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While working at Harper College's Learning and Career Center, Javi Rivera, 24, completed an associate degree and earned his bachelor's degree with DePaul University via Harper's University Center. He would like to become an academic advisor.
The word “metamorphosis” might best describe what happens inside Harper College’s Learning and Career Center (LCC). For those who walk through the doors of the Prospect Heights satellite campus, the family-like culture and myriad support services can be transformational.
It’s not just the students who benefit; the lives of Harper College staff Javier “Javi” Rivera and Bobbi Pineda changed forever when they became part-time evening assistants there. They completed their associate degrees at Harper then earned bachelor’s degrees with DePaul University via Harper’s University Center, which partners with universities to enable students to complete four-year degrees closer to home.
“I was a first-generation student and didn’t have anyone in my family that has gone through the process of transferring,” said Javi, 24. Because of the University Center, “I was able to receive assistance from my DePaul and Harper advisors when I had questions.”
Javi and Bobbi are more accustomed to answering questions. Both are bilingual and present a friendly welcome to newcomers looking for pathways into higher education. LCC offers Illinois High School Diploma (formerly HSE or GED) preparation, adult English literacy acquisition (ELA) courses, career counseling and exploration programs, child care and immigration legal assistance. LCC certificate programs prepare students for careers in fields including nursing, phlebotomy, logistics and hotel management.
Bobbi and Javi found their own welcoming immersion into higher education as a career field. After discovering their passion for helping other students, they altered their goals and successfully pursued full-time Harper positions.
Javi, from Carpentersville, completed his four-year degree in 2024. He was an evening assistant at LCC from 2022 to 2024.
“Being at the Learning and Career Center made me shift into higher ed, and assisting staff and students also kept me in touch with my roots,” said Javi, the son of immigrants from El Salvador. “The students there made my work gratifying. Work didn’t feel like work. It was nice to know I made an impact on the LCC community.”
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In his role as evening assistant, Javi bolstered the success of students at LCC, assisting with registration, passwords and other technical issues, providing a liaison with the child care operation and explaining services like the Hawks Care food pantry and Snack Shack. The rewards come from witnessing students gain skills and confidence.
“I remember one student, Benito, who was timid to ask me questions,” Javi said. “But I was able to see Benito progress through different levels of English and flourish as a student.”
Bobbi is currently program coordinator at LCC, a role she began in 2023 after earning her four-year degree in 2022. Bobbi, a Palatine resident, said she found her calling at LCC and enjoys the rewards of higher education.
“We see people coming in the door from all over the world and you develop a different type of patience,” she said. “Everything we do supports them. They may need help with English, want to change careers or have immigration questions. They can feel totally helpless. We open up paths to security and motivation.”
One of Bobbi’s areas of focus is building and maintaining local partnerships. She collaborates with a variety of agencies to provide job and career services, such as the Township High School District 214 job fair. She helps oversee a District 214 partnership called Life Program, which supports young adults with disabilities through a mock job fair and interview workshops.
She also goes to events in the area to represent LCC’s services to local families. Many are new to the area. “That’s my specialty,” Bobbi said. “I married into a family that had come from another country.”
After taking a part-time role at LCC, Bobbi Pineda earned her associate degree at Harper then completed her bachelor's degree in business from DePaul University through Harper's University Center. Bobbi now works full-time at LCC as program coordinator.
At Harper, Bobbi, 45, draws on her experiences as an adult student and parent of four children, balancing family, education and employment. When her youngest child entered all-day kindergarten in 2018, she knew the time was right to pursue her degree. Despite working in the insurance industry, she was stymied in her search for other career positions because she didn’t hold a college degree.
So, she studied business administration and completed her four-year degree through DePaul at Harper’s University Center, attending college at the same time as her eldest son. Most of her courses were online due to the pandemic, but she especially enjoyed a project management course involving collaboration with other students – which helped prepare her for a career in higher ed.
“(My group) created a plan for a reception and ceremony for students at Harper who were graduating with their four-year degrees,” Bobbi said. “It was great to go through that experience and our professor shared it with others… We felt that we were making an impact with this project.”
Javi prepared for his higher ed career by majoring in communications, taking courses ranging from critical thinking and theory to how to use Adobe Suite through DePaul University. He was able to take classes at DePaul’s Loop and Lincoln Park campuses.
“At the beginning, there was a bit of doubtfulness and anxiety but what I loved about the program was my cohort and the faculty I worked with,” Javi said. “This made the transition much easier.”
Javi’s senior capstone project focused on his cultural experiences as a first-generation Latine student. “It’s very fulfilling to have your family watch you graduate and be an example to siblings and cousins,” he said of his close-knit family.
Javi recently left LCC for a role as a full-time clerk at the Testing Center on Harper’s Palatine campus. He is empathic to the needs of Harper students and has no doubt about what he wants to do in the future.
“My ideal career is to help students as an advisor,” he said. “I want to help students who are from a similar background as me.”
Bobbi and her coworkers were happy to see Javi pursue his career but sorry to lose such a dedicated and caring individual on their team. But she knows the importance of finding one’s path in life.
“I always tell students and my own children,” Bobbi said, “as long you find something you’re passionate about, you’ll be amazing!”
