People attend college for multiple reasons. Denise Teti ’09 and her daughter Jennifer Teti ’10 each enrolled at Immaculata University’s College of Adult Professional Studies under different situations, but they both earned degrees that allowed them to have fulfilling careers.
Denise earned her R.N. diploma in 1972 and has been a nurse for over 50 years. Her clinical experience includes medical-surgical nursing, critical care nursing in surgical and medical ICU, and coronary care nursing in both critical care and step-down telemetry care.
When Jennifer was born, Denise took time away from her profession. When she returned, she worked part time in critical care when needed on the weekends. After having two more daughters, she served as a nurse director for eight years for a specialty pharmacy/nursing group. She then moved to community education, presenting short lectures and facilitating a support group for patients with Lyme disease. However, with additional career ambitions, she realized she needed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. So in her mid-50s, Denise decided to enroll in Immaculata’s R.N. to B.S.N. program after talking to her coworkers who highly recommended it. She appreciated the flexible classes that accommodated her work schedule, which she referred to as “full-time plus” at that stage of her career.
“I enjoyed Immaculata’s R.N. to B.S.N. program. It provided so much enhancement to my nursing career,” Denise stated. Currently, she is a part-time infusion therapist, where she conducts one-on-one home visits and manages the nurses for a home infusion pharmacy/nursing organization. “I have to say that this field of nursing has been an area that I have loved for the past 26 years,” she stated.
Jennifer’s path to Immaculata began about one year before her mom’s, but for different reasons. She had always felt a passion for baking and intended to study pastry arts. First, however, she wanted a degree in management that would give her a foundation to build her career upon.
“I chose the human performance management major because the classes that it covered were a wonderful fit to achieve the future goals that I had for myself,” Jennifer said. After she visited campus, it became clear that she would feel comfortable and safe at Immaculata.
“The beauty of the campus also brought a feeling of peace, which I was truly in need of during that chapter of my life,” she added.
As adult students pursuing undergraduate degrees, Denise and Jennifer attended evening classes. Denise enjoyed the convenience of her off-campus cohort that met weekly in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Jennifer took classes on Immaculata’s campus, which was also close to her home in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.
Ready to launch her career, Jennifer enrolled in the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College after graduating from Immaculata in 2010. When she finished her associate degree in pastry arts, she took a huge step and opened Creperie Bechamel in Wayne, Pennsylvania in June 2012. She oversaw all daily operations of the kitchen, crepe execution, dining room, production and marketing while managing a team of three people along with a business partner.
The creperie established a loyal following. Jennifer admits that having the experience of being an entrepreneur and business owner/operator was life changing. Even so, in 2016, she decided to close the business. Thereafter, she spent a few years working in the restaurant industry before landing a job at QVC as a food stylist for their website and live television shows. In 2022, Jennifer was promoted to a supervisory role for the culinary department and now oversees food styling for the production of live shows.
Jennifer credits her Immaculata degree with providing the management skills that she uses daily as a supervisor. She applies excellent communication skills to interact with the culinary team, production staff, hosts, vendors and guests.
“I was able to implement and exercise everything I learned at Immaculata and the Restaurant School, and I feel that my degrees provided me with a solid foundation both intellectually and mentally,” she said.
Although Denise and Jennifer worked hard to earn their degrees while working full-time jobs, they both found the perfect fit at Immaculata.
Summing up her experience at Immaculata, Jennifer reflected, “There was a respect, care and warmth that was felt from staff and other students. I am honored to be an Immaculata alum, and I feel grateful and proud to be able to share that title with my mom.”
