College Counseling Department
Following in the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis or care for the entire person, the U of D Jesuit College Counseling Department strives to provide individual and group services in the areas of college and career planning. Drawing on each student's strengths and God given talents, we empower students and their families to develop a post-secondary educational plan that aligns with each unique individual.
Our Services
Our College Counselors work closely with Admissions Offices at colleges and universities across the U.S. and help make the college application and selection process easier for our students and families. The College Counseling Office provides information at grade appropriate intervals regarding standardized testing, college applications and admission procedures, and financial aid information through a variety of channels including, but not limited to, evening programs, classroom guidance, individual student sessions and parent meetings.
Our Expertise
U of D Jesuit is an institutional member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the Michigan Association for College for College Admission Counseling (MACAC). Additionally, U of D Jesuit is an active member of the Jesuit High School College Counseling Association. The College Counseling team brings a wealth of experience from post-secondary and secondary educational institutions.
Looking for the School Counseling Department? Click the button below to visit the School Counseling web page.
College Counseling Team
Mrs. Kristen Calleja
Mr. Garrett Donato
Garrett is a 2005 graduate of U of D Jesuit and ”Six-Year Man” of the school, having attending grades 7-12. He is an alumnus of Western Michigan University, receiving a B.S. in both Psychology and Africana Studies, as well as a M.A. in Counselor Education with a focus in School Counseling. Prior to rejoining the U of D Jesuit family, he gained counseling and advocacy experience working for Detroit Public Schools, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital, and the Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan.
Mr. Donato coordinates the U of D Jesuit Special College Initiatives, which includes aiding students from Detroit to take advantage of the Detroit Promise Scholarship and coordinating the Fr. Antonio Vieira, S.J. Summer Success Program. Serving in this capacity at U of D Jesuit has been a career goal since his days in the Jesuit Academy.
Sharon Toles
Sharon is a graduate of University of Detroit Mercy where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in General Psychology & a Master of Arts in Community Counseling. Upon graduation, Sharon began her career in higher education at the University of Detroit Mercy where she worked in the admissions office in various capacities for 12 years.
After UDM, Sharon worked at Marygrove College as director of admissions and student affairs for more than three years until the closing of the college was announced this past June. The closure of Marygrove brought Sharon to U of D Jesuit where she is excited to be part of the College
Mr. Nathan Waldo
Nathan comes to U of D Jesuit from Alma College as a College Counselor. Nathan attended Central Michigan University for his undergraduate studies of Communication and Theatre. He went on to DePaul University for his graduate work in Counseling.
Most of Nathan’s career has been spent working in Higher Education within Enrollment Management and Admissions. While living in Chicago, Nathan worked for Elmhurst College, DePaul University, and Rush University. He then became a Regional Admissions Representative for Hawaii Pacific University and managed the Midwest and East Coast regions for them.