Staff Spotlight: Deidree Diño, Head of Vienna Admissions

Deidree Diño currently works as the Head of Admissions at Webster Vienna Private University. Before joining Webster in April 2018, Deidree worked in international schools for about 12 years, including a role as director of admissions and registrar at the oldest international school in Vienna. 

She came to Austria in 2003 to financially support her mother and brothers back home in the Philippines. Before that, Deidree worked in Manila for an American customer service company in the Operations, Human Resources, and WorkForce Management departments. Before shifting to customer service, she was a clinical supervisor right after she passed our national board exams.

Deidree was born and raised in the Philippines. She received her undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree -- a medical preparatory program with a major in Physical Therapy -- from a private university, funded mainly through academic scholarships, in the Philippines in 1999. Deidree completed a Master of Science degree from the University of Salford - Manchester UK, in cooperation with Robert Kennedy College Switzerland in April 2017. She also earned a Professional Diploma in Management from the Open University UK in December 2014. 

We caught up with Deidree to discuss her research and interests further.

Can you describe how a typical working day is for you?

I start my day checking e-mails that have come through and processing the most urgent ones. I usually have anywhere from two to five meetings per day -- those are, of course blocked off on my calendar. So I use the time between making and returning phone calls, going through my list of new students that need to be chased, working on projects and reports that still need to be updated or completed, etc.

I also check in with the admissions officers on campus at least once a day, even though we regularly talk through Microsoft Teams. If my schedule permits, I drop by and talk casually with my colleagues in other departments, particularly those I work most closely with (Marketing, SRC, etc.). I again check/read all e-mails and respond to the most urgent messages before I finish my workday.

If I am on a recruitment trip, I follow the same schedule except I will not be able to process anything that requires the internet while on a flight or participating or presenting in a fair.

What's the most rewarding moment you have had since taking the role of Head of Admissions at Webster Vienna?

Several moments cumulatively make my work meaningful and rewarding. These mostly have to do with the positive changes, the growth, and the improvements that our students demonstrate. This is, after all, why I decided to work in education. Yes, we are a university, and we focus heavily on academics, but we also have to prepare students for the real world and ensure they have the necessary life skills to adapt and survive. They will not always be able to get help from everyone else any time they need it, so helping them become truly independent is the best thing we can do for them.

Whenever I see a student become more organized, accountable, and simply better at getting tasks done, and they acknowledge learning this from me, I feel that I am doing something right.

As a university student, what was your favorite class?

I took a preparatory undergraduate degree in Medicine with a major in Physical Therapy. Neuro-Musculo-Skeletal Anatomy, Neurology, and Medical Latin were my favorite classes. I liked Anatomy Laboratory (dissecting cadavers), but I did struggle with practical tests -- we only had about 30 seconds to one minute to identify and answer several questions about a muscle, nerve, or blood vessel!.

Kinesiology was also “fun,” but we had to digest five books cover-to-cover just for that one class. For my master’s degree, I found the Marketing and Management of Services to be the most fascinating, especially since it ties in nicely with my work experience in international admissions.

The growth, and the improvements that our students demonstrate. This is, after all, why I decided to work in education. 

What recommendations would you give new WVPU students?

Read instructions, listen carefully, ask if something is unclear, and organize yourself using whatever tools are at your disposal. If you make mistakes (and you will!), be brave enough to own them, and then reflect on how you can avoid making the same mistake next time.

Learn from older and more experienced, not because we are older, but because we have made far more mistakes – and mistakes are the most effective at imparting lessons.

Your goal should ultimately be to become independent; the worst thing a person can be, in my opinion, is to be helpless. Every person has their battles to fight; you cannot depend on other people to keep rescuing you from the problems you could have easily avoided.

Which Spring 2022 classes would you recommend to current students?

I honestly think every major/academic department has its own set of fascinating classes. This is why it’s sometimes hard to put classes together – you have to take the required classes, but there is also a great selection of electives, so you’ll have to prioritize.

If I were a student, I would want to take the new Common Core Module (CCM) classes such as Social Problems: Justice and Inequality and The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment. I am passionate about equality and critical thinking because I have personally seen and experienced the consequences when people (especially those in power) fail to work towards both.

Any hidden talents you would like to share with the WVPU community?

I think my talents should remain hidden! But seriously, I would prefer not to talk about them unless I am ready to show them. Maybe I will have a chance to do so at the next Webster’s Got Talent competition (as a guest). If anyone wants to know, that person should just be there at that event (and support our SRC work!).

I have some weird quirks – I am not sure if I can call them “talents.” I like memorizing numbers so I can save time (I am not the type, however to memorize the value of Pi just to show off!). At one point, I got so bored in my late teens and early 20’s, I memorized the Greek alphabet (sans the correct pronunciation) and all 50 states of the USA for no reason. I also learned to write backward (mirror images of letters), which I then write on greeting cards to amuse (or annoy) people.