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Employee Spotlight: Why Re-Entry Associate Stephanie Casamalhuapa Loves Working at Bryan University

Bryan University

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Stephanie Casamalhuapa Bryan University Employee Spotlight

We love spotlighting our employees here at Bryan University and this month we’re shining the spotlight on Stephanie Casamalhuapa, whose contributions make our team stronger every day!

Stephanie joined the BU team in 2022 working in front-end admissions and just recently made the move to our re-entry team! In her new role, she helps returning BU students get back into their programs after a leave of absence. This involves diving into their GPAs, credits, and figuring out what’s best for the students. 

“Sometimes it’s having difficult conversations with them and, of course, being very empathetic to the situation because no one wants to hear they can’t return to a program,” she said. “It’s very different, but I’m really enjoying it because it feels a lot more rewarding for me helping them get to their goals, supporting them, and just seeing what’s really in the best interest of the student.” 

She’s loving the camaraderie on her new team as she settles into her new role. “My leader, Greg, he’s amazing. You know, Jennifer and Shirley, we’re a very small team, it’s just four of us,” she said. “They’ve been very welcoming, they’re always there to help me, answer any questions, especially with it being such a new role. I’m motivated by them and what a great job they do.” 

One thing related to her role that she wishes more people understood is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) — what it involves, how it’s tracked, and why it’s important. It can be confusing, but she loves helping students make sense of it and feel confident about their progress. 

As she approaches her fourth anniversary at BU, her favorite core value is Win Together, with Deliver Delight close behind. She loves the team-oriented culture here, and says Win Together really resonates because it reflects how everyone supports each other every day. 

“All the departments connect with one another and without the other departments we would be scrambled,” she said. “We have to connect a lot with our registrar’s office, our business office, and we really count on them and depend on them so much.” 

Stephanie Casamalhuapa Bryan University Employee Spotlight2

Her favorite part about working at BU? The people! She said you get to know so many different people from different places, and as self-described ‘chatty-kathy,’ she’s in her element connecting with everyone. 

At work and outside of it she finds inspiration close to home from her dad. He’s a hard worker with a strong work ethic which she said has always led her away from quitting when things get hard. 

“What could happen if maybe you stick it out, or things change, you know? There’s so many different paths that can come about instead of just giving up right away,” she said. “He’s always motivated and inspired me with any job I’ve had. His work ethic and having him as a role model is so inspiring to me.”  

One thing she’s always trying to improve on is her mindset — not doubting herself and her abilities especially. 

“‘Stephanie, can you really do this job?’ And it’s like, yes you can, you know? Why are you doubting yourself? Especially when you have a lot of encouraging circumstances, positive reinforcement from my team, my manager.” 

A group of three dogs, including two black and one brown and white, engaging in a fun outdoor Easter celebration with brightly colored plastic eggs on green grass.

That carries over into her everyday life too. She said she’s learned it’s easier to believe the negative about yourself than the positive so she’s always working on flipping that internal script and recognizing her own achievements and abilities. 

One achievement she’s proud of is the family she’s built — her fiancé, her dogs, and the home they share. For her, this is a huge accomplishment because it reflects her choices, not society’s timeline or expectations. She feels grateful, content, and supported, and that sense of happiness and fulfillment is something she truly values in her life.

Hiking adventure in Sedona's red rocks showcasing stunning desert landscape and vibrant natural scenery.

Originally from California, she loves getting out and exploring Arizona with her family. She’s lived in the state for 10 years and she’s still finding out how much the state offers. She also loves traveling outside of the state and the country — she even had a run-in with a monkey in Thailand. 

“I go and feed one peanut to these monkeys, and one immediately just bites me. Luckily, it didn’t pierce the skin, but I still have those pictures to this day, as now a funny memory rather than a scary one.” 

As a dog-mom she’s passionate about animal rescues and she aspires to foster one day, whenever she can promise she won’t foster-fail and bring another pup into her family permanently. 

“It’s just so heartbreaking because they’re just helpless animals. They can’t speak, they can’t say if someone is hurting them,” she said. 

She’s always wanted to learn how to surf and one thing she can’t live without is books. 

“I love books, I love reading,” she said. “I love to just immerse myself into a good read, whether it’s fantasy, mystery, romance — always romance, I’m such a big romantic.” 

A piece of advice that’s always stuck with her is the idea that people who speak negatively about others are often just unhappy with themselves. It reminds her to focus on what truly matters and the people who support her instead of getting caught up in negativity from others. 

When asked what she would say to someone considering a career at BU, she said: “I would say that it’s definitely a great company to work for, because it’s very team-oriented and has a great culture even though we live in different states and work remotely. There’s something about this company where they keep you bonded. Whether it’s through our wellness program, our book club, or different committees, they bring everyone together and bring that unity and connection. It’s a great place where you can build connections and relationships.” 

Each month, we shine a light on one of our amazing team members through the Bryan University Employee Spotlight. Every employee is eligible. Want to join our team? Explore Careers at Bryan University! 

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