Meet Our Staff                                   

 My name is Chris Herman and I am the Director of Project Success/Student Support Services. I have just started my sixth year as an employee of Illinois Valley Community College and as a member of TRIO Project Success/Student Support Services. I consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to work with students on a daily basis to help them reach their goals. I am continually amazed with the amount of dedication and persistence that our students exhibit. I am blessed to have a job where I can make a positive impact on low-income, first-generation, & students with disabilities lives. We also have a great staff that shares in my passion for helping students. I am proud of the fact that many students consider Project Success an oasis of support that really feels like a second family to them. Our primary purpose is to assist students with staying in school, graduating, and/or transferring to 4-year colleges or universities. 

 Good day, I am Cynthia Cardosi. a counselor at Project Success. I am excited to have another academic year upon us...where new adventures await us.

In my life, I have spent years immersing myself in education as I love to learn. I also love to teach. My BS is in Physical Education – University of Alabama-Birmingham, MEd in Educational Administration - U of Illinois, MSS in Sport Management – US Sports Academy, and a PhD in Educational Psychology – University of Virginia. Plus, I have spent 20 years advising and counseling students with 16 of those years focused on teaching how to be successful in college for student-athletes. Ultimately, I am a coach, counselor, and cheerleader.

I look forward to assisting you at IVCC when you join our Project Success TEAM. Together, we will pursue enriching our lifelong skills. Remember, the possibilities are endless! 

Hi, I'm Diane Scoma, the newest face in the Project Success team, but not a new face on campus as I've served as the Operations Professional in the Continuing Education Center for 6 years. I started my college career here at IVCC, where I earned and transferred an AA degree to Northern Illinois University to complete a BFA in Painting. I earned my MA from Northeastern Illinois University in Educational Administration. As a first generation college student myself, IVCC gave me a great start with the encouragement I needed to pursue higher education. I love learning, so most of my life has been spent working in higher education. I guess you could say I never really left college! I’ve worked for NIU, NEIU, Roosevelt University and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as an admissions counselor, career advisor & internship coordinator, financial aid advisor, college instructor, and counselor in a college success program for inner city middle school students. I am ready and eager to help you discover your own journey and lead you through your educational goals and on to your career path.

I am Teresa Bowen the Administrative Assistant for Project Success. I am married, have 3 children and 5 grandchildren. Over the years I have changed my education direction and am currently pursuing my degree in Graphic Design. The majority of my career has been in management positions and I have also owned three businesses. I self-published my book of photography and poetry and am currently working on another book. Photography and graphic design are something I enjoy doing in my spare time and have sold some of my photos on Ebay. I am very excited to be able to serve all of the Project Success students and be of whatever help is needed for all of you to succeed in your education endeavors.