About

Colleen Withers

Director - Career Development & Campus Integration

 ^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

Colleen Withers joins us from the Graduate Business Career Management team at Santa Clara University where she helped the team achieve a #1 ranking for Career in the Poets & Quants rankings for Online MBA Programs. Previously she worked as an Executive Recruiter at KPMG and Human Resources Director for software startups, nonprofits and solar companies. She received her Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame. She is passionate about teaching students career readiness skills and lifelong career self reliance. She looks forward to leveraging her background and network to expand career programming while deepening relationships and partnerships across Santa Clara University.

^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

Noël Kreidler enjoys supporting students in discovering career paths where they can fully express their interests and talents in the workplace, and collaborating with campus partners to develop initiatives that connect students with their passion. Her background includes 25+ years of experience as a Human Resources professional in a variety of geographic and business environments, including tech, retail, non-profit and consulting as well as 8+ years of experience as a Career Services professional at Santa Clara University and The University of Arizona.  As a person with a physical disability, she is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and sits on the Board of Directors for two non-profits that champion inclusion for people with disabilities in the workplace and the housing community. She has a MEd with a Counseling and Human Relations emphasis from Northern Arizona University and a BA in Economics with a minor in Human Resources from The University of Arizona.  In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, art, reading, writing, interior design and spending time with family and friends.

 ^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

我會說廣東話和普通話。/ 我会说广东话和普通话。

Vania is a firm believer that career, in all of its adventurous, anxiety-provoking, exciting, and frustrating realities, is rarely linear. Hence, she has a strong passion for and commitment to partnering with students and the greater campus community to empower students with the tools, framework, courage, and confidence to pursue and actualize their professional goals. In her tenure as a non-profit and higher-ed professional, Vania has pivoted nimbly and effectively between being an empathetic coach and strategic program designer. Her work has supported refugees & asylees, new immigrant youth, first-gen students, and university students across Los Angeles, New York City, Peru, and the greater Bay Area. Vania holds a a M.S. in Social Work, focusing on program design & evaluation and international social welfare from Columbia University and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts, with a minor in Cognitive Science (Human Computer Interaction) from the University of California, San Diego.

 ^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

Yo hablo español.

Myriam joins the Career Center with extensive career transition and coaching experience with the largest providers of Global Career Placement Solutions and the Technology Industry. She is passionate about inspiring students and alumni to realize their best selves by leveraging their strengths, unique value, and purpose so they can create internship and job search strategies to pursue meaningful work and meet the needs of the community and the industry.  Her background includes 15+ years of experience for a leading technology company in Customer Service, and the Executive Briefing Center as a Program Manager putting together technology briefing events with cross-functional teams for customers from Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Myriam holds a coaching certification from the International Coaching Federation with an emphasis in Positive Psychology and an MBA from Golden Gate University.

^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

 ^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

Anna is a first-year graduate student pursuing her M.A. in Counseling Psychology.  She graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in History of Art, then taught English in a public school in Spain. Her background includes work in nonprofits, museums, and other research institutions.  Anna is particularly interested in how young people develop a sense of purpose, and she is passionate about supporting students as they explore different career paths and opportunities that align with their core values.

 ^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

Jessie is a Graduate Intern, Career Development Coach at the SCU Career Center and a first year master’s student in Counseling Psychology (LMFT/LPCC track). Before pivoting to psychology, she spent years in HR and leadership roles at multinational high-tech companies like Intel and Symantec as well as AI Start-up, focusing on talent development, recruiting, and organizational well-being.

Now, she’s exploring career development, positive psychology, and cross-cultural adaptation, using both her HR background and new counseling skills to support students in their career journeys. She’s also involved in AI and therapy research, curious about how technology can enhance human connection and well-being. Jessie is excited to help students navigate their next steps with confidence and clarity.

 ^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

Pulkit is a second-year graduate student pursuing a STEM MBA in Business Analytics. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies, specializing in Business Development and Competitive Intelligence, and has over six years of professional experience as a Product Strategy Manager. During the summer, Pulkit interned at Google as a Product Lifecycle Management Intern.

Drawing from his experience, he is passionate about helping students align their career goals with their unique strengths and aspirations. He is dedicated to helping them build confidence and uncover pathways that resonate with their values and ambitions, creating compelling career narratives.

Melissa Thiriez

Director - Employer Relations & Partnerships

 ^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

Yo hablo español.

Melissa (she/her) aims to build meaningful connections between students and organizations, foster diverse talent pipelines, and create inclusive workplaces that drive both personal and organizational growth. Melissa joined SCU after working in nonprofits, K-12 education, and one tech startup. She graduated with a MA in Education from Claremont Graduate University and a BA in Psychology from Scripps College.

 ^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

Born and raised in San Jose, CA, Amanuel is an alumni of Santa Clara University and is excited to join the Career Center. His background includes serving injured workers at a local Law Firm as well as facilitating 7th and 8th grade English courses. Amanuel is very excited to be connecting students with employers so that they can achieve their professional goals. He also enjoys leveraging knowledge of our student populations and relationships with faculty and staff to build relationships; thus, employers can maximize their resources when engaging with our campus ecosystem.

 ^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

Andrew comes to Santa Clara University with experience in corporate talent acquisition, EdTech, and traditional higher education. While the majority of his experience has been student facing, he is excited to leverage his 7 years of industry experience to work directly with the employer community and help facilitate connections between students and the working world. Originally from Denver, CO, Andrew's professional and personal experiences have taken him to New Jersey, San Diego, Vail, and finally the Bay Area. Andrew holds a B.A. in Film Studies and a certificate in Technology, Arts, and Media from the University of Colorado.

 ^{View LinkedIn Profile »}

Mary has a passion for ensuring every student has the opportunity to build a meaningful career. She joins Santa Clara University after 9 years at Intuitive Surgical, a pioneer in robotic-assisted surgery, where she was a key player in developing their university hiring programs. She was born and raised in the city of Santa Clara and has always admired SCU values and community. She graduated from Sonoma State University with a BA in Liberal Studies with emphasis in Life Sciences and a minor in Philosophy. She is excited to join the career center team and support the talented students pursuing careers in business and entrepreneurship.