Region: Staten Island
Jennifer Lombardo is STAC’s Regional Admissions Counselor for Staten Island. With one child enrolled in college and another preparing to apply, Jennifer Lombardo knows firsthand the challenges of selecting the right college and navigating the admissions process.
“It can be overwhelming, but my hope is to make it easier by guiding students and their parents through the process and helping them realize their dreams of an education without any barriers,” she says. To that end, Jennifer advises students to seriously consider the financial aspect of their decision, and how it could affect them in the future.
The fact that STAC provides financial aid and support for all students who need it is among the many positives, Jennifer says, that makes St. Thomas Aquinas College stand apart from other colleges. More positives are STAC’s “student first” philosophy, its wide variety of academic programs, and its strong athletic programs.
In addition to introducing STAC to high school students in Staten Island as an admissions officer, Jennifer also connects with them through her work with United Activities Unlimited, a nonprofit organization that offers youth enrichment programs. She is part of a team that was recognized by the City of New York for creating a summer, remote internship program for vulnerable high school students in Staten Island and the Bronx during the COVID pandemic. “We worked very hard to make sure that COVID did not take away the ability for these students to gain valuable work experience that they will need to succeed in the future.”
A Brooklyn native, Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree in business management from St. Francis College and a master’s in finance from St. John’s University. An internship with the Brooklyn Union Gas Company turned into a full-time job on the company’s human resources team. After working in recruiting, she switched to the company’s marketing department, managing customer outreach and culminating a decade-long career with the organization.
When she isn’t working, Jennifer enjoys the outdoors, specifically fishing, citing her childhood summers in Montauk as the reason for her love for the ocean. When she has downtime, she enjoys hiking, reading, and relaxing with her family, her tortoise Rasputina, and their newest addition—a Cavapoo puppy named Finnegan.
Brooklyn (NY), B.S. in Business Management from Francis College, M.S. in Finance from St. John’s University