Interested students can communicate with the USF Admissions team in a variety of ways. Want to set up an appointment? Appointment types include: virtual undergraduate, virtual graduate, or in-person appointment with any of our counselors, or you can find your counselor and click their link to schedule your appointment.
Eric Ruiz
Director of Admissions
Director de Admisiones
Eric assists undergraduate & graduate student applicants with last names starting with Z.
Eric graduated from USF in 2007 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance and joined the admissions team in the same year. During college, Eric had fun being the man in the mascot suit, Bernie! He also was the vice president of finance for the Student Business Association, a Ministry Staffer and Saints Ambassador. Eric also earned his Masters of Business Administration from USF. He really enjoys spending time with his family, friends, and staying active. He grew up in Evergreen Park, and now resides in Joliet.
Alejandro Campos
Associate Director of Undergraduate & Transfer Admissions
Alex assists undergraduate student applicants with last names starting with Re-Y.
Alejandro was born in Wisconsin, but raised in Joliet. He attended Joliet West High School, and after graduating from Joliet West he went into the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Alejandro served with Echo Company 2nd Battalion 24th Marines 3rd Platoon out of Chicago. He served as the 2nd squad leader and achieved the rank of Sergeant. Alejandro is a proud alum of the University of St. Francis, where he graduated in December 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Alejandro has a strong connection with the school due to his mother (’92 & ’17), father (‘06), and grandmother (‘85) all receiving their Bachelors and/or Masters degrees from USF. In his free time, you can find him watching or working with the Chicago White Sox and being with family & friends.
Maggie Stevenson
Associate Director of Graduate & Adult Degree Admissions
Maggie assists graduate education student applicants.
Melissa Hill
Associate Director of International Admissions
Melissa assists international student applicants.
Nicolina Diorio
Admissions Counselor
Consejera de Admisiones
Nicolina assists undergraduate student applicants with last names starting with A-Eg.
Nikki graduated from USF in May 2018 with a Bachelor in History. She held a leadership role in the USF History Club and was a member of the Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society. After graduating with her BA, she completed an internship at the National Archives in Chicago. Her hobbies and interests include working out and reading historical memoirs.
Crystal Mireles
Admissions Counselor
Consejera de Admisiones
Crystal assists undergraduate student applicants with last names starting with Lb-Rd.
Crystal grew up in the area and graduated from Governors State University in 2018 with a Bachelor in Arts in Psychology. She is a first generation college graduate. Crystal has a background in Criminal Justice, with a combination of both psychology and criminal justice. “Working with children in any capacity and being able to assist in aiding in their future is a high interest of mine.” She enjoys reading, arts, and crafts as well as spending time with friends and family.
Yareley Santillan
Admissions Counselor
Consejera de Admisiones
Yareley assists undergraduate student applicants with last names starting with Eh-La.
Yareley grew up on the East side of Joliet for most of her life. She graduated from Joliet Central and was then the first in her family to pursue a degree in higher education. Yareley graduated from the University of St. Francis with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Psychology (’19). During her time at USF, she was a part of many multicultural organizations as a Latina. Afterward, Yareley joined the undergraduate admissions team to help others pursue a college degree. She loves to see others rise, especially when it comes to education. Yareley also enjoys singing mariachi, playing guitar, and being an ally to marginalized communities. She hopes to be a mentor to all students as they travel through their educational journey at USF.
Gino Vaccarella
Admissions Counselor
Gino works with all programs/populations of adult students and is the liaison to the MSW program. He has worked in higher education
since 1990.
Gino’s personal hobbies and areas of interest include cooking, sports and social media.
Rock Allen
Graduate Degree Completion
Bio coming soon.
Angelica Sanchez
Admissions Manager for the Physician Assistant Program
Angelica works with the graduate Physician Assistant Program in Albuquerque, New Mexico and enjoys helping potential applicants reach their educational goals. She has been with the Physician Assistant program since 2017.
Angelica’s personal hobbies and areas of interest include singing on the worship team, running, photography and traveling.
Annette Jelinek
Welcome Center Coordinator
Annette has been with USF since March of 1988. She began in the Health Arts Program and joined the Undergraduate Admissions area in 2001. She is a mom to 35 kids– the Saints Ambassadors, who are her greatest enjoyment at USF! Annette was born and raised in Joliet and is very proud of and active in her Croatian heritage.
Emily Ellis
Welcome Center Assistant Coordinator
Emily has lived in Joliet for most of her life and graduated from Beloit College in 2008 with a degree in Studio Art and Museum Studies. Emily enjoys baking, reading and spending time with family and friends. She is excited to be a part of the Welcome Center.
Eric Ruiz
Interim Vice President for Admissions, Athletics, Enrollment Services & Marketing
Eric has held staff, faculty, and leadership roles at Ancilla College, Governors State University, Purdue University Calumet, and Valparaiso University. Eric came to USF in 2017 and is a graduate of Indiana State University and the University of Essex.
