What started as an opportunity to spend more time with her children has now blossomed into a career seven years in the making, with many more to come for Leena Thairuammit, Director of Admissions at Computer Systems Institute. However, Leena’s journey to her current role began many years ago on the other side of the world.

Originally from Thailand, Leena graduated from Bangkok University with a Marketing and Public Relations degree. She went on to work for an advertising firm and an event planning company before eventually moving to the U.S. Here, she earned a Master’s degree in Marketing from the Illinois Institute of Technology and began to chart a new career path.

Leena first worked as a manager for what she described as a “very trendy sushi restaurant” before pursuing a new opportunity in entrepreneurship with her own boutique. However, she was soon the mother of two young kids, and she faced the difficult struggle of balancing business ownership with being present for her children with things like birthdays and school events.

“I thought, ‘It’s not the right time to do my own business.,” Leena reflected.

So, she decided to take a step back for a little while and work part-time in order to stay at home with her children and decide what she wanted to do next. It was then, in 2016, that the perfect opportunity came her way—an opening at CSI.

“One of my friends worked at CSI at that time and recommended me for the job.,

Leena interviewed for the position as an International Admissions Representative and started her journey toward her current career path. After two years in that role, Leena was promoted to Sr. International Admissions Representative. Two years after that promotion, she moved up again into the role of Admissions Manager for the Illinois region. Finally, Leena entered her current position as Director of Admissions a year later.

Some of Leena’s favorite things about her role at CSI include collaborating with her Team and Business Partners to create a student-focused culture as it relates to the enrollment process and advising students on program options that will enable them to reach their academic and professional goals. “It feels great helping the Team and our students reach their goals and find success,” Leena shared excitedly.

Another favorite aspect of working for CSI for Leena is the cohesiveness of the staff. “Everybody knows each other. We’re like a second family,” she said, adding how staff will often even have lunch and dinner together. Leena also emphasized the sense of trust and openness among team members, stating that “No one’s going to pull the chair from under you.”

As for the future of CSI, Leena is very optimistic. “I’m seeing a lot of changes from 2016-2023,” she said, particularly noting that she’s “excited to see the change with technology and automation.” Many of our operational processes for both students and staff have been automated to provide better service delivery and allow us to spend more time with our students and learn more about their needs Leena is looking forward to technology enhancing operational and organizational effectiveness.

If you want to learn more about CSI’s programs from Leena’s team, visit our admissions page or call us at 847-967-5030.