of the community, especially through medicine, Samantha loves being a mentor and helping our students succeed.

Samantha is also passionate about conservation and about how we, as humans, can reduce our impact on the environment. Much of her education was centered around studying water pollution and she remains devoted to the topic to this day.

In her spare time, Samantha enjoys writing fiction, which is something she’s been doing since she was very young. She’s also an avid gamer and loves to watch east Asian dramas.
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Akia Washington, CPhT

Pharmacy Technician Instructor

Pima Medical Institute

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Born in Bellflower, California, Akia was raised in Lynwood, California, where she attended Lynwood High School before she moved to Las Vegas with her two sons. Having decided tath nursing was not the career for her, Akia obtained her Pharmacy Technician License from PIMA here in Las Vegas.

As one of our Pharmacy Technician Instructors, Akia is passionate about passing on her knowledge to the students here at NCC and sampling the delights of our fancy coffee machine, of course.

In her spare time, Akia can be found collecting crystals, playing video games, and indulging in her passion for getting all her family around the same table by cooking for them.
Phlebotomy Technician
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Corey Del Pino, B.S., R.P.T.

Phlebotomy Technician Program Chair

B.S. N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University

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Born and raised in Los Angeles, Corey Del Pino attended Northern Arizona University after high school and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology with a Chemistry Minor in 2012. After attending Mohave Community College and earning her Medical Assisting Certificate in Phlebotomy, Corey became a Registered Phlebotomy Technician through American Medical Technologists. After four years of patient care in the outpatient and inpatient hospital field at Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead City, Corey moved to Las Vegas and joined NCC as our Phlebotomy Instructor, imparting her expert knowledge and experience to our students.
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Amy Byrd, R.M.A., R.P.T.

Phlebotomy Technician Instructor

R.M.A. Northwest Career College

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Amy grew up in the wilds of Minnesota until, at the age of thirty, she decided she was tired of the brutal winters and moved to sunny Nevada, stopping in at Salt Lake City for a few years before heading a little further west to Las Vegas. Amy attended High School and College in Minnesota and attended Northwest when she moved to Las Vegas, receiving her Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) and Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT) Certifications in 2012. A lover of the outdoors, Amy heads out of town every chance she gets. Heading to the dunes or the lake to go boating, finding peace while hiking in the mountains, being by the ocean or while she is traveling. During work hours, Amy is inspired by the passion of her co-workers and the loves watching the journey NCC students go on, from enrollment in their first module to the excitement of their graduation day.
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Tommika Goodrich, CPT, A.A.

Phlebotomy Technician Instructor

A.A. San Joaquin Delta College

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Joylene Rael, R.M.A, R.P.T.

Phlebotomy Technician Instructor

R.M.A. Northwest Career College

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Another of our graduate success stories, Joylene graduated from Northwest Career College in 2014 before using her student externship to gain employment in the medical assisting field. After being promoted, Joylene obtained her EKG and IV Therapy certifications while working in a Cardiology department. Originally a resident of a small town in New Mexico called named Los Lunas, Joylene has lived in Las Vegas for twelve years. She taught as a Medical Assisting Instructor with NCC, passing on her passion and experience to her students, and is now working with the Education department assisting students in a new and exciting way. Joylene is always excited to see what the future holds!
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Jonathan Zeigler, CPT, NHA

Phlebotomy Technician Instructor

CPT, NHA Kofe Institute

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Originally from California, Jonathan spent much of his youth traveling between Oakland and Atlanta. Jonathan studied for his Undergraduate Degree at UCLA before attending the Phlebotomy Program at the Kofe Institute.

Jonathan has a passion for medicine and hopes to become an anesthesiologist. For Jonathan, the best part of working with us here at NCC is meeting and working with new and diverse professionals as well as having the opportunity to inspire and teach new incoming students.

At the weekend, Jonathan actually works as a full-time phlebotomist, but in his free time, he enjoys exploring poetry, listening to music, watching movies, playing basketball, and downtime with family and friends.

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