Our Team
The team of experts dedicated to helping you on your college journey.
College and career success doesn’t have to fall on your shoulders alone.
Our unique approach relies on partnerships with trusted, nonprofit universities. They provide our students affordable access to their degree programs, and we provide all the things that students need to be successful: a deeply supported onboarding process, personalized coaching and supports in our Denver campus, and a community of caring staff and peers that will be with them every step of the way.
This approach means students can pursue their degree and build their career at the same time, even while working or supporting family.
Isabela Aldana
Head of Career Pathways
Isabela Aldana
Head of Career Pathways
Isabela is a workforce development professional with a career and academic counseling background. From a young age, she believed in the transformative power of education and has dedicated her career to helping non-traditional and underrepresented populations improve their social and economic mobility. Over the last decade, she has focused on working with employers, unions, and community partners to create career pathways and advancement opportunities for healthcare employees. As Head of Career Pathways, her goal is to create opportunities and remove barriers for students so they can effectively navigate the world of work. She is a first-generation student and professional with a Master’s degree in Counseling & Student Services from California State University, Fresno, and a Bachelor’s degree in History from UCLA.
Holly Armstrong
Holly Armstrong
Head of Student Success
Holly is passionate about helping students thrive in education, career, and life. She has held multiple roles dedicated to building high-quality programs that promote equity for all students and communities. Prior to AdvanceEDU, she led an academic support program as Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction at Metropolitan State University of Denver. As the Assistant Director of College Completion for PelotonU, she helped create innovative student support resources and programming for the emerging hybrid college sector. Before PelotonU, she worked in various PK-12 roles coaching district leaders and teachers, overseeing curriculum and instruction, and creating remedial reading programs. Holly, a native Texan, graduated from Austin College and received her Master’s in Teaching from Marian University and her Master’s in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She hopes to help shape the future of higher education through AdvanceEDU’s dynamic, flexible, and career-relevant approach to supporting students.
Danté Bills
Danté Bills
Lesley Del Rio
Lesley Del Rio
Lesley has a deep commitment to the Denver Community through her engagement, advocacy, and education work. Raised in the Westwood neighborhood of Denver, she graduated from Florence Crittenton High School and has served in various non-profit organizations in the Denver metro area in pursuit of advancing equity and access for underserved communities. Her other community leadership and advocacy includes serving as a Parent Advisor for the Aspen Institute, facilitating community collective action conversations, serving on the Denver Health Community Advisory Panel, and mentoring through Latinas Increasing Political Strength, At AdvanceEDU, Lesley remains committed to the Denver community by helping students access higher education and postsecondary opportunities. Lesley is a first generation student, a mother of a 10 year old who loves video games, and was the first AdvanceEDU Student to earn her associate’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University. Lesley is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree with AdvanceEDU.
Jack Kroll
Jack Kroll
Jack has dedicated his career to expanding higher education opportunities to students. Prior to joining AdvanceEDU, he spent over a decade in the Office of Admissions at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he worked with prospective first-year, transfer, and graduate students. At each step of his career, Jack has worked to remove barriers to higher education for students, launching initiatives to better serve military service members and veterans, students from Spanish-speaking households, and working professionals aiming to improve their careers through education. Jack served one term on the University of Colorado Board of Regents (2017-2023) and chaired the Board in 2021-2022. A Denver native and graduate of Denver South High School, Jack earned Bachelors Degrees in English and Economics as well as a Master’s Degree in Finance and Risk Management from the University of Colorado Denver
Marissa Manzanares
Marissa Manzanares
Marissa’s passion for college access along with her 7+ years of experience within higher education has allowed her to support underrepresented students and give back to her community here in Denver and her hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah. As a first generation college student, Marissa is a proud alumna of the University of Utah, where she obtained her Bachelors of Social Work degree in 2015. Following her move to Denver in 2017, she attended the University of Denver and received her Master of Arts degree in Higher Education in 2020. Prior to AdvanceEDU, Marissa has had the opportunity to support student success in several roles, including Alumni Success Advisor for KIPP Colorado Schools, Pathway Academic Advisor at the Community College of Aurora, and Undergraduate Admissions specialist at the University of Denver, along with other nonprofits in her hometown. She hopes to continue to serve, support, and advise students towards their passions at AdvanceEDU and to educate/advocate to others that there is more than one pathway towards brighter futures.
Diondre Morales
Diondre Morales
Enrollment Specialist
Diondre Morales was born and raised in Colorado. Education has always remained a priority in his life as he was the first in his family to attain a college degree. Diondre earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Colorado State University where his passion for education and mentoring grew from his own journey. Diondre has always believed that all students deserve equal access to resources and opportunities to successfully navigate through their journey of education and beyond. Prior to AdvanceEdu Diondre worked as a College and Career Advisor at his high school Alma Mater in Fort Lupton, CO. Diondre also served as a City Year Denver Americorps member and was a recipient of the National Corps Member of the Year Award in recognition of his ability to build relationships with students and staff.
Dalilah Romo
Operations Associate
Dalilah Romo
Employee
Dalilah was born and raised in Colorado. She graduated from Gateway High school as a first-generation college student and immigrant. Since graduating, she has continued to advocate for equity and equal access to education for all. Today, she creates innovative ways to support students in their education and career paths while building community. In addition, she volunteers for D.P.S. and M.I.E.L. while pursuing her business degree with AdvanceEDU.
Maria Soyka
Success Coach
Maria Soyka
Success Coach
Maria is a Success Coach with AdvanceEDU. She finds purpose in empowering students to live out their potential in education, career, and life. She has held multiple roles focused in Coaching adults toward success in their education experience.Prior to AdvanceEDU, she led a Coaching team with Guild Education, unlocking opportunity for America’s workforce through education and career pathways. In that role, she developed a collaborative, strengths-based approach to coaching and team building.Maria grew up in New Hope, Pennsylvania (90 minutes South of New York City). She graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. Additionally, she has training in Neuro-Linguistic Programming.As a Success Coach, she supports AdvanceEDU students to find their unique voice through a flexible, and career-relevant approach to education.
Lauren Trent
