LIVONIA, MICH. – Dalie Ripley-Lesniak, '16, '18 (business administration, higher education, and student affairs), began her career at Madonna, progressing from coordinator for the political science and psychology programs to senior coordinator of the Tutoring Center, and then to director of the TRIO Student Support Services grant. Now, a personnel analyst for the City of Livonia, Ripley-Lesniak credits her success to Madonna's supportive community.
As a transfer student, she found a welcoming environment and worked as a student assistant in the College of Education, learning from mentors like Dean Karen Obsniuk and Janice Nowicki. She was inspired by Dalph Watson's HR classes and guided by Connie Tingson-Gatuz and Dr. Chris Benson, as she excelled in the higher education graduate program.
Her favorite course was organizational governance in higher education, and as a first-generation college student, she acknowledged Obsniuk's and Nowicki's instrumental support in overcoming challenges and fostering growth. Her journey at Madonna led to an undergraduate degree and gave her the confidence to pursue and complete a master's degree; an accomplishment she once thought was impossible.
