About the DLC

The Dominican Learning Center is blessed with a dedicated team of educational professionals who are committed to helping adults expand their academic skills and succeed in their families, their jobs, and their communities.

Denise Hilliard, Director
Denise loves that, through the DLC, she is able to continue to promote education for those that want to improve their lives. In one way or another, Denise has been working in the education field for her entire career and especially likes that at the DLC, she has the opportunity to interact with such wonderful people. She loves to see the students’ eagerness to learn and is equally inspired by the great staff and dedicated tutors that make up the DLC community.

Denise has been the Director of the Dominican Learning Center for more than 3 years. She holds a master’s in teaching from Kent State University and worked as a high school teacher for several years before moving abroad to work in colleges throughout the developing world.

Sr. Robin Richard, OP, ESL Program Manager
Sr. Robin likes working at the DLC because the team tries to help learners feel like they have a “home away from home.” She appreciates that the DLC welcomes all people regardless of race, creed, nationality, or background. She came to the organization to share her ministry passion for teaching language to those who need this skill and to join with other Sisters and Associates to incorporate witness to working with the marginalized. The DLC helps learners set goals that address their immediate needs, and when those goals are incorporated into the curriculum, learners are better able to succeed in the workforce and around the community.

Sr. Robin has been at the DLC for 14 years. Sr. Robin holds a master’s in education in Curriculum and Instruction with certification in English as a Second Language (ESL) and Adult Education from the University of New Orleans and a master’s in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University. She served in elementary, high schools, and literacy centers prior to coming to DLC.

Adriana Johnson – ESL/Spanish GED Program Coordinator
Adriana works at the DLC to make a difference in the lives of her friends and neighbors. At the end of the day, she says, she has made a difference in our students’ lives. She believes in the organization’s slogan, “Education improves lives,” and seeing how the DLC improves the community by teaching others to read, speak or write.

Sister Mary Riley, ABE/GED Program Manager
Sister Mary has had the joy of teaching children and ESL to refugees and immigrants. The faces of these little ones, refugees, and immigrants, with their trust and openness, truly reflect God’s tender love and allow us to glimpse God’s face more clearly. Sr. Mary is grateful for the opportunity to join the passionate staff and volunteers at the Dominican Learning Center who strive to follow St. Dominic who confidently placed the details of his journey in God’s Hands. Today, as in the time of Dominic, we too are called to journey with all those God places in our lives entrusting this ministry to our compassionate God.

Sr. Mary has been at the DLC for 3 years. Sr. Mary holds a Master of Arts in Special Education and Library Media Certification from Marygrove College. She previously worked in Elementary Education, as a Library Media Specialist, and in Parish Ministry.

Sr. Shawn Fitzpatrick, OP,  Language Arts Specialist/Tutor
Sr. Shawn loves working with those struggling to learn, fighting addictions and trying to improve their and their family’s lives. After working as a principal for 23 years, she was asked to become the Director of the DLC, which was a great fit because of her love for education and working with the poor. Serving today as a tutor, she believes that the DLC helps adult learners who live in generational poverty and face many adversities in reaching toward their goal of providing a better life for themselves and their families.

Sr. Mary Deane, OP, Language Arts Specialist/Tutor
Sr. Mary likes teaching and helping people. Her experience in teaching English makes her a valuable addition to the DLC staff. She hopes that the ripple effect, not only in getting a GED and a better job but being treated with dignity, respect, and care, will make it easier for learners to treat others with the same respect when they leave the DLC.

Melody Johnson, Trainer
Melody has found that the DLC has given her a mission after she retired from teaching. She chose to work at the DLC to help those who are trying to get a better education to improve their lives. Education is the way to improve lives, which in turn improves the community.

Sr. Roberta Miller, OP, Receptionist Sister Roberta is a retired educator and says that listening to and learning from others from diverse lifeways is a time for growth for her. To see and experience the amazing diversity in humanity and Nature is awesome and hopeful in these difficult times. Her hope and prayer is to provide the understanding, compassion and skills needed by those coming to the Learning Center to achieve their goals.

Sr. Manuela Crisologo, OP, ESL Registration/Testing, Receptionist
Sister Manuela received her master’s degree in educational psychology and was a middle and high school teacher for twenty-seven years in her birth country, Peru.  She is grateful for the opportunity to work at the Dominican Learning Center helping to improve the lives of learners through education by providing quality service to people who need to learn English like her.  She learns from each person who works here as they provide their services and time with dedication and cheerfulness.

Advisory Council

Bruce Braine, Professor, DLC Tutor
Geoffrey Collver, Attorney, DLC Tutor
James Craft, Retired/Self-employed, DLC Tutor
Laura Geil, English Tutor, DLC Tutor

Denise Hilliard, Director, DLC
Corrine Hughes, Parish Liaison
Sr. Elizabeth Jackson, OP, Congregational Representative
Sue Longenbaker, Retired Professor, DLC Tutor
Sr. Mary Riley, OP, Dominican Sisters of Peace Leadership Delegate
Betsy Spittell, Teacher
Theresa Thompson, Chair, Akshara Shala, DLC Tutor
Irene Varley, Consultant, Tutor

Affiliations

The Dominican Learning Center is affiliated with ProLiteracy Worldwide.   Within the Dominican Family, the Center is a ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Peace.