Award-Winning Workplace
Ascent is proud to be named a “Best Places to Work” by the San Diego Business Journal and American Banker, and be designated as one of San Diego’s Best and Brightest companies to work for.
1st Place
Best Places to Work in SoCal 2023
San Diego Business Journal
Best Places to Work 2022
San Diego’s Best and Brightest
Companies to Work For Winner 2022
American Banker
Best Places to Work in Fintech 2023
Meet the Ascent Team
As current and former students, parents, and mentors, our mission is simple: help students achieve their goals. We want to empower students from all economic backgrounds and disciplines to maximize the return on that investment. Supporting students on their journey through school is important to us, which is why we’re proud to partner and co-create with college students.
By staying true to our mission, values, culture, and service to our community, we have been named “Best Places to Work” and named Best Private Student Loan for 2021 by Forbes Advisor and NerdWallet.
Get to know us
Abby Liu
Marketing Coordinator I
Adam Vaughan
Principal Software Engineer
Alan Ward
Marketing Data Analyst
Albert Olivares
Software Engineer III
Alex Acosta
Data Engineer III
Alex Stultz
Underwriter
Alicia Chavez
Director, Brand & Content Marketing
Allison Thompson
Loan Processor
Andrea Jenkins
Director, Student Success
Arin Nahapatian
Associate Counsel
Art Kang
VP, Technology
Ausleen Acosta
Social Media & Digital Marketing Specialist
Avery Ryder
Software Engineer III
Becky White
Customer Service Representative
Bill Dusha
Software Engineer III
Bre Knight
Content Writer
Carlos Morales
Senior Financial Analyst
Casey Stenger
Project Manager
Chad Augood
Sales Development Representative
Courtney Roth
Executive Assistant
Crista Wray
Senior Product Manager
Dana Berry
SVP, Marketing
Danny Lopez
Loan Processor
Danny Witt
Credit Risk Analyst
Dawn Cope
School Partnership Account Representative
Dora Kram
UX Designer
Emily Skoubo
Senior Human Resources Generalist
Erica Arvanitis
Email Marketing Manager
Erin Annis
School Channel Support Coordinator
Erin Swenson
Coach & Content Creator
Felicia Wetzel
Lead Coach & Program Producer
Frank Fortunato
VP, Data Engineering
Haixin Guo
UX/Design Intern
Ian Meade
Senior Accounting Manager
Jacob Lin
VP, Finance, Treasury & Accounting
Jake Terrell
Manager, Treasury & Capital Markets
Jamie Kautzman
Certification Specialist
JD Ephraim
Loan Processor
Jennifer Ly
Project Coordinator I
Jeremy Chavez
Senior IT Specialist
Jessica Deyglun
Treasury Operations Associate
Joan Altoveros
Marketing Coordinator
Joanna Widmier
Director, Engagement Marketing
John Gross
Sr. Business Data Analyst
Jon Ericson
Director, Digital Communities
Jon Michalik
VP, Operations
Josh Deason
Quality Assurance Engineer
Joy Bullen
Senior Content Manager
Julian Caravantes
Senior Analyst, Corporate Strategy
Karol Raymond
Quality Coordinator
Katie Fallon
Quality Control Analyst
Ken Ruggiero
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Kevin Boldin
Quality Manager
Kylie Gard
Senior Loan Processor
Lawrence Bader
Partnerships Marketing Manager
Lisa D'Acquisto
VP, Human Resources
Lorenza Gil-Kabande
Engagement Marketing Specialist
Mars Cheung
Senior Software Engineer
Marty Herrick
VP, Business & School Development
Meredith Connelly
Customer Experience Manager
Michael Middleton
SVP and GM, College Funding
Mike Prosper
Chief Technology Officer
Naomi Rodriguez
Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable Specialist
Olaf Kunkel
Software Engineer IV
Olivia Arneson
Growth Marketing Coordinator
Pam Hughes
Director, Technical Product Management
Patrick Bray
Director, Compliance
Paul Bartlett
Software Engineer I
Paul Siemieniuk
Manager, Analytics
Ryan Aditya
Director, Business Analysis
Ryan Gray
Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer
Ryan Pearson
Senior Web Developer
Ryan Valenzuela
Loan Processor
Sam Jaquez
Content & NLG Specialist
Santhoshi Chandramouly
Senior Data Engineer
Seth Formal
SVP and GM, Bootcamp Funding
Seth Reynolds
Director, School & Digital Partnerships
Shalanda Fuller
Customer Service Representative
Sid Huerta
Originations Manager
Susan Bussolari
Executive Assistant
Suzanne Sgroi
Talent Acquisition Partner
Sylvia Chen
Senior Analyst
Tatum Drinnenberg
Executive Assistant
Tayler Grieco
Operations Manager
Tristan Fleming
General Counsel
Victor Guerra
VP, Compliance & Vendor Management
Xing Li
VP, Capital Markets
Zach Taylor
Lead UX Designer
Our Core Values
Stay Connected!
Follow us on social media to get the latest updates on giveaways, scholarships, announcements, and our benefits.
We share tips and resources to help them make better financial decisions that last beyond school. Follow Ascent to see for yourself!
What are others saying about Ascent?
Being young I don’t have a strong credit history. Ascent made it possible for me to have my own loan without the help of others – I’m thankful I found them.
Nikara M.
Western Washington University
It was the only decent loan provider that would accept a non-cosigned loan. My loan manager helped a lot.
Robert C.
Texas A&M University
The best thing about Ascent is the fact that they make the process easy. I was able to do everything online and the money was sent directly to my school.
Anjellica C.
Northern Arizona University
Ascent stands out for its range of payment reduction and postponement options, rare among private lenders. Borrowers can choose a graduated repayment plan, which provides a lower monthly payment to start that increases over time.” Read more
Forbes Advisor
What type of loan are you looking for?
Checking your rate will not impact your credit score.
College Loan
For students seeking their undergraduate or graduate degree from a university or college.
Bootcamp Loan
For students attending a coding bootcamp school pursuing a degree in technology, professional training, or licensure training.