From Humble Beginnings to Higher Education: My Story of Grit and Determination
For me, there is no greater reward than helping a student realize they are capable of more than they ever imagined. I live for those moments—the spark in their eyes when they begin to believe in their own potential. That spark isn’t abstract to me; it’s personal. I saw it in myself for the first time as a senior at Clemente High School when my ASPIRA counselor kindly told me: Don’t sell yourself short. Dream big. That one conversation changed the course of my life.
I was born and raised in Wicker Park before gentrification, the daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants who came to Chicago in search of a better life. My mother, a talented self-made seamstress, dreamed of becoming a nurse but never had the chance. Instead, she poured her dreams into her six children, raising us with love, grit, and the help of public housing and food stamps. I carry her strength with me every day.
As a first-generation college student, I had no blueprint, no roadmap—just determination. In the pre-Google era of the ’90s, I had little idea what to study. I eventually chose Finance, earning my bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) in 1996. I returned for my MBA a decade later. NEIU didn’t just give me a degree—it gave me a path out of poverty and a deep belief in the power of public higher education.
While completing my MBA, I began working part-time in NEIU’s Purchasing Department in 2007, and I’ve continued to grow ever since. I served in the President’s Office as Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees and later joined the El Centro team, where I found my true calling: helping students access academic support and believe in their futures. Before NEIU, I worked at the nonprofits Heartland Alliance and City Colleges of Chicago, managing employee and retiree benefit plans. But NEIU always felt like home.
Because I believed so deeply in the NEIU mission, I volunteered as a math tutor, returning to the classroom to study Trigonometry, Calculus, and Introduction to Advanced Mathematics, so I could better support students. I’ve also donated countless hours of my time and many thousands of dollars—despite my modest salary—toward student scholarships and support programs. I know how to put my time and money where my mouth is because I’ve lived the very challenges our students face.
Over the years, I’ve been praised for my communication skills, big-picture thinking, and attention to detail. But what matters most to me is integrity, compassion, and building community.
When I was named Interim Director of the El Centro campus, I felt that my many years of hard work and dedication to NEIU were being recognized. That’s why it was so disheartening when a short time later I was suddenly removed from that position.
Just like our slogan, I am NEIU. Every part of my story—my roots, my education, my work, my service—reflects the students we serve. I am living proof of what NEIU can accomplish when it stays true to its mission.
About the Lawsuit
After 18 years of service at NEIU, I was abruptly removed from my position as Interim Director at the El Centro campus. This interruption to my career occurred because a politically connected outsider decided I had to go. She spread lies, encouraged others to complain, and persuaded university leaders to ignore their own rules. When I spoke up about the bullying and hostile environment; I was ignored. The lack of response to my concerns and the actions of the university in caving in to the attack on my leadership and performance has necessitated legal action on my part. My lawsuit has implications for more than my career and the individual sued—it also reveals how NEIU allowed power and politics to replace fairness, truth, and integrity.
On January 12, 2026, the judge denied Rosita Lopez and the NEIU attorneys’ Motion To Dismiss. The judge determined there is enough evidence for the case to proceed in court on Mimi’s claims, just as we thought.
This is great news since it means that all of the relevant emails and text messages can see the light of day through discovery, and witnesses who were involved can be deposed. We will just let the truth speak for itself.
While the truth finds its way to the surface, it will be interesting to see if NEIU continues to defend Rosita Lopez, a non-employee, when the judge who denied the Motion to Dismiss found that: “These allegations plausibly assert conduct undertaken outside the limited advisory functions described in the El Centro Advisory Council bylaws.”
Why would NEIU undertake the costs associated with defending someone who acted beyond the scope of her volunteer capacity in interfering with the employment of a long time and award winning employee?
The truth will prevail—and along the way, we may see what’s been quietly swept under the rug.
Attorneys for Rosita Lopez have changed their story — first claiming she was an agent of NEIU, and now insisting she’s an employee. In response, Mimi’s attorney has filed a sur-reply arguing that this claim is false and unsupported.
Update: The court has accepted the sur-reply. Stamped version has been uploaded.
Rosita Lopez is falsely claiming she’s a state employee or agent of NEIU to dodge accountability — after using political pressure to attack Mimi’s reputation and push for her removal from El Centro. In fact, Lopez is neither an employee or agent.
In a filing attempting to dismiss Mimi’s claims against her, Rosita Lopez claims to be an employee or agent of NEIU and the State of Illinois giving herself immunity from the suit. It’s an absurd lie stated in a court filing with the intention of ducking her responsibility for the harms inflicted on Mimi. But, it may actually be costing NEIU serious money if they in fact are in on this deception. If Rosita Lopez were in fact an employee of NEIU she might, if in the right position, have protections provided by the State, the University, and their very expensive lawyers.
One wonders if Provost Cofer and President Bell-Jordan are offering this expensive support to Rosita Lopez at the expense of students, faculty, and staff. One also wonders why they would offer such support to a person who was well outside the bounds in her role as a volunteer in interfering with and defaming Mimi, who is an actual employee and at the time the Interim Director for El Centro. Mimi has actually been employed at NEIU for almost twenty years yet the University has failed to offer her support and in fact has demoted her because of attacks by a volunteer (Rosita Lopez) with no authority to interfere with Mimi’s employment.
Take a look at the motion to dismiss filing made by attorneys representing Rosita Lopez. The filing made on behalf of Rosita Lopez may have been funded by NEIU and State dollars. See Mimi’s self-funded lawyer’s response. The motion to dismiss the case against Rosita Lopez should fail. How long will NEIU and the State of Illinois continue to support Rosita Lopez in her campaign against one of their most loyal employees, Mimi Crespo? Stay tuned.
After 18 years of service at NEIU, I was abruptly removed from my position as Interim Director at the El Centro campus. This interruption to my career occurred because a politically connected outsider decided I had to go. She spread lies, encouraged others to complain, and persuaded university leaders to ignore their own rules. When I spoke up about the bullying and hostile environment; I was ignored. The lack of response to my concerns and the actions of the university in caving in to the attack on my leadership and performance has necessitated legal action on my part. My lawsuit has implications for more than my career and the individual sued—it also reveals how NEIU allowed power and politics to replace fairness, truth, and integrity.
Justice for Mimi Crespo 