Gina Pirtle
Director of Financial Aid & Business Office Operations
219-473-4379
gpirtle@ccsj.edu

Gina came to the Calumet College in 2002 as the Accounts Payable Clerk and transitioned to the Office of Financial Aid initially as a Specialist. She was then promoted as a Counselor and as Assistant Director before moving to the Business Office as the Bursar. She is currently the Director of Financial Aid and Business Office Operations. Gina received her BS in Organization Management from CCSJ and completed her MBA with a concentration in Accounting at Indiana Wesleyan. Gina and her family resides in Merrillville.

Tiesha Walker
Assistant Director of Financial Aid
219-473-4387
twalker@ccsj.edu

Tiesha comes to CCSJ from the University of Northern Iowa where she earned her B.A. in Leisure, Youth, and Human Services, with a concentration in Nonprofit Youth Administration, and her M.A. in Organizational Communication. Her prior work experiences include instructing communication courses at the University of Northern Iowa as a teaching assistant and dedicating many years to the Boys & Girls Club of Cedar Rapids as the Assistant Director. As the Assistant Director of Financial Aid, Tiesha is excited about helping students and their families create a financial game plan for pursuing higher education. Tiesha is currently a Merrillville resident.

Crystal Chocholek
Financial Aid Counselor
219-473-4314
cchocholek@ccsj.edu

Crystal joined the CCSJ Admissions staff in May 2007. She worked with both freshman and transfer students to help guide them through the admissions process. Crystal also served as the coordinator for the Student Ambassador Program. In September of 2009, she accepted a promotion to the Office of Financial Aid as a Financial Aid Counselor and has been working to help our students through the financial aid process since. She completed her Master’s in Communications Studies at Purdue Calumet in 2010 and has since instructed a course in Introduction to Communications here at CCSJ. Crystal is currently a Hammond resident.

Phyllis Chavez-Leija
Financial Aid Specialist
219-473-4296
pchavezleija@ccsj.edu

Phyllis Chavez-Leija is the newest member of the CCSJ Office of Financial Aid family. She previously worked at Ivy Tech in East Chicago assisting with Admissions and Financial Aid procedures. Both her prior experiences in higher education and her worldwide travels have provided her with a solid foundation in working with individuals of diverse backgrounds and experiences. Phyllis is currently completing her B.A. in Organizational Management Leadership at CCSJ and she currently resides in Whiting.