New Team Revitalizes Student Life at Parkland College
Whether Parkland students want a new ID card, to attend a wellness workshop, or become more involved in campus organizations, these services and more can be found in the Student Life office near the main entrance of campus. Here, the Parkland College community can now find a new team ready to take on their next chapter.
“Starting something new usually comes with its fair share of challenges; however, I’m adjusting well, enjoying the variety the role brings, and appreciate the support from colleagues during this transition,” says Brennon Hightower, Director of Student Life since April 2025. “Student Life is such a dynamic and active department. There’s always something going on and something new to learn, which I appreciate as a lifelong learner. It definitely keeps me on my toes.”
As previous Career Services Manager at Parkland, she notes how instrumental it was in building a strong foundation for this new role.
“It allowed me to understand the culture of Parkland, build relationships across campus, and support both students and community members in meaningful ways,” she says. “I collaborated regularly with faculty, staff, and local employers, which helped me develop a campus-wide perspective and a student-centered approach.”
Hightower added: “Professionally, I’ve invested over a decade in higher education and another 10 years in nonprofit and social service roles, primarily in program coordination. All this experience has come together in a way that makes this transition into Student Life feel more like a natural next step.”
Under her leadership, Student Life welcomed three new staff members: Doyoon Lee, Technical Director; Celeste Miller, Wellness Coordinator; and Alex Warrick, Activities Coordinator and Conduct Officer.
Doyoon Lee
“The adjustment has been fantastic,” Lee says. “Alex, Celeste, and I all started our positions around the same time, so we share many common experiences navigating our new roles together. At the same time, we bring diverse backgrounds and educational experiences to the team, which means we're constantly learning from each other.”
Lee added: “Brennon has been incredibly open to our suggestions and approaches to different projects and tasks, which has made working here a truly positive experience so far.”
A recent UIUC graduate in Business Management, this marks Lee’s first full-time position. Having moved to Champaign in high school, the Seoul, Korea native has spent time as a graphic designer, team coordinator, data analyst, and more.
“This varied background has been invaluable in my current position because I see the Student Life office as truly requiring you to wear many hats – from technical responsibilities to coordinating graduation logistics,” he says. “I'm grateful my past experiences have positioned me well for this exciting, multifaceted role.”
Lee’s initial goal is to have a strong start to his first semester on campus with a particular emphasis on supervising the Prospectus and supporting the Student Leadership Academy.
“I want to excel from the beginning to set a solid foundation for my role,” he says. “As they say, you want to ‘button the first button well’—getting off to a strong start will set the tone for everything that follows.”
Lee expressed his excitement for many aspects of his team’s work, including the wellness workshops, student government, the Prospectus and its monthly podcast.
Celeste Miller
“Transitioning into my new role within Student Life has been both exciting and rewarding,” says Miller, a New Jersey native and community college alumnus. “I’ve been intentional about learning the campus culture, building relationships with colleagues, and listening to the unique needs of our students. Every day presents new opportunities to collaborate and contribute to a supportive, engaging campus experience.”
Miller has spent the last 15 years in higher education. In addition to degrees in psychology and public health, her certificates include health education and communication, health and wellness coaching, and health literacy. She’s also a Master Certified Health Education Specialist, serves on the Board of Directors at the UP Center, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center in Champaign, and volunteers as a Crisis Counselor for the Crisis Text Line (988).
“My prior roles have deeply informed the way I approach my position at Parkland,” she says. “With a background in public health and student affairs, I have developed a strong foundation in building inclusive, student-centered programs. My previous experiences have given me the confidence and clarity to navigate this new role with intention — ensuring Parkland’s wellness programming not only serves, but empowers, our diverse student population.”
Miller’s goals are focused on building a strong foundation for impactful and sustainable wellness programming, including increased student engagement in wellness initiatives, expanded preventive wellness programming, and more.
“In the coming academic year and beyond, the campus community can explore and make use of updated Wellness Center spaces like the Resource and Lactation rooms,” she says. “These areas were intentionally designed to support student well-being, and I’m excited to see them become a meaningful part of the student experience.”
Miller looks forward to the Talk Saves Lives and the L.E.T.S. Save Lives presentations in the fall, a community-based presentation covering the general scope of suicide, prevention research, and what people can do to help save lives.
“My goal is to help create a campus culture where wellness is woven into the everyday student experience—not just something students seek out in times of stress or crisis,” she says. “I’m grateful for the warm welcome and the collaborative spirit at Parkland. I feel increasingly confident in my role and excited for what’s ahead.”
Alex Warrick
Warrick recently found his passion for helping involved students as a graduate assistant in the Office of Leadership and Engagement while pursuing his master’s degree in College Student Affairs at Eastern Illinois University. He oversaw Greek Life programs, civic engagement, volunteerism, student leadership opportunities, the campus food pantry, and other services.
“We were basically the catch-all space on campus for anything not in Student Life,” said Warrick, a Morris, Illinois native and Joliet Junior College alumnus. “Due to this, I was able to work on lots of projects in collaboration with students, staff, faculty members and community figures while becoming extremely versatile with my skillsets. Toward the end of my time at EIU, I became an advisor for a new campus club. That has helped me find my place here at Parkland.”
Warrick will help Parkland student organizations cohesively function through policies and procedures, help officers and advisors with their recruitment and event planning, and grow the members of Student Government Association into “well respected student leaders and a group that students look to for representation on campus.”
“So far, my biggest cheer has been hosting the Student Government retreat meeting successfully,” he says. “It was my first time meeting many of the members in person and I was wanting to make a good impression. Another small cheer has been my experiences at [Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning] coffee breaks and being able to make some connections in other departments on campus.”
Warrick looks forward to seeing some of the major Student Life events in action during the school year, including the Fall 2025 Convocation and Fall Student Engagement Fair. “It will be cool to see all of our hard work pay off!”
Hightower echoed the excitement. “It’s exciting (and rare) to start with a new team with such diverse ideas and experiences,” she says. “I’m looking forward to building a healthy departmental culture with increased student engagement and departmental employee retention. I also hope to create more intentional opportunities for collaboration with other departments to enhance the overall student experience at Parkland. Overall, I’m simply grateful to be a part of such an extraordinary campus community. #ParklandProud.”
Learn more about Student Life at parkland.edu/studentlife.